What is the name of the two-factor theory that posits a general ability factor and specific factors correlated with that general factor?

• A. Spearman's model
• B. Gardner's multiple intelligences
• C. Thurstone's primary mental abilities
• D. Cattell's fluid/crystallized theory

Answer: (A)

This item tests how intelligence is structured: a single general ability that influences performance on many tasks, plus specific abilities tied to particular tasks. That is Spearman's model. He proposed a general intelligence factor, g, that underlies performance across a wide range of cognitive tasks, which explains why different tests tend to correlate. Each task also has a specific factor, s, capturing abilities unique to that task. Together, g accounts for the shared variance among tests, while s accounts for task-specific performance. Gardner and Thurstone offer different structures (multiple independent intelligences or several primary abilities, respectively), and Cattell’s fluid/crystallized theory is another two-factor view but described differently. The description given fits Spearman’s model best.