Level I and Level II abilities: Some theoretical reinterpretations

Abstract

Some of the major assumptions and premises of the theory of Level I and Level II abilities are examined using a recent model of cognitive abilities known as simultaneous and successive syntheses. It is found that the empirical evidence for Level I and Level II abilities can be interpreted parsimoniously using the simultaneous‐successive model. The result of these reinterpretations is both increased clarification of some previously vague aspects of the Level I‐Level II theory, and greater understanding of the relationship of the theory to some current themes in cognitive psychology.