New and emerging models of human intelligence

In the last decade, new models of human intelligence have altered the theoretical landscape in psychometrics and cognitive science. In the current article, we provide an overview of key distinguishing features of these new models. Compared to 20th century models of intelligence, the new models proposed in the 21st century are unique for three primary reasons; (1) new models interpret the general factor, or g , as an emergent property reflecting the pattern of positive correlations observed among test scores, not as a causal latent variable, and therefore challenge the notion of general ability, (2) new models bridge correlational and experimental psychology and account for inter‐individual differences in behavior in terms of intra‐individual psychological processes, and (3) new models make novel predictions about the neural correlates of intelligent behavior. WIREs Cogn Sci 2015, 6:419–426. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1356 Conflict of interest: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Theory and Methods