ABSTRACT
In our work we have studied human mental abilities on the basis of Spearman’s g theory and Cattell’s (1987) theory of experience modifying general ability to yield testable skills while retaining the general ability—g to be modified as situations required. Cattell has identified fluid g and crystallized g as the resource and the skill. Others have chosen to study verbal ability, working memory, or elemental cognitive components. We have chosen g because the research shows that it is almost always predictive of criteria and it is readily estimable in existing databases. It requires no special equipment such as computers and is very inexpensive to measure. That others find additional cognitive components of interest is no surprise. However, a long list of correlates of g, presented by Brand (1987) (also see Jensen, 1987), compels attention. The entire list is presented in the appendix to this chapter; Brand provided the original references for all the studies. Some correlates presented are expected, such as ability scores, reaction times, and memory. Others are not expected, such are altruism, practical knowledge, dietary preferences, and smoking. As Brand observed, “g is to psychology as carbon is to chemistry” (p. 257).
