Social Representations of Intelligence

This book is a digital reprint of Gabriel Mugny's Social Representations of Intelligence.

Gabriel Mugny (Author), Felice Carugati (Author), Ian Patterson (Translated by)

9780521124034, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 24 December 2009

212 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.2 cm, 0.32 kg

This innovative study argues convincingly that intelligence is essentially a plural concept, socially and historically determined, and that it can only be fully understood when the socio-psychological foundations of intelligence have been explored. Using a carefully developed questionnaire technique, the authors demonstrate that social representations of intelligence are structured and evolve as a result of a number of socio-cognitive operations interacting with everyday experience to maintain a coherent social universe and an individual identity that is compatible with society's norms and values. From this fresh perspective it is clear that 'intelligence' may be defined differently not only by different societies, but also by different sub-groups in the same society. The authors' findings constitute a challenge to some of our assumptions about intelligence and child development and have clear implications for educational practice. this book will interest educationists and sociologists and allied professionals, as well as social and developmental psychologists.

List of tables
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. From intelligence to its social representations
2. Research methodology
2. The dimensions of intelligence: results of the factor analysis
4. The socio-psychological origins of representations of intelligence
5. Parental identity
6. Sexual differentiation and representations of intelligence
7. Effects of occupation
8. Models of the child: experimental approach
9. Conclusions
Appendixes
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Social, group or collective psychology [JMH]