Intellectual Competence and the Intelligent Personality: A Third Way in Differential Psychology

Abstract

This article conceptualizes the construct of the intelligent personality as an indicator of intellectual competence in an attempt to expand the traditional concept of intelligence and account for both ability and nonability determinants of academic performance. Theoretical implications are discussed with regard to recent attempts to (a) explain correlations between personality and intelligence measures, (b) conceptualize novel constructs that may bridge the gap between intelligence and personality, and (c) develop a conceptual model for understanding the relationship among individual differences underlying human performance in real-world settings. Practical implications are also considered, in particular with regard to the validity of the intelligent personality as a predictor of future achievement.