Aspects of Intelligence and their Relation with Language - A Review

The paper provides an overview of various facets of the personality construct "intelligence" - an umbrella term for cognitive abilities - and reports selected results of intelligence research. The general intelligence model (inter-divisional intellectual capability in the, sense of a general factor g) as well as other structural models of intelligence which have determined hitherto the operationalisation of intelligence are outlined. The paper then describes the impact of genetic and environmental influences on the development of intelligence as well as its stability and changes. Intelligence, it is claimed, is also a statistical construct. In this context the "Intelligence Quotient" (IQ) is introduced as a standardised measure of intellectual capacity containing a wide range of cognitive abilities. An average IQ is defined by a mean of 100 (SD 15). Around 68% of individuals belong to the average intelligence range, possessing an IQ between 85 and 115. Finally, the phenomenon of lower intellectual ability is briefly touched upon, including the impact of low intelligence on language and language development.