Which term describes a general intelligence factor that underlies specific mental abilities and is measured by every task on an intelligence test?

• A. Intelligence
• B. Intelligence test
• C. General intelligence (g)
• D. Factor analysis

Answer: (C)

General intelligence, or g, is the broad cognitive ability that underlies performance across different mental tasks. The idea is that how well someone does on one cognitive task tends to be related to how well they do on other tasks, pointing to a single common source of cognitive power. Factor analysis is the method researchers use to reveal this shared source by looking at how task scores covary; the resulting g accounts for the common variance among tasks on an intelligence test. Because g represents that general mental capacity influencing many tasks, it is what is reflected by performance across all the tasks within an intelligence test. The other terms describe the test itself, the broad label for ability, or the statistical method, rather than the underlying factor being measured.