For several decades, the question of the nature of intelligence has been a matter of debate. Various scholars produced different definitions. Some believe intelligence is not definable, and therefore research on the topic is inherently flawed.
A new study from Utah Valley University professor Russell T. Warne and student Cassidy Burningham successfully disputes that idea, finding that intelligence is likely a universal psychological trait. Their research is published in the prestigious Psychological Bulletin, a journal of the American Psychological Association.
Using a procedure called factor analysis, Warne and Burningham identified that data sets, studied from 31 countries, were 96.9 percent consistent with the existence of intelligence.
The research has important implications for cross-cultural research. “First, intelligence exists in many — perhaps all — cultures. This means that it is theoretically possible to create intelligence tests that would function well in a variety of cultural settings,” Warne said. “Second, intelligence is important for many educational, occupational, and health outcomes. Our study opens the door to research of whether intelligence also predicts these life outcomes in non-Western cultures.”
The data sets were originally collected by other researchers in 31 countries on four continents, using a variety of both traditional and nontraditional tasks and questions. The type of task was not relevant to whether the tests measured intelligence.
“We purposely looked for samples and countries where intelligence would be least likely to appear if it were a culture-specific trait in Western samples,” Warne said. “So, to find that 94 out of 97 data sets demonstrated the existence of intelligence is very strong evidence that what we call ‘intelligence’ in our culture is not unique to Americans.”
Conducting scientific research with student partners is one of the many ways UVU practices engaged learning. Burningham, who is now a student in the master of social work program at the University of Utah, said, “This experience was probably the most monumental of my undergraduate years. It has prepared me for graduate school by teaching me about the research process. The project strengthened both my writing skills and research skills.”
Warne and Burningham took their research to the annual conference for the International Society for Intelligence Research in Edinburgh, Scotland. UVU students were the only undergraduate students at the conference.
Burningham said it was a unique opportunity. “This project has immensely added to scientific knowledge about intelligence. I am very grateful to have been a part of this research project.”
Dr. Russell T. Warne is an associate professor of psychology at Utah Valley University, where he has taught since 2011. He earned his Ph.D. in educational psychology from Texas A&M University and teaches courses in statistics, methodology, psychological testing, and human intelligence. He has published over 50 scholarly articles.
The study was published in Psychological Bulletin, a journal of the American Psychological Association. It is an open-access article, which means that anyone can download the article for free.
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At 39,931 students and growing, Utah Valley University is the largest public university in the state of Utah, and one of a few in the nation offering a dual-mission model that combines the rigor and richness of a first-rate teaching university with the openness and vocational programs of a community college. UVU’s unique model, which focuses on student success, engaged learning, rigorous academic programs, and faculty-mentored research, is transforming higher education by making it more affordable and accessible to students of all backgrounds.
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