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Psychology QUESTION #9734
Question 1
Charles Spearman proposed that intelligence can be broken down into a general factor (g) and specific factors (s). What does the general factor (g) represent?
  • A specific skill such as verbal or spatial ability
  • Overall mental energy underlying performance on all cognitive tasks✔️
  • The ability to learn and remember factual information
  • Emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills
Correct Answer Explanation
Spearman's g factor represents a general mental energy or cognitive ability that underlies performance across all types of intellectual tasks. He derived it through factor analysis of test scores and found that people who perform well on one type of cognitive task tend to perform well on others — pointing to a common underlying factor. Specific factors (s) represent abilities unique to particular tasks.