Correct Answer: Correct answer is: (B) General intelligence.
Exam Relevance: Psychology exams, Cognitive Science exams, Intelligence and Testing exams
Difficulty: Easy
Concept notes: Charles Spearman's g stands for general intelligence, which refers to a hypothetical construct that underlies performance on a variety of cognitive tasks.
Common Mistakes: Students may confuse the term "g" with other concepts such as greater intelligence or genetic intelligence, which are not the correct interpretations in the context of Spearman's theory.
Explanations: Spearman proposed that there is a single, underlying factor (g) that explains the positive correlations among various cognitive abilities. This factor represents general intelligence, which is why the correct answer is "General intelligence."
Option Analysis: - Option A: Greater intelligence is not the correct term used by Spearman.
- Option B: General intelligence is the correct term used by Spearman to describe the underlying factor of cognitive abilities.
- Option C: Genetic intelligence is not the term used by Spearman.
- Option D: Generic intelligence is not the term used by Spearman.
Mnemonic: G for General, G for g