Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction

This Very Short Introduction describes what psychologists have discovered about how and why people differ in their thinking powers. The book takes readers from no knowledge about the science of human intelligence to a stage where they are able to make judgements for themselves about some of the key questions about human mental ability differences. Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction describes how and why people differ in their thinking power by dealing with issues such as what intelligence is, whether there are several different types of intelligence, and whether one person can be described as more ‘intelligent’ than another. The fact that the broad powers of human intelligence show differences has been recognized since antiquity. Our language is full of words that signify the possession or lack of an efficient brain. People value their powers of thinking. Are differences in intelligence caused by genes or the environment? Does intelligence decline or increase as we grow older? What is the biological basis of thinking?

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