What is the G factor and how is it measured?

Intelligence is a skill that is different among all human beings and to know about these individual intelligences in a quantifiable way,tests are applied under theoretical premisesto measure mental abilities, which includes the so-called G factor.

In the following article, we explainwhat the G factor consists of, we mention its main characteristics and we describe how it is measured.

What is factor G?

To get into context, Charles Spearman’sBifactorial Theory(1)(2) proposes a system whereintelligence is broken down into factors, the general factor (G) and the specific factors (S).

In this sense, the G factor orgeneral intelligence factor, is a term that according toSpearmancorresponds to the fundamental skills that are present in all mentaloperations, represents mental energyand is mobilized in any non-automated task of the mind.

It was proposed as the common basis of the differenttypes intelligence, comes from biological capacity and heredity, varying between individuals and remains the same for any of them, which is a very common factor inall tests or intelligence teststo measure intelligence quotient (IQ).

Note: Because of the individuality of the G factor among individuals, Spearmanthought thata person might be greatat calculus-related tasks and deficient at memory-related tasks.

How is the G factor measured?

Continuing with the previous context, Spearman described this G-factor asa process of deduction, relationship and correlation, that is, the execution of abstract tasks where observations are made and principles or rules are extracted from them.

in the G factor, being able to extract statistically from the scores of any battery of intelligence tests, from the information obtained from the raw data collected in each of the tasks of the

You should know: Spearman was classified as the father of psychometrics , due to the high quality standards and degree of precision of his psychometric tests.

What are the cognitive elements that make up the G factor?

Below we describe the elements of cognition, which make up the general intelligence factor:

1. Viso-spatial processing

Visuo-spatial processing is the mind’s ability to identify and process the location of objects in space, including parts of your own body. It is also used to know the spatial location between objects and oneself.

To highlight: This element is related to the concept of Spatial Intelligence .

2. Mathematical logical reasoning

Mathematical logical reasoning is an ability of the human being that is related to the abstract way of seeing numbers or quantities and being able to perform operations with them.

It is used to apply abstraction processes to numbers or quantities and later to carry out a series of operations that provide a solution, for example, between a discrepancy between a real situation and a desired situation or simply to have a real and logical context of the environment.

Note: This element of the general intelligence factor coincides with one of Howard Gardner’s types of intelligence types of intelligence(4), called logical-mathematical intelligence , typical of the analytical personality .

3. Verbal understanding and fluency

Verbal comprehension describes and expresses the skills in the formation of verbal concepts , expressions of relationships between concepts, richness and precision in the conceptualization of words.

For its part, verbal fluency can be understood as the Ability to establish a dialogue in a clear and spontaneous way with other people , through the connection between phrases and ideas in a natural and unforced way, to make the message clear, continuous. and prolonged in time.

You should know: Verbal comprehension and fluency as an element of the G factor is related to Linguistic Intelligence proposed by Gardner.

4. General reasoning

Reasoning is the highest mental form of the process of cognition and cognitive development , which allows judgments to be made based on experiences and knowledge.

This faculty allows us to solve problems, draw conclusions and establish necessary causal and logical connections between facts. Similarly, this element of the G factor is typical of human beings and is measurable in intelligence tests.

5. Memory

Another cognitive element present in the general intelligence factor is memory and it is described as the mental capacity that enables a subject to record, preserve and retrieve information from his brain.

To highlight:  The available evidence suggests that individual differences in the G factor could be explained by the cognitive concepts of capacity and speed associated with working memory . (5)

6. Perceptual speed

Perceptual speed (an important component of intelligence) measures the speed at which a person is able to identify a certain object, among a more or less high number of similar objects, and accurately recognize the similarities and differences between them and their details.

Note: Perceptual speed is a capacity present in the mental abilities of the individual.

Key Findings

• The G factor corresponds to a different mental ability between individuals.
• This factor Represents Mental Energy and is mobilized in all non-automated tasks of the mind.
• The G factor is the common basis of intelligence, it comes from biological capacity and heredity.
• The factor is perfectly quantifiable by statistical methods in the application of intelligence tests.