What is intelligence - signs of high intelligence and the most intelligent people in the world

What intelligence is and how its presence affects the successful realization of personality is an interesting topic for psychologists and people seeking to develop personal knowledge. How to become an intellectual and whether the human brain has a framework that gives clear signals about a sufficient level of knowledge and acquired experience is a question with a philosophical or logical conclusion - each person decides for himself.

Components of intelligence and its role[ | ]

Intelligence is, first of all, the basis of goal setting, resource planning and building a strategy for achieving a goal. There is reason to believe that animals possess the rudiments of intelligence, and already at this level their intelligence, through the mechanisms of goal setting and goal achievement, influenced and influences the evolution of animals[9]. The study of animal intelligence is the subject of a relatively young field of science, cognitive ethology.

The influence of intelligence extends beyond the life of one person. The development of intelligence in humans distinguished them from animals and became the beginning of the development of society, and then of human civilization.

Intelligence as an ability is usually realized with the help of other abilities. Such as: the ability to cognize, learn, think logically, systematize information by analyzing it, determine its applicability (classify), find connections, patterns and differences in it, associate it with similar ones, etc. We can talk about the presence of intelligence with the totality of all These abilities, individually, each of them does not form intelligence. Intelligence can be possessed by a system whose constituent elements do not each individually possess intelligence.

The parameters that form the distinctive features of the human intellectual system include:

• working memory capacity, ability to predict, use tools, logic[10],
• multi-level (6 layers of neurons) hierarchy of system selection of valuable information[11],
• consciousness[12],
• memory[13].

Some researchers of intelligence and working memory believe that working memory and fluid intelligence are strongly related to each other and are largely equivalent constructs, others that although these entities are correlated, they are autonomous, like height and weight.[14] Individual differences in working memory have been shown to explain between a third and half of all individual differences in general intelligence.[15][16]

Various contents of activity require the development of certain intellectual abilities of the individual. But in all cases, the individual’s sensitivity to new, current problems, to trends in the possible development of the situation is necessary.

An essential quality of an individual’s mind is the anticipation of the possible consequences of the actions he takes, the ability to prevent and avoid unnecessary conflicts. One of the main features of developed intelligence is the ability to intuitively solve complex problems.

The development of individual qualities of intelligence is determined both by the genotype of a given individual and by the breadth of his life experience. Conforming individuals develop so-called goal thinking

— the sphere of an individual’s thinking is narrowed to extremely limited everyday limits, intellectual infantilism is widespread, and contemplation is spreading among intellectuals.
In groupthink, common stereotypes, template orientations, and schematized matrices of behavior begin to predominate. Deformations arise in the content of the intellect. Deformations are also possible in the structure of the intellect and in its organization. A negative quality of intelligence is rigidity
of thinking - its inflexibility, biased attitude towards a phenomenon, exaggeration of its sensory impression, adherence to stereotyped assessments.

Different views on intelligence[ | ]

Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica (Part 1, v. 79, p. 2) believed that in God the intellect is the essence (lat. in solo Deo intellectus

est eius essentia), and in man only by the “possibility of the soul” (potentia animae). At the same time, in a person, reason (ratio) and intellect are indistinguishable, but intellect refers to the contemplation of theoretical (intelligible, intelligible) things, while reason is aimed at comprehending specific sensory phenomena.

According to Linda Gottfredson, intelligence is a very general mental ability that includes the ability to make inferences, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, understand complex ideas, learn quickly, and learn from experience. It's not just book study, narrow academic knowledge, or test-taking skills. On the contrary, according to the scientist, intelligence reflects a broader and deeper ability to cognize the world around us, understand the essence of things and figure out what to do in a given situation[17].

F. N. Ilyasov defines intelligence as “the ability of a system to create programs (primarily heuristic) during self-learning to solve problems of a certain class of complexity and solve these problems.”

At the beginning of the 20th century, Charles Spearman showed that if a person solves some problems well, then he is successful in solving others, that is, that all intellectual abilities are statistically related. In 1904, Spearman introduced the concept of the " g

“general intelligence, which reflects the effectiveness of performing all cognitive tasks[18][19].
In practice, the " g
" has proven difficult to measure directly.
However, on its basis, it was possible to formulate quantities that can be measured and which represent approximate measures of g
. One such parameter is intelligence quotient (IQ). Psychologist James Flynn was the first to conduct extensive research into the dynamics of IQ in different countries of the world over a long period and showed that this coefficient has continuously increased for 50 years (Flynn Effect).

N. Bostrom's terms[ | ]

According to the book[20]N. Bostroma:

• intelligence
  - an algorithm implemented on a physical object;
• human level intelligence (HLI) - intelligence capable of solving problems accessible to humanity (has intelligence, reason, intuition, understanding, is capable of cognition, thinking, imagination);
• artificial intelligence (AI) - intelligence not created in a natural biological environment;
• artificial superintelligence - intelligence that is many times greater than the capabilities of AICU.

In contrast to the terms of N. Bostrom, the generally accepted understanding of intelligence coincides with the AICI and contradicts the terms animal intelligence, gaming artificial intelligence, environmental intelligence, and the generally accepted “artificial intelligence” coincides with the AICI.

Lack of intelligence[ | ]

Main articles: Intelligence disorder

and
Cognitive impairments
Intellectual disorder (dementia) is a psychiatric intellectual-mnestic syndrome; congenital (mental retardation) or acquired (dementia) impairment of the intellect, as a result of which a person’s ability to understand the connection between surrounding phenomena is reduced, the ability to separate the important from the secondary is lost, and criticism of one’s statements and behavior is lost. If dementia is acquired, memory weakens, the stock of knowledge and ideas decreases. There is a deep impoverishment of the emotional-volitional sphere and personality[21]. In this case, at first one monotonous flat affect may be observed, then emotional dullness with either apatho-abulia or psychomotor agitation. The personality changes, the character is distorted. In psychiatry, dementia refers to changes in the process of rational cognition in the form of complications or complete inability to acquire knowledge [21]; inferences; judgments; critical abilities. With acquired dementia, the use of old knowledge, skills and abilities is also complicated or becomes impossible.

Symptoms in the structure of dementia can be different, but negative ones predominate[22]. If it is determined only by them, it is simple dementia. More often, especially in the initial stage, there is psychotic dementia with delusions, hallucinations, manic and depressive syndrome. Moreover, the more pronounced they are, the milder the dementia and, conversely, with total dementia they completely disappear. According to G. Maudsley (English) Russian: “In extreme cases of dementia, even absurd ideas cannot be formed”[23].

According to etiology they distinguish:

• Acquired disease - dementia, for example, atrophic processes of the brain in presenile and old age - Alzheimer's disease), dementia in vascular, metabolic and other organic diseases of the brain - the so-called psychoorganic syndrome;
• Congenital disease - mental retardation (oligophrenia). It is caused by a disorder of early ontogenesis[22]. The process is stationary, but can be aggravated by new exogenous influences (TBI). Traditional classification (for more details, please see “Classification of mental retardation”): debility (sometimes the ability to work is preserved); imbecility (the ability to self-care is preserved); idiocy (the ability to self-care and speech is not preserved).

How to increase intelligence?

The development of intelligence is a systematic habit, one might say a lifestyle. By increasing intelligence, a person trains his memory every day, comprehends new knowledge and applies it in practice. How to develop intelligence - give up the habit of watching TV, it entails invisible clogging of memory with useless information. Eat low-calorie foods - food that is heavy on the stomach takes energy away from the brain, requiring expenditure in the digestive tract. Great for increasing IQ levels:

• logic puzzles;
• intellectual and board games with a strong opponent - chess, poker, backgammon;
• computer games that require concentration;
• healthy 8-hour sleep;
• physical activity;
• learning foreign languages;
• classes in exact sciences.

Games that develop intelligence

Regular brain training to gain new knowledge can be done in a passive way - reading books, studying scientific facts, or memorizing. Experts in the field of intellectual studies have developed games that develop thinking and intelligence. In the modern world, most of these techniques have been transformed into computer games, and debates are ongoing about the benefits or uselessness of such memory training. It has been proven that systematically counting money expenses in your mind trains your memory even in adulthood. Habitual activities that increase intelligence:

• solve crosswords;
• remember phone numbers;
• train an unusual hand (for a right-handed person - the left) for everyday activities;
• read books upside down;
• quickly list out loud similar objects and words with the same root.

Books that develop intelligence

Reading works of fiction increases the level of intellectual knowledge, and studying scientific literature promotes an increased level of concentration - the ability to remember and analyze unknown details develops. Modern books for the development of intelligence contain visual training and puzzles that significantly develop intellectual abilities. Books to increase intelligence:

Films that develop intelligence and thinking

Films, the viewing of which arouses interest and logical thinking in the viewer, are classified as detective stories and action-packed thrillers. The most interesting among them are films about the intelligence of the main characters, with the help of which they find a way out of unusual difficult situations. Pictures, in the process of viewing which, thinking is affected and a new level of consciousness develops:

• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo;
• Escape plan
• Silence of the Lambs;
• Zodiac;
• films about Sherlock Holmes;
• The Da Vinci Code;
• Mindhunters;
• The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo;
• Three days to escape.

Social intelligence[ | ]

Main article: Social intelligence

Social intelligence is the ability to correctly understand people's behavior. This ability is necessary for effective interpersonal interaction and successful social adaptation. The term “social intelligence” itself was introduced into psychology by E. Thorndike in 1920 to mean “foresight in interpersonal relationships.” Many famous psychologists have contributed to the interpretation of this concept. In 1937, G. Allport associated social intelligence with the ability to make quick, almost automatic judgments about people and predict the most likely human reactions. Social intelligence, according to G. Allport, is a special “social gift” that ensures smoothness in relationships with people, the product of which is social adaptation, and not depth of understanding. Then many famous scientists revealed the abilities of social intelligence in the structures of general intelligence. Among them, the models of intelligence proposed by D. Guilford and G. Eysenck are most clearly represented. Until recently, there have been discussions among psychologists around the definition of intelligence given by E. Boring: intelligence is what is measured by intelligence tests. There are different points of view on the assessment of this statement. According to V.F. Anurin, it is quite tautological, trivial and directly invites criticism. Other researchers consider this definition to be recursive, which is extremely common in mathematics, computer science, computer programming, and artificial intelligence. G. Eysenck does not agree with E. Boring's definition: intelligence tests, he argues, are not compiled randomly and are based in their development on well-known, identified and verified natural patterns, such as the principle of “positive diversity”.

Neural networks

The technology of artificial neural networks (ANN) should be mentioned separately, since it is often confused with the very concept of “artificial intelligence”.

Figure 2. The principle of operation of neural networks. Author24 - online exchange of student work

Neural networks are fundamentally different from traditional computer programs. They are self-learning mathematical models, which are based on the same principles that are inherent in biological nervous systems. ANNs are capable of adaptively weighing incoming signals and, based on analysis, consistently improve the results of their processing. Such systems are “layered” structures consisting of “neurons” - miniature computing systems that decide whether to transfer the received information to the next layer.

Important characteristics of neural networks are:

• acceptable complexity;
• ability to complete a task within the allotted time.

A neural network that is overly complex or takes too long to run may not be economically feasible.

Translation of the word[ | ]

In English, this concept is used by most of the above authors as intelligence (reasonableness, or human intelligence), and not intellect (intelligence) - for which there is a separate article. Therefore, when trying to combine them into one concept in Russian, misunderstandings and contradictions arise.

In particular, this is due to the translation of terms and. Intelligence tests were called IQ (intelligence quotient). And after some time, American psychologists sounded the alarm that people began to be assessed on it as a whole - based on its name, and not just as a test of logic - based on its essence. And therefore appeared to indicate that rationality (the word intelligence became associated with pure logic because of these tests) also has an emotional and social component.

In the Russian-speaking space, when they saw that IQ tests are tests of logic, they translated it as “intelligence quotient” and not “indicator of intelligence.” And therefore such a distortion did not arise. EQ, accordingly, would be more accurately translated as “an indicator of emotionality” (adding “and sensuality”, if you look at the essence of this concept), and not “emotional intelligence.” And social intelligence is social intelligence.

Signs of High Intelligence

High intelligence is often hidden behind modest behavior, which has been proven in scientific experiments. It has not yet been possible to develop a method that accurately characterizes a highly intelligent person. A list of characteristics characteristic of individuals whose IQ level is above the statistical average has been compiled. The method for determining intelligent people based on these indicators is conditional:

• having a pet – a cat;
• love of disorder;
• playing musical instruments;
• alcohol or drug addiction;
• philosophical views and liberal attitude to life;
• the eldest child of the family, as a rule, has an IQ level higher than the younger children;
• breastfeeding in infancy;
• high level of anxiety;
• left-handedness;
• high growth;
• slim physique;
• early reading ability in childhood;
• having a sense of humor.

Notes[ | ]

1. Large Latin-Russian dictionary. Vocabvlarivm latinorvssicvm magnvm.
2. UM Explanatory Dictionary of Ozhegov online (undefined)
   . slovarozhegova.ru. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
3. Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary online (undefined)
   . www.slovardalja.net Retrieved January 6, 2020.
4. Encyclopaedia Britannica, [1]
5. Intelligence // Kazakhstan. National Encyclopedia. - Almaty: Kazakh encyclopedias, 2005. - T. II. — ISBN 9965-9746-3-2.
6. G. Azimov, A. I. Shchukin. Dictionary of methodological terms, 2002.
7. Cattell, R. B. (1971). Abilities: Their structure, growth, and action
   . New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-04275-5.
8. Ushakov D.V.
   Social intelligence as a type of intelligence (Russian) // Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. — 2004.
9. Moiseev N. N. Man and the noosphere. - M.: Young Guard, 1990.
10. Markov A. Human evolution. Monkeys, neurons, soul. M.: Astrel. 2011. - 512 p. ISBN 978-5-271-36294-1
11. Hawkins D., Blakeslee S. About intelligence. M.: LLC “I. D. Williams, 2007. - 240 p. ISBN 978-5-8459-1139-1
12. Ramachandran V. S. The Birth of Reason. Mysteries of our consciousness. M.: ZAO "Olymp-Business", 2006. - 224 p. ISBN 5-9693-0022-5
13. Kandel E. In search of memory. The emergence of a new science of the human psyche. M.: Astrel. 2012. 736 p. ISBN 978-5-271-36938-4
14. Dan Hurley. Smarter.The New Science of Building Brain Power. 2013
15. Conway AR, Kane MJ, Engle RW Working memory capacity and its relation to general intelligence. // Trends Cognitive Science, - 2003. - Vol. 7. - P. 547-552.
16. Belova A.P., Malykh S.B.
    The nature of individual differences in working memory (Russian) // Theoretical and experimental psychology. - 2013. - T. 6, No. 3. - P. 54-64. — ISSN 2073-0861.
17. Gottfredson LS Mainstream Science on Intelligence // Wall Street Journal. December 13, 1994. P. A18. (English)
18. Spearman C., (1904) General intelligence, objectively determined and measured. American Journal of Psychology, 15, 201–293.
19. Druzhinin V. N.
    Psychology of general abilities. — 2nd edition. - St. Petersburg: Peter, 2002. - P. 25. - (Masters of Psychology). — ISBN 5-314-00121-7.
20. Bostrom N.
    Artificial intelligence. Stages. Threats. Strategies. - St. Petersburg: Mann, Ivanov and Ferber, 2020. - P. 496. - (Myth, outlook). — ISBN 978-5-00057-810-0.
21. ↑ 12
    Morozov G.V., Shuisky N.G., 1998, p. 244.
22. ↑ 12
    Morozov G.V., Shuisky N.G., 1998, p. 245.
23. O. V. Kerbikov, 1968, p. 110.

Literature[ | ]

• Kholodnaya, M.A.
  Psychology of intelligence: paradoxes of research. - M.: “Bars”, 1997.
• Hawkins J., Blakeslee S.
  About intelligence = On Intelligence. - M.: “Williams”, 2007.
• Ilyasov F.N.
  Artificial and natural intelligence // News of the Academy of Sciences of the Turkmen SSR. Social Science Series. 1986. No. 6. P. 46-54.
• Kozyrev V.I.
  Social intelligence as a factor in organization management. - Yaroslavl, 2000. - P. 348.
• Petrunin Yu. Yu., Ryazanov M. A., Savelyev A. V.
  [ISBN 978-5-317-03251-7 Philosophy of artificial intelligence in the concepts of neuroscience]. — Scientific monograph. - Moscow: MAX Press, 2010.
• Morozov G.V., Shuisky N.G.
  Introduction to clinical psychiatry (propaedeutics in psychiatry). - Nizhny Novgorod: Publishing House NGMA, 1998. - 426 p. — 3000 copies. — ISBN 5-86093-010-0.;
• O. V. Kerbikov, M. V. Korkina, R. A. Nadzharov, A. V. Snezhnevsky.
  Psychiatry. — 2nd, revised. - Moscow: Medicine, 1968. - 448 p. — 75,000 copies.

Approaches to creating AI

When creating artificial intelligence, various approaches are used. Let's consider the most traditional of them.

Symbolic approach

The symbolic approach became the earliest concept for implementing artificial intelligence. It was applied already in the second half of the 1960s, when the Lisp programming language appeared, aimed at processing weakly formalized data. The main method is the development of new processing rules during the execution of the algorithm. This distinguishes it from an ordinary computer program, which contains all possible scenarios in advance (Turing completeness).

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Logic programming

The logical approach to creating AI is based on the application of the rules of formal logic. This is also one of the early concepts for creating “thinking” machines. It appeared in the early 1970s. One of the first implementations of a system that simulated logical reasoning was the Prolog programming language. It allows you to obtain logical conclusions based on the entered information about objects and the connections between them. This method subsequently evolved into the concept of semantic networks.

Agent-based approach

In the early 1990s. Another approach to the formation of AI has emerged. It is based on networking the so-called. rational agents - relatively simple, highly specialized programs that exchange information with a central node. This allows you to partially decentralize the load on the main algorithm, making it simpler and more modular. This approach is used in robotics, smart homes, when creating computer network control systems, etc.

Finally, it is worth mentioning the hybrid approach, whose proponents believe, firstly, that the most powerful systems can only be created by combining all available capabilities; secondly, that AI is still developing and in the future its varieties may appear that will surpass the capabilities of traditional options.