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Question Since intelligence is defined as a person's 'mental capacity', and what might be seen as 'mental capacity' to one person might be very different to another person depending on their 'mental capacity', doesn't this mean intelligence is relative to the person observing it? If it is relative, does that make it impossible to determine intelligence absolutely through measures such as IQ tests?

Accepted:
July 27, 2009

Comments

There are many different definitions of intelligence (the ability to solve problems quickly and accurately, the ability to generate creative responses to new situations, the ability to synthesize diverse information into a coherent whole, ...), many different measures of intelligence (tests that focus on spatial tasks, tests that focus on understanding stories, tests that focus on analyzing social situations, ...), and many different areas of intelligence (formal, emotional, artistic, ....). This does not mean that intelligence is relative to the person observing it; rather, it is relative to the assumed definition, the means of measurement, and the type of intelligence at issue.