Intelligence, Verbal

Verbal Abilities

Successful verbal performance requires the ability to understand what others communicate verbally and to verbally express oneself to others. These two related aspects of verbal ability are of equal importance. L. L. Thurstone was one of the first investigators to identify two related but distinct verbal abilities, namely verbal comprehension and word fluency, which he proposed are primary mental abilities. Verbal comprehension refers to the ability to understand words and verbal information. Word fluency refers to the speed and ease with which words, sentences, and other linguistic responses can be generated. Subsequent psychometric theorists of intelligence focused more on Thurstone's verbal comprehension rather than word fluency. For example, R. Cattell described intellectual functioning as comprised of two broad abilities, fluid and crystallized. Fluid ability is the capacity to think flexibly and reason abstractly, whereas crystallized ability is the accumulated knowledge base developed as a result of fluid ability. In this model, crystallized abilities have been associated directly with the products of verbal comprehension. However, no connection has been made between crystallized or fluid abilities and word fluency.

More recently, J. Carroll has proposed a psychometric model that is comprised of three strata or hierarchical levels of ability, which range from broad to specific. At the top of the hierarchy is general ability; in the middle, various broad abilities including fluid and crystallized abilities, learning and memory processes, visual and auditory perception, facile production, and speed. The bottom of the hierarchy contains fairly specific abilities. With respect to verbal ability, different types and levels of abilities are involved depending on the particular verbal task performed.

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