Theories of Intelligence
•Is intelligence a single, general ability or is it a
cluster of different mental abilities?
•Do current IQ tests measure it or should it be
more broadly defined?
Intelligence
• Is a concept not a thing
• One’s ability to learn from experience, solve
problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new
situations
– Two Camps of Intelligence Theory:
1. Generalists – only one general overall type of intelligence that
influences all mental abilities
2. Multiples – separate kinds of intelligences which one can
have a strength or weakness in
• Intelligence Test – assess a person’s mental abilities
an compares them with others using numerical
scores
Theories of Intelligence
1. Charles Spearman—“g” factor (general
intelligence)
2. Louis Thurstone—intelligence as a person’s
“pattern” of mental abilities
3. Howard Gardner—multiple intelligences
4. Sternberg–Triarchic theory
• Emotional Intelligence - ability to perceive,
express, understand, and regulate emotions
Charles Spearman (1863-1945)
General Intelligence
(g-factor)
• Theorized that one general intelligence factor (g) underlies
other, more specific aspects of intelligence
• Used factor analysis to find clusters of related areas.
• Noticed that people who did well on one test tended to do
similarly well on other tests of mental ability.
• Agreed with Terman that a single overall IQ score was best.
Louis L. Thurstone
• Intelligence is a cluster of abilities.
• Believed intelligence comprised of 7 different “primary
mental abilities” each independent from the other.
• Examples: Verbal Comprehension, numerical ability,
reasoning & perceptual speed
• The g factor was just an overall average score of these
independent abilities.
• Looked for a pattern of mental abilities like Wechsler.
Howard Gardner (1943- )
Multiple Intelligences
• Studying Savant Syndrome & noticed how
despite extreme deficits, the individuals had
“islands of brilliance” in specific areas
• Multiple Intelligences – 8 independent mental
abilities that allow a person to solve problems,
create products that are valued within one’s
culture.
• Intelligence defined within the context of culture
• Can’t really measure it using a standard IQ test.
Gardner’s Types of Intelligence
Gardner’s Types of Intelligence
Gardner’s Types of Intelligence
Gardner’s Types of Intelligence
Gardner’s Types of Intelligence
Gardner’s Types of Intelligence
Gardner’s Types of Intelligence
Gardner’s Types of Intelligence
Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
Howard Gardner’s Eight
Intelligences
Aptitude
Example
1. Linguistic (“word smart”)
Toni Morrison, writer
2. Logical-mathematical (“number smart”)
Albert Einstein, scientist
3. Musical (“music smart”)
Wynton Marsalis, musician
4. Spatial (“art smart”)
Frida Kahlo, artist
5. Bodily-kinesthetic (“body smart”)
Tiger Woods, athlete
6. Intrapersonal (“self smart”)
Anna Freud, psychoanalyst
7. Interpersonal (“people smart”)
Mahatma Gandhi, leader
8. Naturalist (“nature smart”)
John Audubon, naturalist
Robert Sternberg (1949- )
Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
•
Author of a Triarchic theory of multiple intelligences
consisting of of 3 mental abilities
Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory
1. Analytic/Academic “intelligence”—mental
processes used in learning how to solve problems
2. Creative “intelligence”—ability to deal with new
situations by drawing on existing skills and
knowledge
3. Practical “intelligence”—ability to adapt to the
environment (street smarts)
Sternberg’s Types of Intelligence
Sternberg’s Types of Intelligence
Sternberg’s Types of Intelligence
Triarchic Examples in Literature
Let’s Review
Emotional
Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence
• Social Intelligence – know-how involved in
successfully understanding social situations
• EI - The ability to perceive, express,
understand, regulate & use emotions
• People high in emotional intelligence are
more in touch with their feelings and the
feelings of others.
• Indicator of better job performance, ability to
work with others, ability to delay gratification
Emotional Intelligence
Brain Size = Intelligence?
• About a +.33 correlation between brain size and IQ
• Intelligent people tend to have larger and more
active frontal & parietal lobes
• Front lobe used to organize and coordinate info
• Lots of gray matter (neural cells) and white matter
(axons) = efficient communication in the brain
• Smart people have efficient brains that use less
energy to solve problems
• Intelligence typically means quicker thinking