ABSTRACT
As has been mentioned elsewhere in this book (e.g., see chapter by Adams), there is a long history to the literature on learning and individual differences. From the perspective of ability theorists, this work goes back at least to Thorndike (1908), though discussion of many of the same issues can be found in recent journal articles as well (e.g., Ackerman, 1988; Adams, 1987; Woltz, 1988). There have, of course, been many changes over the years. For example, ability theories have developed in ways that take into account general notions of intelligence (Spearman, 1904), specific ability notions of intelligence (e.g., Guilford, 1985; Thurstone, 1938), and more recently, information processing notions of intellectual abilities (e.g., Sternberg, 1985).
