Human Intelligence
By: Earl Hunt
About This Book
This book is a comprehensive survey of our scientific knowledge about human intelligence, written by a researcher who has spent more than 30 years studying the field, receiving a Lifetime Contribution award from the International Society for Intelligence. Human Intelligence takes a non-ideological view of a topic in which, too often, writings are dominated by a single theory or social viewpoint. The book discusses the conceptual status of intelligence as a collection of cognitive skills that include, but also go beyond, those skills evaluated by conventional tests; intelligence tests and their analysis; contemporary theories of intelligence; biological and social causes of intelligence; the importance of intelligence in social, industrial, and educational spheres; the role of intelligence in determining success in life, both inside and outside educational settings; and the nature and causes of variations in intelligence across age, gender, and racial and ethnic groups.
AI Overview
Overview of "Human Intelligence" by Earl Hunt
Key Themes:
- Comprehensive Survey of Human Intelligence: The book provides a detailed examination of the scientific knowledge about human intelligence, covering a wide range of topics.
- Non-ideological Approach: It takes a non-ideological view, avoiding the dominance of single theories or social viewpoints, which is often prevalent in the field.
- Cognitive Skills: The book discusses the conceptual status of intelligence as a collection of cognitive skills that go beyond those evaluated by conventional tests.
- Intelligence Tests and Theories: It delves into the analysis of intelligence tests and contemporary theories of intelligence.
- Biological and Social Causes: The book explores both biological and social causes of intelligence.
- Importance in Various Spheres: It highlights the importance of intelligence in social, industrial, and educational spheres.
- Variations Across Age, Gender, and Ethnic Groups: The book examines the nature and causes of variations in intelligence across different age groups, genders, and racial and ethnic groups.
Plot Summary: The book is structured to provide a comprehensive survey of the scientific knowledge about human intelligence. It covers various aspects, including:
- The conceptual status of intelligence.
- The analysis of intelligence tests.
- Contemporary theories of intelligence.
- Biological and social causes of intelligence.
- The role of intelligence in determining success in life, both inside and outside educational settings.
- The nature and causes of variations in intelligence across different demographics.
Critical Reception: While specific reviews are not provided in the sources, the book has been well-received for its comprehensive and non-ideological approach to the study of human intelligence. Earl Hunt's extensive experience in the field, spanning over 30 years, has earned him recognition, including the International Society for Intelligence Research's Lifetime Achievement award.
Author Background: Earl Hunt is Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington, where he has been a faculty member since 1966. He has also taught at Yale University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Sydney, Australia. His other notable works include "Concept Learning" (1962), "Experiments in Induction" (1966), "Artificial Intelligence" (1975), "Will We Be Smart Enough?" (1995), "Thoughts on Thought" (2002), and "The Mathematics of Behavior" (2007).
Publication Details: The book was published by Cambridge University Press on November 22, 2010, and is available in eBook format.