Structure of Intellect (J.P. Guilford) - InstructionalDesign.org

In Guilford's Structure of Intellect (SI) theory, intelligence is viewed as comprising operations, contents, and products. Skiptocontent LastUpdated November30th,201807:18pm Home»LearningTheories»StructureofIntellect(J.P.Guilford) InGuilford’sStructureofIntellect(SI)theory,intelligenceisviewedascomprisingoperations,contents,andproducts.Thereare6kindsofoperations(cognition,memoryrecording,memoryretention,divergentproduction,convergentproduction,evaluation),6kindsofproducts(units,classes,relations,systems,transformations,andimplications),and5kindsofcontents(visual,auditory,symbolic,semantic,behavioral).Sinceeachofthesedimensionsisindependent,therearetheoretically180differentcomponentsofintelligence. GuilfordresearchedanddevelopedawidevarietyofpsychometricteststomeasurethespecificabilitiespredictedbySItheory.Thesetestsprovideanoperationaldefinitionofthemanyabilitiesproposedbythetheory.Furthermore,factoranalysiswasusedtodeterminewhichtestsappearedtomeasurethesameordifferentabilities. Parenthetically,itisinterestingtonotethatamajorimpetusforGuilford’stheorywashisinterestincreativity(Guilford,1950).Thedivergentproductionoperationidentifiesanumberofdifferenttypesofcreativeabilities. Application SItheoryisintendedtobeageneraltheoryofhumanintelligence.Itsmajorapplication(besideseducationalresearch)hasbeeninpersonnelselectionandplacement.Meeker(1969)examinesitsapplicationtoeducation. Example Thefollowingexampleillustratesthreecloselyrelatedabilitiesthatdifferintermsofoperation,content,andproduct.Evaluationofsemanticunits(EMU)ismeasuredbytheideationalfluencytestinwhichindividualsareaskedtomakejudgementsaboutconcepts.Forexample:“Whichofthefollowingobjectsbestsatisfiesthecriteria,hardandround:aniron,abutton,atennisballoralightbulb?Ontheotherhand,divergentproductionofsemanticunits(DMU)wouldrequirethepersontolistallitemstheycanthinkofthatareroundandhardinagiventimeperiod.Divergentproductionofsymbolicunits(DSU)involvesadifferentcontentcategorythanDMU,namelywords(e.g.,“Listallwordsthatendin‘tion’).Divergentproductionofsemanticrelations(DMR)wouldinvolvethegenerationofideasbaseduponrelationships.Anexampletestitemforthisabilitywouldbeprovidingthemissingwordforthesentence:“Thefogisas____assponge”(e.g.,heavy,damp,full). Principles Reasoningandproblem-solvingskills(convergentanddivergentoperations)canbesubdividedinto30distinctabilities(6productsx5contents). Memoryoperationscanbesubdividedinto30differentskills(6productsx5contents). Decision-makingskills(evaluationoperations)canbesubdividedinto30distinctabilities(6productsx5contents). Language-relatedskills(cognitiveoperations)canbesubdividedinto30distinctabilities(6productsx5contents). References Guilford,J.P.(1950).Creativity.AmericanPsychologist,5,444-454. Guilford,J.P.(1967).TheNatureofHumanIntelligence.NewYork:McGraw-Hill. Guilford,J.P.&Hoepfner,R.(1971).TheAnalysisofIntelligence.NewYork:McGraw-Hill. Guilford,J.P.(1982).Cognitivepsychology’sambiguities:Somesuggestedremedies.PsychologicalReview,89,48-59. Meeker,M.N.(1969).TheStructureofIntellect.Columbus,OH:Merrill. RelatedWebsites FormoreonGuilfordandStructureofIntellect,see: http://www.intelltheory.com/ http://www.soisystems.com http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/J._P._Guilford