According to Spearman a single underlying mental ability that influences performance across all cognitive tasks is known as which term?

• A. g Factor (General Intelligence)
• B. Factor Analysis
• C. Fluid Intelligence (Gf)
• D. Crystallized Intelligence (Gc)

Answer: (A)

Spearman’s idea centers on a single general mental ability that influences performance across cognitive tasks. He observed that people’s scores on different intelligence tests tend to rise and fall together, suggesting a common factor behind diverse cognitive performances. He called this shared influence the g factor, or general intelligence. The g factor captures why someone who does well on one kind of cognitive task often does well on others; it’s the overarching skill that affects many abilities.

The other terms describe specific aspects or methods, not the overarching factor itself. Factor analysis is the statistical method used to uncover underlying factors like g and separate specific abilities, rather than the mental ability itself. Fluid intelligence refers to the capacity to reason and solve new problems quickly, independent of prior knowledge, while crystallized intelligence reflects accumulated knowledge and skills from experience. Both are important components of intelligence, but neither is the single general factor that Spearman proposed.