J.P. Guilford’s theory of structure Intelligence: 3 Dimensions

Introduction

J. P. Guilford suggests that our brain consists of three components which he called them dimensions. He developed the structure of the intelligence model. He suggested that intelligence is not unitary but it is a combination of multiple abilities. He said that these three dimensions are necessary to do any task. He criticised Spearman’s two factor theory and said that there is no G or S factor in the brain.

Structure intelligence:

In 1967, J.P. Guilford proposed that intelligence is made up of 120 different, unique and independent skills. Later, he increased the skills to 150. In 1988, he included more skills and now the total skills are 180.

He added that all the skills are independent yet interlinked. The brain uses more than one skill to perform the task in daily life. He used the factor analytic method to study these abilities and gave abilities in the form of 6×5×6 = 180.

The 180 intellectual abilities are divided into three broad categories:

1. Process of operation
2. Content or materials
3. Products

Process of operation:

This dimension includes the broad areas in which the operations take place. It consists of six groups:

1. Cognition: This is the ability to identify, understand, explore, examine, and discover etc.
   Example: We saw a show and understood the recipe of custard.
2. Memory recording: It is the most important fundamental operation in the process. It is related with short-term memory. Memory recording refers to the retention of what we just recognized for a short time.
   Example: We know the recipe of custard that we saw on the TV.
3. Memory retention: It is the retention of the learnt thing for a long time period. It is related to long-term memory.
   Example: We recall the recipe and write it down in the notebook.
4. Divergent thinking: In this process, we think of different directions for creativity, novelty and variety.
   Example: We explore other ingredients for better taste of custard like cherries, mango etc.
5. Convergent thinking: In this ability, we conclude one solution which will be applicable and it determines the result.
   Example: We make the custard according to our plan.
6. Evaluation: Here, we evaluate whether the results are accurate or not. It means reaching the decision, making judgments on criteria and satisfaction.
   Example: We taste the custard and evaluate the taste.
   
   

Content or materials:

This dimension includes the broad areas in which the operations are applied. It comprises five groups:

1. 1. Visual Content: It is the concrete material that our eyes see, representing real objects only. For example, seeing a lion on TV.
2. Auditory Content: It is the material we perceive through our ears. For example, listening to a story and starting to imagine it.
3. Symbolic Content: It consists of signs, symbols, letters, etc., organized in general patterns. For example, reading content and understanding what is written.
4. Semantic Content: It is presented in the form of clear-cut meaning, where no examples are needed, and can be either oral or written. For example, self-explanatory.
5. Behavioural Content: This is social intelligence that enables a person to understand human communication, perceived as the actions of people. For example, watching a society meeting on an issue.

Product:

This dimension includes the results or outcomes which we get after operating content and process. There are six types of results:

1. Units: It represents a single item of information. It grasps sensory perception into its uniqueness.
2. Class: This is a set of items that share some of the attributes. It can be called a kind or category. This is the ability to categorize ideas.
3. Relations: This is the ability to understand the relations between or among existing things. It represents the connection between ideas and results.
4. Systems: This is the ability to structure problems for solutions. It enables us to group ideas into a system.
5. Transformations: This is the ability to transform if needed. It can be in the form of perspectives, situations, conversations, and knowledge, etc. For example, reversing the order of letters in a word. Jumble words and sentences are examples of transformation skills.
6. Implications: This is the ability to understand the implied meaning. It can be a prediction, consequence, or anticipation of knowledge, etc.

Criticism:

• Eysenck criticised Guilford for ignoring the relation of simple structure factors because Guilford denied the scope of G factors in his theory. Critics argued that Guilford’s factors are so narrow that they have a little scope of prediction in the field of educational and vocational.
• Critics said that if there are 180 abilities which a human mind consists of then there are thousands of abilities which can’t even be categorised in his three categories.
• J.P. Guilford’s theory is so complex that it questions its validity of dimensions. Many researchers believed that his theory is affected by methodological errors.
• Many researchers find his theory inapplicable and that’s why it is not widely accepted.
• J.P. Guilford gave 120 abilities in the starting but after years, he himself added 60 more abilities which shows that he was not sure of the existing abilities and assumptions, which is unscientific. This is another reason for being criticised.

Conclusion:

Despite these criticisms, it is essential to acknowledge that Guilford left a significant mark on intelligence research. Many tests still used in modern intelligence testing were modified and developed under his guidance. He is one of the renowned psychologists who paved the way for new learning methods in today’s education field.

About J.P. Guilford:

Joy Paul Guilford was an American psychologist born on March 7, 1897. He is best known for his work in the study of human intelligence. J.P. Guilford’s theory was influenced by Thurstone’s theory, and he proposed the theory upon those views.

A Review of General Psychology survey, published in 2002, ranked Guilford as the 27th most cited psychologist of the 20th century.