J. P. Guilford

J. P. Guilford (1897–1987) was an American psychologist, best known for his psychometric study of human intelligence, including the distinction between convergent and divergent production.

Early Life and Education

Joy Paul Guilford was born on March 7, 1897, in Marquette, Nebraska. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Nebraska in 1922 and earned his Ph.D. in psychology from Cornell University in 1927.

Career

Guilford served as a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California from 1940 until his retirement in 1967. He was the president of the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1946 and received the APA Award for Distinguished Scientific Contributions in 1956.

Contributions to Psychology

Guilford is best known for his psychometric study of human intelligence. He proposed a three-dimensional model of intelligence, known as the Structure of Intellect model, which suggests that intellectual abilities can be divided into 150 different categories.

He also made a distinction between convergent thinking and divergent thinking. Convergent thinking involves finding a single, correct answer to a problem, while divergent thinking involves generating multiple solutions to a problem.

Legacy

Guilford's work has had a significant impact on the field of psychology, particularly in the areas of creativity research and intelligence testing. His theories continue to be influential in these fields.

See Also

• Psychometrics
• Intelligence quotient
• Creativity
• American Psychological Association

References

• Guilford, J. P. (1950). Creativity. American Psychologist, 5(9), 444-454.
• Guilford, J. P. (1956). The structure of intellect. Psychological Bulletin, 53(4), 267-293.

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