Elements of Intellectual Competence

Abstract

Australian and Malay University students judged the relative importance of various forms of intellectual competence. The two groups agreed on the importance of four general areas of competence, giving the top two rankings to "mental abilities" (e.g., problem-solving) and "knowledge" (i.e., amount known), and ranking "skills" (e.g., speaking ability) and `arousal" (e.g., keenness) as less important. Disagreement between the groups was more marked in the ranking of specific mental abilities, specific skills, and characteristics of style. Malays, for example, placed more emphasis on social and practical skills, whereas the Australians rated more highly the academic skills, speaking, reading, and writing. Malays also placed greater emphasis on speed and creativity, while Australians stressed ability to adapt to new events. The study suggests some cultural bases for these differences and some implications for psychological testing with Malays.