Theories of intelligence that are based on the premise that intelligence can be described in terms of mental factors, which are general mental skills that influence mental performance and a variety of situations.

• A. Cognitive Horsepower Theories
• B. Gestalt Intelligence Theory
• C. Psychometric Approaches
• D. Behavioural Intelligence Theory

Answer: (C)

Psychometric approaches to intelligence describe intelligence as a set of general mental factors—broad cognitive abilities that influence performance across a wide range of tasks. This view holds that there is a general factor (often called g) that underlies success on many different cognitive tests, with additional specific abilities related to particular tasks. Measurements come from standardized tests and are analyzed with statistics like factor analysis to reveal these underlying factors, showing how different abilities are connected through shared mental skills. The description in the item matches this idea exactly: intelligence described in terms of mental factors that affect performance in various situations. Other perspectives don’t fit as well because they either focus on perceptual wholes, observable behavior, or lack a formal framework for measuring broad cognitive factors.