Theories of Intelligence

Intelligence, according to Paul Kline, refers to a person’s ability to learn, understand,
and deal with novel situations. The intelligent person may be
viewed as quick-witted, acute, keen, sharp, canny, astute, bright, and brilliant.
Robert Sternberg, in Intelligence Applied: Understanding and Increasing
Your Intellectual Skills (1986), describes intelligence as comprising a very
wide array of cognitive and other skills; he does not see intelligence as a single
ability.

After examining many theories of intelligence, Sternberg developed the
triarchic (three-part) theory of intelligence. In the componential subtheory,
the first part of the theory, intelligence is related to the internal
world of the individual. For example, a person who is intelligent in this area
obtains high scores on standardized tests and is excellent in analytical thinking.
The second part of the theory, the experiential subtheory, specifies intelligence
in situations. A person who is intelligent in handling novel tasks
with creativity but who may not have the best standardized test scores is demonstrating
intelligence in this area. In the third part of the theory, the contextual
subtheory, intelligence is related to the external world of the individual.
For example, a person who is able to achieve success when interacting
on the job or when influencing other people is demonstrating contextual
intelligence.