General Intelligence: An Analysis of the Saudi Students’ General Mental Ability and Elementary Cognitive Task Performance

Previous studies on human intelligence has revealed that varied factors influence cognitive performance, and some studies have hypothesized the presence of “general intelligence” (g factor) that is responsible for intelligence. However, most studies have been centered on Western cultures. This study thus examines the Saudi students and the g factor hypothesis. A group of Saudi college students participated in a battery of general mental ability tests and elementary cognitive tasks and were assessed for the influence of various factors on cognitive performance. The study results revealed an increase in the average of Saudi students’ intelligence compared to the results of the previous studies, but it did not yield a g factor.