Triarchic Theory Of Human Intelligence Research Articles

The interface of language aptitude and multilingualism: Reconsidering the bilingual/multilingual dichotomy

ABSTRACTThis study is an attempt to fill the gap in SLA research regarding the understudied interface of language aptitude and multilingualism. Although there have been numerous studies lauding the benefits of bilingualism and multilingualism, very few studies have examined the relationship between language aptitude and previous language experience (cf. Sanz, 2000). Using the Cognitive Ability for Novelty in Acquisition of Language (Foreign) aptitude test (CANAL–FT), which is based on Sternberg's (2002) triarchic theory of human intelligence, the language aptitude scores from 79 Brazilian language learners were analyzed using one‐way ANOVAs. Interviews were also conducted to obtain further insight to the participants' language learning experiences. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were employed; the results indicate that previous language experience has an effect on language aptitude, thus supporting the concept of language aptitude as a dynamic feature. Furthermore, even those participants with a small amount of previous language learning experience outperformed those with no language learning experience other than English on the CANAL–FT, as did those participants who exhibited the feature of Perceived Positive Language Interaction (PPLI). Thus, the results also indicate a need to closely monitor the linguistic background of participants in future studies, as previous language experience was shown to have a significant effect on language aptitude scores.

Professional Wisdom and Writing for Publication: Qualitative Interviews with Editors and Authors in Early Childhood Education

College and university faculty members specializing in early childhood education face some unique challenges in scholarly writing. The purpose of this research was to use open-ended interviews as a way to gather the collective wisdom of a group of key informants about academic writing and publishing in the field. Twenty-two editors and/or authors, ranging from vastly experienced to beginners, shared their insights on scholarly writing by discussing the purposes, strategies, and challenges associated with contributing to the early childhood education through their published work. Data analysis of the interview transcripts resulted in a remarkably consistent theme across all interviewees; namely, that a commitment to young children was the governing principle and that published manuscripts must have practical significance in order to advance the field. A verbatim transcript of all 22 interviews was read, re-read, and annotated to produce emergent themes. Excerpts from the interviews were then collected into case nodes using NVivo10 qualitative data analysis software. Data were clustered into five themes. Sternberg’s (Beyond IQ: a triarchic theory of human intelligence. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1985, The triarchic mind: a new theory of human intelligence. Viking, New York 1988) theory of intelligence and his definition of wisdom (2004) also were used as preset categories for data analysis. Collectively, the intelligence and wisdom of these accomplished professionals offers guidance to aspiring authors to become involved in writing, editing, and publishing academic work and serves as a tool for further reflection among experienced authors in the field of early childhood education.

Self‐esteem and different forms of thinking in seven and nine year olds

This paper reports a longitudinal study that explored the relationship between children’s thinking and self‐esteem. The level of self‐esteem can serve as a powerful motivational force. Because positive self‐evaluations are emotionally pleasurable, we are generally motivated to act in ways that enable us to feel good about ourselves. Self‐esteem takes the form of a need to enhance, protect, repair or defend the self, and has a significant influence on children behavior and school success. The theoretical basis of the research of thinking is the conception of triarchic theory of human intelligence of R. J. Sternberg. The aims of the study are: to determine the level of analytical thinking and creative thinking of seven‐year‐old, eight‐year‐old and nine‐year‐old children; to explore a discrepancy between children’s thinking at different ages; to determine the level of academic and global self‐esteem of seven‐year‐old, eight‐year‐old and nine‐year‐old children; and to analyze the relations between the level of analytical and creative thinking and pupil’s academic and global self‐esteem. This study was carried out on a group of seven‐year‐old, eight‐year‐old and nine‐year‐old children selected at random from urban schools.

Triarchically-Based Instruction and Assessment of Sixth-Grade Mathematics in a Yup’ik Cultural Setting in Alaska

A study was conducted among sixth-grade Alaskan students from urban and rural communities to test the efficacy of applying the triarchic theory of human intelligence and culturally-based teaching strategies to mathematics curriculum. Students were taught a unit on the mathematics concepts of area and perimeter in one of two ways: conventional instruction (primarily textbook based) and culturally-based, triarchic curriculum (involving analytical, creative, and practical/culture-based instruction). Performance was assessed prior to and following implementation of the curriculum via multiple-choice and performance or short-answer items measuring memory, analytical, creative, and practical aspects of achievement. In general, the culturally-based triarchic instruction was superior to the conventional textbook-based instruction.

The triarchic theory of intelligence and computer-based inquiry learning

Sternberg's (1985) triarchic theory of human intelligence distinguished among three types of intellectual abilities: analytic, creative, and practical. Our study explored the relationships between student abilities and the cognitive and attitudinal outcomes that resulted from student immersion in a computer-based inquiry environment. In particular, we examined outcome variables related to content understanding, problem solving, and science-related attitudes. Results indicated that more practical abilities predicted greater content understanding and transfer of problem-solving skills. High analytic abilities were predictive of content understanding but not transfer of problem-solving skills. High creative abilities predicted problem solving, but were not predictive of performance on content understanding. In terms of science-related attitudes, students who were dominant in practical abilities had significantly more positive posttest attitudes than those dominant in analytic abilities. The results from this study were used to make recommendations regarding design principles used in the subsequent development of computer-based inquiry environments.

Do Thinking Styles Contribute to Academic Achievement Beyond Self-Rated Abilities?

This research identifies individual differences in academic achievement attributable to thinking styles over and above what can be explained by self-rated abilities. Participants were 209 university students from Hong Kong and 215 university students from mainland China. Participants responded to the Thinking Styles Inventory (Chinese version) that is based on Sternberg's theory of mental self-government (R. J. Sternberg, 1988). They also rated their own analytical, creative, and practical abilities on a 10-point scale based on R. J. Sternberg's (1985) triarchic theory of human intelligence. Participants' academic achievement scores were also used. The prediction that thinking styles statistically predict academic achievement was supported by data from both Hong Kong and mainland China. Academic achievement and thinking styles are related differently in the two groups. Implications of these findings for both teaching and research are discussed.

Incorporating cultural relevance into online courses: The case of VirtualMente

This paper describes how cultural relevance was incorporated into a web‐based course. VirtualMente was designed to facilitate cognitive processing in university graduates. The Spanish language program was based on Sternberg's (1986) Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence, and incorporated material from the local context and culture. VirtualMente was designed around three dimensions: minds in action, minds in communication and aids for the mind. The course consists of a virtual cooperative atmosphere using email and the discussion list for interaction and communication. A Monitor Triarchic Test was built to determine the mastery of the theory. The paper describes the design and evaluation of the course and issues related to cultural adequacy.

Brain mechanisms and intelligence. Psychometric g and executive function

Sternberg [Sternberg, R.J. (1985). Beyond IQ: a triarchic theory of human intelligence. New York: Cambridge Univ. Press.] has proposed that the general intelligence, or the g factor, obtained when batteries of mental tests are factor analyzed, is a reflection of the fact that executive functions (EF) are common to all cognitive tests. Three lines of evidence that fail to support Sternberg's formulation are presented. First, in animal problem solving studies, there is only a modest degree of overlap between brain structures that are critical for g, and brain structures that have been identified as the rodent EF system. Second, children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), characterized by EF dysfunction, do not have IQ scores that are lower, on average, than children in the test standardization populations. Third, human frontal lobe patients often have clear EF deficits, but IQ (a next-best estimate of g) may be preserved. These findings cast serious doubt on the plausibility of Sternberg's formulation. Clarifying the distinction between psychometric g and EF can be important for understanding the differences between practical and psychometric intelligence.

A Triarchic Approach to the Understanding and Assessment of Intelligence in Multicultural Populations

This article discusses the relevance of the triarchic theory of human intelligence for the understanding and assessment of intelligence in multicultural populations. The article is divided into three parts. The first part argues that intelligence can mean different things to different cultural groups, and that conventional narrow measures of intelligence fail to do justice to the breadth that the construct needs to encompass in order to be relevant multiculturally. The second part describes recent research we have done toward the construction of broader-based measures of intelligence. The third part draws conclusions, in particular, that it is time to move beyond conventional intelligence tests.

Teaching triarchically improves school achievement.

Two studies were conducted among 3rd-grade (primary-school) and 8th-grade (middle-school) students to test the efficacy of the triarchic theory of human intelligence as applied to classroom learning and performance. Students at the 3rd-grade level were taught a social-studies unit and at the 8th-grade level were taught a psychology unit in 1 of 3 ways: traditional instruction (primarily memory-based), critical-thinking instruction (primarily analytically based), and triarchically based instruction (involving infusion of analytical, creative, and practical instruction). Performance at both levels was assessed through multiple-choice items measuring primarily memory and performance-based items measuring analytical, creative, and practical aspects of achievement. Third-grade students also provided self-report measures. In general, triarchic instruction was superior to the other modes of instruction, even on multiple-choice memory-based items.

Identification, Instruction, and Assessment of Gifted Children: A Construct Validation of a Triarchic Model

This article presents a unified model — the triarchic theory of human intelligence — for the identification, instruction, and assessment of the achievement of gifted children. The article opens with a discussion of the need for a unified model of identification, instruction, and assessment. The triarchic model is then offered as one potential model. Next the article discusses how the triarchic model could be implemented in a variety of subject matter areas. Finally, it describes a construct-validation of the model in the context of one subject matter area, college-level psychology taught to high-school students. The results show promise for the model's use in gifted education. Students performed better when their triarchic ability pattern was matched, rather than mismatched, to instruction and assessment.

La théorie triarchique de l'intelligence.

This article describes a triarchic theory of human intelligence, according to which intelligence comprises three aspects : analytical ability, creative-synthetic ability, and practical ability. People strong in analytical ability do well in traditional schooling and testing, although they are not necessarily the best equipped for the tasks of life after schooling ends. People strong in creative ability do not necessarily do well in school, and sometimes are regarded by teachers as uncooperative. These same problems can plague them in later life if they are in environments that demand conformity. People strong in practical ability adapt well to the demands of life, although they may not be the best students in traditional schools. Ideally, a person balances some of each of these abilities in order to meet the various challenges of the environment. According to the theory, intelligence is therefore multifaceted. Intelligence involves purposive adaptation to, shaping of, and selection of real-world environments, and is best expressed when a person knows his or her strengths and weaknesses, and capitalizes on the strengths at the same time he or she compensates for or remediates weaknesses.

Understanding Creativity: Where to Start?

(1993). Understanding Creativity: Where to Start? Psychological Inquiry: Vol. 4, No. 3, pp. 232-234.

Continuity and Discontinuity in Intellectual Development Are Not a Matter of &Egr;ither-Or’

We hold that the question of whether intellectual development is continuous or discontinuous is not a meaningful one if these two patterns of development are held to be mutually exclusive. Rather, development involves both continuous and discontinuous elements simultaneously. We attempt to demonstrate the validity of our argument successively for psychometric, Piagetian, cognitive, and contextual points of view, and then make the same demonstration in somewhat more detail from the standpoint of the triarchic theory of human intelligence. We conclude that, as it stands, the continuity-discontinuity debate is largely misconceived and that we should instead be thinking in terms of ways in which development is simultaneously continuous and discontinuous with respect to different dimensions of analysis.

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:Remediating Children' Language: Behavioural and Naturalistic Approaches. By Dave J. Muller.The Psychology of Mathematics for Instruction. By L. B. Resnick & W. W. Ford. HillsdaleExplaining Mental Life: Some Philosophical Issues in Psychology. By James Russell.Malformations of Development. Edited by Eugene S. Gollin.Advances in Infancy Research, vol. 3. Edited by Lewis P. Lipsitt & Carolyn Rovee‐Collier.Beyond IQ: A Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence. By Robert J. Sternberg.Television, Sex Roles and Children. By K. Durkin. Milton Keynes and PhiladelphiaTemperament: Early Developing Personality Traits. By Arnold H. Buss & Robert PlominThe Psychology of Childhood Illness. By C. EiserCulture, Communication and Cognition: Vygotskian Perspectives. Edited by James V. WertschDaughters and Sons: Experiences of Non‐sexist Childraising. By J. Statham

Intelligence, information processing, and specific learning disabilities: a triarchic synthesis.

Information processing theories of intelligence offer a potentially rich yet generally unexplored theoretical forum for conceptualizing and investigating learning disabilities. The purpose of this article is to advance our understanding of the nature of specific learning disabilities by using Sternberg's (1985) triarchic theory of human intelligence as a framework for expanding the componential-deficit approach. Specifically, deficient cognitive strategies and inadequate knowledge in certain domains may result from learning disabled individuals' inability to (a) selectively encode, compare, and combine information, or (b) automatize information processing. In addition, this article emphasizes the importance of the experiential, contextual, and motivational history of the learning disabled individual in understanding his or her componential deficits.

BOOK REVIEWS

Books reviewed in this article: Family Therapy Supervision: Recent Developments in Practice. Edited by R. Whiffen and J. Byng‐Hall. Children's Reading Problems: Psychology and Education. Peter Bryant and Lynette Bradley. The Psychology of Twinship. R. C. Ainslie. Childhood and Death. Edited by Hannelore Wass and Charles A. Corr. Reading Ability. Charles Perfetti. Youth Suicide. Edited by M. L. Peck, N. L. Farberow and R. E. Litman. Substance Abuse and Famliy Therapy. Edward Kaufman. Infancy. Edited by G. E. Butterworth and P. L. Harris. Head Injury Rehabilitation: Children and Adolescents. Edited by Mark Ylvisaker. The Psychology of Gifted Children. Joan Freeman. Psychobiology of Attachment and Separation. Edited by Martin Reite and Tiffany Field. Children's Conversation. Michael McTear. The Development of Reading Skills. Edited by T. H. Carr. Infant Intervention Programs: Truths and Untruths. Edited by Mary Frank. How It Feels When Parents Divorce. Jill Krementz. Beyond IQ: A Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence. Robert J. Sternberg. Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (2nd ed.). T. B. Brazelton. Perceptual‐Motor Behaviour: Developmental Assessment and Therapy. J. L. Laszlo and P. J. Bairstow.

Book reviews

Book reviewed in this article:The Child's Entry into a Social World. By H. R. Schaffer.Looking and Seeing: The Role of Visual Communication in Social Interaction. By D. R. Rutter.The Psychology of Human Movement. Edited by M. M. Smyth & A. M. Wing.The Nature of the Child. By J. Kagan.Biological Perspectives on Language. Edited by D. Caplan, A. R. Lecours & A. Smith.The Psychology of Sexual Diversity. Edited by Kevin Howells.Human Motivation and the Dynamics Calculus. By R. B. Cattell.Self‐organised Learning: Foundations of a Conversational Science for Psychology. By L. F. Thomas & E. S. Harri‐Augstein.Beyond IQ: A Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence. By R. J. Sternberg.Longitudinal Studies in Child Psychology and Psychiatry: Practical Lessons from Research Experience. Edited by A. R. Nicol.The Anatomy of Relationships. By Michael Argyle & Monika Henderson.The Musical Mind: The Cognitive Psychology of Music. By J. A. Sloboda.Sign Language: The Study of Deaf People and their Language. By J. G. Kyle & B. Woll.Animal Intelligence. Edited by L. Weiskrantz.

Toward a triarchic theory of human intelligence

AbstractThis article is a synopsis of a triarchic theory of human intelligence. The theory comprises three subtheories: a contextual subtheory, which relates intelligence to the external world of the individual; a componential subtheory, which relates intelligence to the individual's internal world; and a two-facet subtheory, which relates intelligence to both the external and internal worlds. The contextual subtheory defines intelligent behavior in terms of purposive adaptation to, shaping of, and selection of real-world environments relevant to one's life. The normal course of intelligent functioning in the everyday world entails adaptation to the environment; when the environment does not fit one's values, aptitudes, or interests, one may attempt to shape the environment so as to achieve a better person-environment fit; when shaping fails, an attempt may be made to select a new environment that provides a better fit. The two-facet subtheory further constrains this definition by regarding as most relevant to the demonstration of intelligence contextually intelligent behavior that involves either adaptation to novelty, automatization of information processing, or both. Efficacious automatization of processing allows allocation of additional resources to the processing of novelty in the environment; conversely, efficacious adaptation to novelty allows automatization to occur earlier in one's experience with new tasks and situations. The componential subtheory specifies the mental mechanisms responsible for the learning, planning, execution, and evaluation of intelligent behavior. Metacomponents of intelligence control one's information processing and enable one to monitor and later evaluate it; performance components execute the plans constructed by the metacomponents; knowledge-acquisition components selectively encode and combine new information and selectively compare new information to old so as to allow new information to be learned.

Podłużne badanie zdolności językowych jako konceptu dynamicznego

In contemporary literature foreign language ability is considered a dynamic concept, that is, subject to an evolutionary development in interaction with the environment and potentially trainable (Sternberg, 2002). Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence is based on an assumption that abilities are forms of developing expertise. An important educational implication of this statement is that abilities are flexible and pliable rather than fixed and that they can be taught. The purpose of the paper is to present results from the first stage of a longitudinal study of foreign language aptitude on a sample of English philology students. The goal of this study, conducted in cooperation with a psychologist, is to analyze the students’ cognitive abilities and establish whether they are subject to a dynamic change.