Manifestations of intelligence: Expanding the measurement space to reconsider specific cognitive abilities

Individual differences in intellectual abilities are arguably more important than ever for success in the constantly changing and increasingly complex modern business world. Historically, attention has been focused on the general cognitive ability factor at the center of the intelligence nexus (i.e., the ‘g’ factor). Although the focus on ‘g’ has and continues to provide insight into successful behavior in the workplace, there is interest and need to expand the measurement space to include other aspects of the intelligence nexus. Drawing on examples in the differential and educational literatures, we argue that giving attention to constellations of more specific cognitive aptitudes can provide additional insight into the manifestation of the complex skills and competencies that are required for success in today's workplace. Unfortunately, as I-O psychology has pulled away from the study of mental abilities, the effort to increase the measurement space has spawned an increase in construct proliferation (e.g., competency-based constructs such as decision-making, strategic thinking, etc.) that crowds and confuses the construct domain without properly leveraging what is known about specific mental abilities. Thus, our purpose is to encourage I-O psychology to reconnect with the science of mental abilities and measurement theory so as better understand how basic constructs within the intelligence nexus manifest in the context of work.