1
DEFINITIONS OF IMPORTANT PSYCHOLOGY WORDS
UNIT I: INTELLIGENCE
1. INTELLIGENCE- According to DAVID WECHSLER, intelligence is an aggregate or
global capacity of an individual to think rationally, to act purposefully and to deal
effectively with the environment.
2. STRUCTURAL THEORIES- These are the theories which focus on components of
intelligence and are based on the statistical technique of factor analysis. For example,
Two Factor Theory, Multifactorial Theory, Fluid + Crystallized Intelligence and Structure
of Intellect Model.
3. PROCESS THEORIES- These are the theories which focus on the utility of intelligence.
(modern theories of intelligence) For example, Triarchic Theory and Theory of Multiple
Intelligences.
4. G FACTOR- It was given by CHARLES SPEARMAN in his Two Factor Theory. It means
general intelligence and is the component of intelligence which is used in all tasks.
5. S FACTOR- It was given by CHARLES SPEARMAN in his Two Factor Theory. It means
specific intelligence and it is the ability to deal with specific problems.
6. TWO FACTOR THEORY- It is the oldest theory given by CHARLES SPEARMAN in
1927. It talks about 2 factors, s-factor and g-factor.
7. PMA’s- These are the primary mental abilities which were given by LOUIS LEON
THURSTONE. These are basic cognitive capabilities which are independent yet
interrelated and together make intelligence.
8. FLUID INTELLIGENCE- It was given by RAYMOND B. CATTELL in his theory of Fluid +
Crystallized Intelligence. It is the capacity to acquire new knowledge, think logically and
solve problems in novel situations. It is innate in nature. It increases till adolescence,
reaches its peak and then declines.
9. CRYSTALLISED INTELLIGENCE- It was given by RAYMOND B.CATTELL in his theory
of Fluid + Crystallized Intelligence. It is the ability to use previously acquired skills,
knowledge, and experience. It increases with age and shows no decline.
10.SOI MODEL- It was given by J.P. GULIFORD and stands for Structure of Intellect. He
compared the structure of intelligence with that of a cuboid. He said that like a cuboid,
intelligence also has 3 dimensions, Contents, Operations and Products which together
make up 180 abilities (5 * 6 * 6).
, 2
11.CONTENTS- It was given by J.P. GUILFORD in his Structure of Intellect Theory. It is the
raw information on which operations are applied.
● Visual
● Auditory
● Symbolic
● Semantic
● Behavioural
12.OPERATIONS- It was given by J.P. GUILFORD in his Structure of Intellect Theory.
These are the mental processes which are applied on contents.
● Cognition
● Retention
● Retrieval
● Divergent production
● Convergent production
● Evaluation
13.PRODUCTS- It was given by J.P. GUILFORD in his Structure of Intellect Theory. These
are the final outcomes we get on applying operations to contents.
● Units
● Classes
● Relations
● Systems
● Transformation
● Implications
14.TRIARCHIC THEORY- It was given by ROBERT STERNBERG in which he talked about
three types of intelligences ,componential intelligence , creative intelligence and
contextual intelligence.
15.ANALYTICAL/COMPONENTIAL INTELLIGENCE- It was given by ROBERT
STERNBERG in his Triarchic Theory. It is the ability to think critically and to interpret and
understand information.
● Basic Components (Primary)
● Knowledge Acquisition
● Performance Component (hands on use)
● Meta Components (Higher Order Components)
● Direction
● Evaluation
16.CREATIVE/EXPERIENTIAL INTELLIGENCE- It was given by ROBERT STERNBERG in
his Triarchic Theory. It is the ability to formulate new workable ideas. It involves insight.
● Familiar experience- automatization and creativity is less
● Unfamiliar experience- novel response and wide creativity scope.
, 3
17.CONTEXTUAL/PRACTICAL INTELLIGENCE- It was given by ROBERT STERNBERG
in his Triarchic Theory. It is the intelligence that is used in solving everyday problems.
18.MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES- It was given by HOWARD GARDNER in his book
“Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligence” in 1983. He gave 8 different types
of intelligence.
19.IQ- It was given by WILLIAM STERN. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is the ratio between
mental age and chronological age.
● IQ= MA/CA * 100
20.MENTAL AGE- It was given by ALFRED BINET in 1905. Mental Age(MA) is the level at
which cognitions are working.
21.CHRONOLOGICAL AGE- It is the biological age of an individual expressed in years and
months.
22.INTELLIGENCE TEST- It can be described as a standardised psychometric tool to
measure intelligence. The test should be reliable, valid, objective, practical and based on
certain norms.
23.VERBAL TEST- Verbal tests are those tests in which the items and instructions make
use of some written language.
● Binet Simon Scale of Intelligence
● Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale
● Jalota’s Test of Mental Ability
● Army Alpha Test
24.NON VERBAL TEST- Non verbal tests of intelligence are those tests in which the items
do not make use of any written language.
● Alexander’s Pass along Test
● Koh’s Block Design
● Cattell’s Culture Fair Intelligence Test
● Army Beta Test
● Raven’s Progressive Matrices
25.CULTURE FAIR TEST- Those tests which can be administered on people with different
cultural backgrounds and on illiterate people. The effect of cultural training is nullified in
such tests.
26.WAIS- Wechsler’s Adult Intelligence Scale was given by DAVID WECHSLER.It is for 16
and above age group. It has both verbal and non verbal scales. On adding the two, we
can get full scale IQ, which helps in identifying learning disability and the difference
, 4
between the verbal and non verbal scale can be used to diagnose various psychological
disorders. It has 11 scales (6 verbals + 5 non verbal).
37. INDIVIDUAL TEST- Individual tests are those which can be administered at one person at a
time.
● Binet Simon Scale of Intelligence
● Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale
● Alexander’s Pass along Test
● Koh’s Block Design
● Wechsler’s Adult Intelligence Scale
38. GROUP TEST- Group tests are those which can be administered to more than one person
at a time.
● Jalota’s Test of Mental Ability
● Army Alpha Test
● Cattell’s Culture Fair Intelligence Test
● Army Beta Test
● Raven’s Progressive Matrices
39. RPM- Raven’s Progressive Matrices was given by JOHN C. RAVEN in 1936. It is a
non-verbal, multiple choice measure of the reasoning component of
Spearman's g- factor. It has 3 scales, Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) for ages 5-11
years, Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) for 11 and above and Advanced Progressive
Matrices (APM) for people whose IQ is above average.
40. GIFTEDNESS- It is when the IQ level is more than 130 or the individual is having some
exceptional skill.
41. MENTAL RETARDATION- Mental retardation (MR) is a generalized disorder appearing
before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in
adaptive behaviour.
42. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE- It is the ability to monitor one’s own and other’s emotions, to
discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide one’s thinking and actions.
43. EQ- Emotional Quotient was given by PETER SALOVEY and MAYER. EQ is used to
express emotional intelligence.
44. CREATIVITY- It is the ability to form new ideas that are workable and adaptable.
45. ACHIEVEMENT- Achievement refers to what a person has acquired after specific training
and instructions have been imparted to him or her.
DEFINITIONS OF IMPORTANT PSYCHOLOGY WORDS
UNIT I: INTELLIGENCE
1. INTELLIGENCE- According to DAVID WECHSLER, intelligence is an aggregate or
global capacity of an individual to think rationally, to act purposefully and to deal
effectively with the environment.
2. STRUCTURAL THEORIES- These are the theories which focus on components of
intelligence and are based on the statistical technique of factor analysis. For example,
Two Factor Theory, Multifactorial Theory, Fluid + Crystallized Intelligence and Structure
of Intellect Model.
3. PROCESS THEORIES- These are the theories which focus on the utility of intelligence.
(modern theories of intelligence) For example, Triarchic Theory and Theory of Multiple
Intelligences.
4. G FACTOR- It was given by CHARLES SPEARMAN in his Two Factor Theory. It means
general intelligence and is the component of intelligence which is used in all tasks.
5. S FACTOR- It was given by CHARLES SPEARMAN in his Two Factor Theory. It means
specific intelligence and it is the ability to deal with specific problems.
6. TWO FACTOR THEORY- It is the oldest theory given by CHARLES SPEARMAN in
1927. It talks about 2 factors, s-factor and g-factor.
7. PMA’s- These are the primary mental abilities which were given by LOUIS LEON
THURSTONE. These are basic cognitive capabilities which are independent yet
interrelated and together make intelligence.
8. FLUID INTELLIGENCE- It was given by RAYMOND B. CATTELL in his theory of Fluid +
Crystallized Intelligence. It is the capacity to acquire new knowledge, think logically and
solve problems in novel situations. It is innate in nature. It increases till adolescence,
reaches its peak and then declines.
9. CRYSTALLISED INTELLIGENCE- It was given by RAYMOND B.CATTELL in his theory
of Fluid + Crystallized Intelligence. It is the ability to use previously acquired skills,
knowledge, and experience. It increases with age and shows no decline.
10.SOI MODEL- It was given by J.P. GULIFORD and stands for Structure of Intellect. He
compared the structure of intelligence with that of a cuboid. He said that like a cuboid,
intelligence also has 3 dimensions, Contents, Operations and Products which together
make up 180 abilities (5 * 6 * 6).
, 2
11.CONTENTS- It was given by J.P. GUILFORD in his Structure of Intellect Theory. It is the
raw information on which operations are applied.
● Visual
● Auditory
● Symbolic
● Semantic
● Behavioural
12.OPERATIONS- It was given by J.P. GUILFORD in his Structure of Intellect Theory.
These are the mental processes which are applied on contents.
● Cognition
● Retention
● Retrieval
● Divergent production
● Convergent production
● Evaluation
13.PRODUCTS- It was given by J.P. GUILFORD in his Structure of Intellect Theory. These
are the final outcomes we get on applying operations to contents.
● Units
● Classes
● Relations
● Systems
● Transformation
● Implications
14.TRIARCHIC THEORY- It was given by ROBERT STERNBERG in which he talked about
three types of intelligences ,componential intelligence , creative intelligence and
contextual intelligence.
15.ANALYTICAL/COMPONENTIAL INTELLIGENCE- It was given by ROBERT
STERNBERG in his Triarchic Theory. It is the ability to think critically and to interpret and
understand information.
● Basic Components (Primary)
● Knowledge Acquisition
● Performance Component (hands on use)
● Meta Components (Higher Order Components)
● Direction
● Evaluation
16.CREATIVE/EXPERIENTIAL INTELLIGENCE- It was given by ROBERT STERNBERG in
his Triarchic Theory. It is the ability to formulate new workable ideas. It involves insight.
● Familiar experience- automatization and creativity is less
● Unfamiliar experience- novel response and wide creativity scope.
, 3
17.CONTEXTUAL/PRACTICAL INTELLIGENCE- It was given by ROBERT STERNBERG
in his Triarchic Theory. It is the intelligence that is used in solving everyday problems.
18.MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES- It was given by HOWARD GARDNER in his book
“Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligence” in 1983. He gave 8 different types
of intelligence.
19.IQ- It was given by WILLIAM STERN. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) is the ratio between
mental age and chronological age.
● IQ= MA/CA * 100
20.MENTAL AGE- It was given by ALFRED BINET in 1905. Mental Age(MA) is the level at
which cognitions are working.
21.CHRONOLOGICAL AGE- It is the biological age of an individual expressed in years and
months.
22.INTELLIGENCE TEST- It can be described as a standardised psychometric tool to
measure intelligence. The test should be reliable, valid, objective, practical and based on
certain norms.
23.VERBAL TEST- Verbal tests are those tests in which the items and instructions make
use of some written language.
● Binet Simon Scale of Intelligence
● Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale
● Jalota’s Test of Mental Ability
● Army Alpha Test
24.NON VERBAL TEST- Non verbal tests of intelligence are those tests in which the items
do not make use of any written language.
● Alexander’s Pass along Test
● Koh’s Block Design
● Cattell’s Culture Fair Intelligence Test
● Army Beta Test
● Raven’s Progressive Matrices
25.CULTURE FAIR TEST- Those tests which can be administered on people with different
cultural backgrounds and on illiterate people. The effect of cultural training is nullified in
such tests.
26.WAIS- Wechsler’s Adult Intelligence Scale was given by DAVID WECHSLER.It is for 16
and above age group. It has both verbal and non verbal scales. On adding the two, we
can get full scale IQ, which helps in identifying learning disability and the difference
, 4
between the verbal and non verbal scale can be used to diagnose various psychological
disorders. It has 11 scales (6 verbals + 5 non verbal).
37. INDIVIDUAL TEST- Individual tests are those which can be administered at one person at a
time.
● Binet Simon Scale of Intelligence
● Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale
● Alexander’s Pass along Test
● Koh’s Block Design
● Wechsler’s Adult Intelligence Scale
38. GROUP TEST- Group tests are those which can be administered to more than one person
at a time.
● Jalota’s Test of Mental Ability
● Army Alpha Test
● Cattell’s Culture Fair Intelligence Test
● Army Beta Test
● Raven’s Progressive Matrices
39. RPM- Raven’s Progressive Matrices was given by JOHN C. RAVEN in 1936. It is a
non-verbal, multiple choice measure of the reasoning component of
Spearman's g- factor. It has 3 scales, Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) for ages 5-11
years, Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) for 11 and above and Advanced Progressive
Matrices (APM) for people whose IQ is above average.
40. GIFTEDNESS- It is when the IQ level is more than 130 or the individual is having some
exceptional skill.
41. MENTAL RETARDATION- Mental retardation (MR) is a generalized disorder appearing
before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in
adaptive behaviour.
42. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE- It is the ability to monitor one’s own and other’s emotions, to
discriminate among them, and to use the information to guide one’s thinking and actions.
43. EQ- Emotional Quotient was given by PETER SALOVEY and MAYER. EQ is used to
express emotional intelligence.
44. CREATIVITY- It is the ability to form new ideas that are workable and adaptable.
45. ACHIEVEMENT- Achievement refers to what a person has acquired after specific training
and instructions have been imparted to him or her.
