Sternberg's Three Intelligences

Instead of one intelligence, Robert Sternberg proposed a triarchic theory of intelligence including analytical, creative and practical intelligence.

fig. 1

Test taking

Analytical or academic problem-solving intelligence is related to solving problems that require a single solution.

KEY POINTS

Analytical or academic problem-solving intelligence is related to solving problems that require a single solution. Traditional intelligence tests are useful here to help predict future academic success.
Creative intelligence involves reacting successfully to new situations and being able to successfully produce new ideas.
Practical intelligence involves being able to problem solve with respect to daily tasks, such as knowing how to delegate work effectively to others.
Theories on intelligence have helped classroom teachers know how to teach to the full range of intellectual abilities they encounter in their classrooms.

TERMS

creative intelligence
Necessary when an individual is confronted with a challenge that is nearly, but not entirely, novel or when an individual is engaged in automatizing the performance of a task.
Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence
Formulated by Robert J. Sternberg, a prominent figure in the research of human intelligence. The theory by itself was groundbreaking in that it was among the first to go against the psychometric approach to intelligence and take a more cognitive approach. Sternberg’s definition of human intelligence is “(a) mental activity directed toward purposive adaptation to, selection and shaping of, real-world environments relevant to one’s life” (Sternberg, 1985, p. 45), which means that intelligence is how well an individual deals with environmental changes throughout his lifespan. Sternberg’s theory comprises three parts: componential, experiential, and practical.
practical intelligence
Bound in a sociocultural milieu and involves adaptation to, selection of, and shaping of the environment to maximize fit in the context.
analytical intelligence
A person's ability to solve problems and to judge the quality of ideas.
American psychologist Robert Sternberg believes that this focus on specific types of measurable, mental abilities is too narrow. He believes that studying intelligence in this way leads to an understanding of only one part of intelligence and that this part is only seen in people who are "school smart" or "book smart". There are, for example, many individuals who score poorly on intelligence tests, but are creative or are "street smart" and therefore have a very good ability to adapt to the environment. According to Sternberg, these are the two other parts of intelligence. The three parts of intelligence described by Sternberg are called analytical intelligence, creative intelligence, and practical intelligence. These three parts are central in his theory, the Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence.

Analytical intelligence refers to the ability to complete academic, problem-solving tasks, such as those used in traditional intelligence tests. These types of tasks usually present well-defined problems that have only a single correct answer. For example, questions may ask about the meanings of words (such as 'is the meaning of concave the same as or opposite to the meaning of convex?'). People with a high-level of analytical intelligence would be likely to achieve well in school exams such as the GAT and in similar types of tasks that mainly depend on what is learned in school and through books. This is why Sternberg refers to analytical intelligence as being observed in people who are school smart or book smart. Creative intelligence refers to the ability to successfully deal with new and unusual situations by drawing on existing knowledge and skills. For example, creative intelligence would be involved when using your imagination to write a short story, paint artwork, or create an advertisement. Unlike tasks requiring analytical intelligence, which have single correct answers, tasks requiring creative intelligence have open-ended or many possible answers. Finally, practical intelligence refers to the ability to adapt to everyday life by drawing on existing knowledge and skills. Practical intelligence is involved when dealing with common personal or practical problems. It may also be involved when dealing with new and unusual situations in daily life. For example, suppose that you found yourself alone in an unfamiliar suburb, without money or a mobile phone and had missed the last train or bus back to your home. According to Sternberg, successfully dealing with this situation involves a distinctly different part of intelligence, often observed in people who are street smart. Sternberg found that adding questions involving creative and practical thinking to the national college SAT exam gave better predictions of student's future success in college.

Theories on intelligence have helped classroom teachers know how to teach to the full range of intellectual abilities they will encounter in their classrooms. Traditionally, schools have emphasized the development of logical intelligence and linguistic intelligence (mainly reading and writing). Newer theories that incorporate more multiple aptitudes argue that students will be better served by a broader vision of education, wherein teachers use different methodologies, exercises, and activities to reach all students, not just those who excel at linguistic and logical intelligence.
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