Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

What is Evolutionary History?02:35

What is Evolutionary History?

43.8K
Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.
43.8K
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

1.1K
Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the...
1.1K
Emerging Adulthood01:27

Emerging Adulthood

761
Jeffrey Arnett's concept of emerging adulthood offers a framework to understand the unique developmental stage between adolescence and full-fledged adulthood, generally from ages 18 to 25. This period is marked by extensive exploration and shifts in identity, relationships, and career choices, a process known in psychology as role experimentation. Emerging adulthood reflects the evolving cultural expectations surrounding adulthood and the dynamic process of personal transformation during...
761
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective01:23

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective

382
In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
382
Intelligence01:27

Intelligence

8.8K
The term "intelligence" is complex because it refers to both behavior and individuals, and its interpretation varies across cultures. European Americans tend to link intelligence with reasoning and cognitive skills, while in Kenya, it is tied to responsible participation in family and social life. In Uganda, intelligence is seen as the ability to know the right actions and carry them out effectively, while the Iatmul people of Papua New Guinea associate it with the capacity to remember...
8.8K
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons02:54

Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons

7.1K
Genome comparison is one of the excellent ways to interpret the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The basic principle of genome comparison is that if two species share a common feature, it is likely encoded by the DNA sequence conserved between both species. The advent of genome sequencing technologies in the late 20th century enabled scientists to understand the concept of conservation of domains between species and helped them to deduce evolutionary relationships across diverse...
7.1K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

High intelligence is not associated with a greater propensity for mental health disorders - CORRIGENDUM.

European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists·2025
Same author

A decade of white matter connectivity studies in developmental dyslexia.

Psychoradiology·2025
Same author

Do early musical impairments predict later reading difficulties? A longitudinal study of pre-readers with and without familial risk for dyslexia.

Developmental science·2024
Same author

Characterizing the phenotypic and genetic structure of psychopathology in UK Biobank.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences·2023
Same author

Cognitive traits are more appropriate for genetic analysis than social outcomes.

The Behavioral and brain sciences·2023
Same author

Associations of screen use with cognitive development in early childhood: the ELFE birth cohort.

Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 15, 2026

The Use of the Puzzle Box as a Means of Assessing the Efficacy of Environmental Enrichment
06:50

The Use of the Puzzle Box as a Means of Assessing the Efficacy of Environmental Enrichment

Published on: December 29, 2014

12.4K

General intelligence is an emerging property, not an evolutionary puzzle.

Franck Ramus1

  • 1CNRS,Ecole Normale Supérieure,EHESS,PSL Research University,75005 Paris,Francefranck.ramus@ens.frhttp://www.lscp.net/persons/ramus/en/.

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|January 19, 2018
PubMed
Summary

General intelligence is not a single trait but an emergent property of various cognitive abilities. This perspective resolves evolutionary puzzles without needing special selection for general intelligence itself.

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Addressing Technical and Subjective Challenges in Measuring Classroom Attention
06:37

Author Spotlight: Addressing Technical and Subjective Challenges in Measuring Classroom Attention

Published on: December 15, 2023

5.5K
A Novel Approach for the Administration of Medications and Fluids in Emergency Scenarios and Settings
06:59

A Novel Approach for the Administration of Medications and Fluids in Emergency Scenarios and Settings

Published on: November 9, 2016

31.3K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 15, 2026

The Use of the Puzzle Box as a Means of Assessing the Efficacy of Environmental Enrichment
06:50

The Use of the Puzzle Box as a Means of Assessing the Efficacy of Environmental Enrichment

Published on: December 29, 2014

12.4K
Author Spotlight: Addressing Technical and Subjective Challenges in Measuring Classroom Attention
06:37

Author Spotlight: Addressing Technical and Subjective Challenges in Measuring Classroom Attention

Published on: December 15, 2023

5.5K
A Novel Approach for the Administration of Medications and Fluids in Emergency Scenarios and Settings
06:59

A Novel Approach for the Administration of Medications and Fluids in Emergency Scenarios and Settings

Published on: November 9, 2016

31.3K

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Cognitive science
  • Psychology

Background:

  • The evolutionary origins of general intelligence remain a significant scientific question.
  • Previous research often treats general intelligence as a singular, selected trait, creating an evolutionary "puzzle."

Purpose of the Study:

  • To challenge the reification of general intelligence as a singular entity.
  • To propose an alternative framework for understanding the evolution of general intelligence.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of evolutionary theory.
  • Critique of the "reification" of general intelligence.

Main Results:

  • General intelligence can be viewed as an emergent property of multiple, independently selected cognitive abilities.
  • This emergent property framework eliminates the need for a specific evolutionary explanation for general intelligence itself.

Conclusions:

  • The "puzzle" of general intelligence's evolution is resolved by considering it an emergent property.
  • An integrative approach, viewing intelligence as a composite of abilities, offers a more parsimonious evolutionary explanation.