Evolution of intelligence: and approach to its assessment

Area of Science:

• Comparative psychology
• Cognitive science
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Quantitative species comparisons risk confounding intellective and nonintellective abilities.
• Existing intelligence assessments may not be suitable for cross-species correlational studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel, meaningful approach for intelligence assessment.
• To develop a method applicable to correlational studies, such as those with encephalization measures.
• To establish a hierarchical scale of intellective (learning) abilities.

Main Methods:

• Described a hierarchy of 8 basic levels of qualitatively different intellective abilities.
• Focused on learning as a core component of intelligence.
• Detailed practical procedures and strategies to enhance scale precision.

Main Results:

• A hierarchical scale of 8 intellective (learning) ability levels was proposed.
• The scale ranges from basic habituation to complex conceptual understanding.
• Methods for increasing the precision of this intelligence assessment scale were outlined.

Conclusions:

• The proposed hierarchy offers a more precise way to assess intelligence across species.
• This approach mitigates confounding factors present in quantitative cross-species comparisons.
• The scale provides a foundation for future research, including studies on encephalization.