G (g Factor)

Formally stated, “g” is a statistical term that refers to the general intelligence factor that underlies all intelligent activity. The concept of the "g" factor was first put forward by researcher Charles Spearman in the early 20th century after comparing the scores of grade school students for score correlations across several subjects and noting that individual students routinely scored within the same ranges across the subjects. This apparent correlation led him to the conclusion that each individual possessed a basic ability (intelligence) level.