General knowledge
Encyclopedia
General knowledge has been defined by differential psychologists as referring to 'culturally valued knowledge
communicated by a range of non-specialist media' General knowledge therefore encompasses a wide range of knowledge domains. For example, a study by Lynn, Irwing, & Cammock (2001) identified 18 domains of knowledge that met the definition provided above: History of Science, Politics, Sport, History, Classical Music, Art, Literature, General Science, Geography, Cookery, Medicine, Games, Discovery and Exploration, Biology, Film, Fashion, Finance, and Popular Music. The researchers acknowledged that other domains of general knowledge may exist.
, particularly crystallized intelligence, and standardized IQ tests may include measures of general knowledge (e.g. the Information subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales). Research has found positive intercorrelations between different domains of knowledge, suggesting that individuals who are highly knowledgeable in a particular domain usually have a good long-term memory for information generally. Personal interests also seem to influence how much knowledge a person acquires within a specific domain, as well as general memory ability. Due to the positive intercorrelations between knowledge domains, individual differences in general knowledge may reflect a broad ability to retrieve information from long-term semantic memory. A general factor of long-term semantic memory could be explained by the existence of an underlying neurophysiological process or processes responsible for retaining information in long-term memory, such as the transmission across synapses. Individual differences in the efficiency of such processes might explain why all domains of semantic memory appear to be intercorrelated.
General knowledge has been found to correlate positively with the personality
trait openness to experience
.
Research has also found that on average males tend to score higher than females on tests of general knowledge. Lynn, Irwing, & Cammock (2001) suggested that this male advantage probably reflects differences in interests rather than differences in verbal or memory ability.
and Fifteen to One
centre their questions on general knowledge. Other shows focus their questions on specific subjects. There are also shows that ask questions both on specific subjects and on general knowledge, including Eggheads
and Mastermind
. In Mastermind contestants choose their own 'specialist subject' before answering general knowledge questions, whereas in Eggheads the subjects are chosen at random from a pool of possible rounds.
Knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
communicated by a range of non-specialist media' General knowledge therefore encompasses a wide range of knowledge domains. For example, a study by Lynn, Irwing, & Cammock (2001) identified 18 domains of knowledge that met the definition provided above: History of Science, Politics, Sport, History, Classical Music, Art, Literature, General Science, Geography, Cookery, Medicine, Games, Discovery and Exploration, Biology, Film, Fashion, Finance, and Popular Music. The researchers acknowledged that other domains of general knowledge may exist.
Individual differences in General Knowledge
Researchers in differential psychology consider general knowledge an aspect of ability related to one's intelligenceIntelligence
Intelligence has been defined in different ways, including the abilities for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence and problem solving....
, particularly crystallized intelligence, and standardized IQ tests may include measures of general knowledge (e.g. the Information subtest of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales). Research has found positive intercorrelations between different domains of knowledge, suggesting that individuals who are highly knowledgeable in a particular domain usually have a good long-term memory for information generally. Personal interests also seem to influence how much knowledge a person acquires within a specific domain, as well as general memory ability. Due to the positive intercorrelations between knowledge domains, individual differences in general knowledge may reflect a broad ability to retrieve information from long-term semantic memory. A general factor of long-term semantic memory could be explained by the existence of an underlying neurophysiological process or processes responsible for retaining information in long-term memory, such as the transmission across synapses. Individual differences in the efficiency of such processes might explain why all domains of semantic memory appear to be intercorrelated.
General knowledge has been found to correlate positively with the personality
Personality
Personality is the particular combination of emotional, attitudinal, and behavioral response patterns of an individual.-Psychology:* Personality development, the concept that personality is affected by various sources* Personality disorder...
trait openness to experience
Openness to experience
Openness to experience is one of the domains which are used to describe human personality in the Five Factor Model Openness involves active imagination, aesthetic sensitivity, attentiveness to inner feelings, preference for variety, and intellectual curiosity. A great deal of psychometric research...
.
Research has also found that on average males tend to score higher than females on tests of general knowledge. Lynn, Irwing, & Cammock (2001) suggested that this male advantage probably reflects differences in interests rather than differences in verbal or memory ability.
Game shows and quizzes
Many game shows use general knowledge questions. Game shows such as Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers large cash prizes for correctly answering a series of multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty. The format is owned and licensed by Sony Pictures Television International. The maximum cash prize is one million pounds...
and Fifteen to One
Fifteen to One
Fifteen to One was a popular general knowledge quiz show broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom. It ran from 4 January 1988 to 19 December 2003, and had a reputation for being one of the toughest quizzes on TV. Throughout the show's run it was presented and produced by William G. Stewart...
centre their questions on general knowledge. Other shows focus their questions on specific subjects. There are also shows that ask questions both on specific subjects and on general knowledge, including Eggheads
Eggheads
Eggheads is a BBC quiz show created by 12 Yard Productions, first broadcast in 2003, and presented by Dermot Murnaghan. For the 2008 series, Jeremy Vine was brought in to present on nights when Murnaghan was hosting the spinoff series Are You an Egghead? This happened again from October 2009 while...
and Mastermind
Mastermind
-In psychology:* Genius* Mastermind , one of the 16 role variants that the Keirsey Temperament Sorter is based on* INTJ , a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator-In games:* Mastermind, classic board game...
. In Mastermind contestants choose their own 'specialist subject' before answering general knowledge questions, whereas in Eggheads the subjects are chosen at random from a pool of possible rounds.