ABSTRACT

Intelligence theory and assessment methods have traditionally been aimed at predicting academic success. As such, efforts during the early part of this century first focused on predicting the school success of children and young adolescents (for a review, see Ackerman, 1996). Around World War I, intelligence test content was extended upward—to allow for testing of young and middle-aged adults. As the educational establishment embraced intelligence testing, postsecondary institutions increasingly relied on the use of tests for selection of college and university applicants, starting in the 1920s. Today’s college entrance tests, such as the Scholastic Assessment Tests (SAT) and the American College Testing Program (ACT), show a significant resemblance to the adult intelligence tests of the 1920s. Although these procedures may be useful predictors of college success for young adults, they fail to take account of the differences between child/adolescent intelligence and adult intelligence. A perspective of intelligence that focuses on knowledge as a key ingredient of adult intelligence is presented in this chapter. By moving away from the traditional process-oriented conceptualization of intelligence to a knowledge-oriented conceptualization, many aspects of adult intellectual development can be considered, especially in the context of learning and education for adults. Such a shift in emphasis provides a basis for considering other aspects of the adult learner, such as personality, interests, and motivational skills—and provides a framework for an integrated view of adult development, learning, and education.