The g Factor: The Science of Mental Ability (Human Evolution, Behavior, and Intelligence)

by Arthur R. Jensen

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Author: Arthur R. Jensen

Publisher: Praeger

Hardcover:
ISBN 10: 0275961036
ISBN 13: 978-0275961039

Jensen provides a comprehensive treatment of one of the major constructs of behavioral science―general mental ability―labeled the g factor by its discoverer, Charles Spearman. The g factor is about individual differences in mental abilities. In factor analyses of any and every large and diverse collection of measures of mental abilities, however varied the content of knowledge and skills they call upon, g emerges as the largest, most general source of differences between individuals and between certain subpopulations.

Jensen fully and clearly explains the psychometric, statistical, genetic, and physiological basis of g, as well as the major theoretical challenges to the concept. For decades a key construct in differential psychology, the g factor's significance for scholars and researchers in the brain sciences as well as education, sociology, anthropology, evolutionary psychology, economics, and public policy is clearly evident in this, the most comprehensive treatment of g ever published.

Review

"The issue of male/female intelligence has never before been dispositively resolved. And in recent years a number of scholars have mounted a powerful and facially plausible argument for an average male superiority....I had observed that scholars on both sides of the argument seemed intensely interested in one question: What does Art Jensen think?....Jensen's new book...is a 650-page blockbuster that summarizes Art's work on scores of issues, and leaves you thinking that g is not just some academic construct but a biological phenomenon with vast explanatory power....He conclude(s): 'The sex difference in psychometric g is either totally nonexistent or is of uncertain direction and inconsequential magnitude.' That settles it: On average the sexes are equally smart. And yes, that's news."-Forbes

"The g Factor presents a wealth of fascinating data."-Galton Institute Newsletter

"Author Arthur Jensen is arguably the world's leading expert on intelligence (over 300 papers published) and this book summarizes his life's work. This makes it a major and one that will be used for years."-The Mankind Quarterly

"Jensen's diligence in resolving one of the more treacherous issues in psychological research-the nature of human differences in mental ability-may finally settle the critical aspects of this complex issue once and for all."-Society

"Arthur R. Jensen's tome-like salvo in the race and intelligence debate....explains the bases of his system for intelligence measurement, and why he believes that his results indicate a significant difference among the races."-Publishers Weekly

"Jensen does the impossible by making a book about psychological measurement interesting. Though the book will no doubt be politically controversial, readers will have difficulty arguing with Jensen's scholarly, scientific approach. To deny the rationality of Jensen's treatment is to admit a lack of objectivity on the part of the reader."-Choice

"[I]t is futile to study human ability without this book. To everyone studying human ability, The g Factor is the indispensible compendium....Even those who disagree with most of what Arthur Jensen says in The g Factor, such as myself, have to admire the sheer dedication, pertinacity, and tireless scholarship that must have gone into a work of this scope."-Personnel Psychology

"[T]he book is full of highly technical information, but it is presented so that a scientifically minded lay audience can understand. He also presents a wealth of citations to original research and extensive technical notes....If a reader starts with the notion that general intelligence is a fictional concept, this work will easily dispel such a belief."-The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science

"In this great brick of a book (Jensen) has marshaled three decades of research to make his complex case about intelligence....(It) makes The Bell Curve, to which it will inevitably be compared, look like a biography of Leonardo DiCaprio. Still, it is lucid and for the most part carefully argued. Those who are inclined to disagree with Mr. Jensen will find that they have quite a challenge on their hands."-Wall Street Journal

..."[J]ensen provides a rigorous and persuasive case that the measurement of g is, contrary to the arguments of many critics..., a highly objective enterprise....One of my distinguished colleagues recently told me that every time he read anything by Arthur Jensen, it was a joy to read and he learned something new. The g Factor continues this tradition. It is a joy to read and is also full of new ideas. It is the work of a master scientist."-Contemporary Psychology

About the Author

ARTHUR R. JENSEN is Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley. During the 40 years of his tenure at Berkeley, he has been a prolific researcher in the psychology of human learning, individual differences in cognitive abilities, psychometrics, behavioral genetics, and mental chronometry. His work, published in six earlier books and some 400 articles in scientific and professional journals, has placed him among the most frequently cited figures in contemporary psychology.

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The g Factor: The Science of Mental Ability (Human Evolution, Behavior, and Intelligence)