MODERN APPROACHES TO INTELLIGENCE MONICA LICU ∗∗ ∗∗ licu.monica@gmail.com Abstract: With the theory of multiple intelligences, Howard G ardner… [600204]

MODERN APPROACHES TO INTELLIGENCE

MONICA LICU ∗∗ ∗∗

[anonimizat]

Abstract: With the theory of multiple intelligences, Howard G ardner
opposes intelligence uniqueness. Gardner posits tha t there are seven forms of
intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spa tial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic,
interpersonal, intrapersonal, and natural.
The theory has application in education, and profes sional guidance, but there
are no predictive data, empirical, to support or to test the theory as a whole.
A second approach – triarchic theory of intelligenc e – proposed by Sternberg,
professor of psychology at Yale, aims to specify th e mental mechanisms behind
intelligent behavior.
Conclusion: discrepancies between scientific findin gs – modern theories and
their transfer in the fields of application.

Keywords: multiple intelligences theory, intelligent behavio r, educational
intervention, triarchic theory of intelligence, men tal mechanisms.

1. Introduction
Modern approaches of intelligence call into questio n the following:
y Metayissues y related to understanding a person's own thinking
(Nelson, 1999);
y Aspects which take into consideration knowledge ( Lemeni and
Miclea, 1998);
y Specific behavior of oriented adaptation towards achieving goals
(Sternberg, 2002);
y Multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1998, 2003).

They were bent on intelligent behavior rather than wishing to explain
the contents of intelligence. Beginning with the th eories of cognitive
psychology, modern approach integrates the concept of intelligence in the
context of information processing.

∗∗ ∗∗ Lecturer Ph.D., – "Dimitrie Cantemir" Christian University, Bucharest .

The central idea of these theories is that intellig ence reflects how
individuals use their specific knowledge, strategie s, and cognitive and
metacognitive processes to be successful.
Recent theories that are most appreciated by the sc ientific community
are those of Gardner and Sternberg, they have in co mmon the following:
y Intelligent behavior, as any behavior can be sign ificantly improved
through education and training;
y The most important aspect is to understand fundam ental processes
that determine intelligent behavior;
y Standard tests are a relative measure of intellig ence, still being used
to make short and medium term predictions about the academic
performance of individuals;
y Intelligent behavior has a genetic component, but is determined by
the cultural environment (by domain of specific kno wledge available to
the individual).

2. The theory of multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1 983, 2003)
In "Frames of Mind" (1983), Howard Gardner redefine s intelligence.
He says that human beings possess a multifaceted in telligence. Gardner
argues that intelligence is not a simple feature, b ut a range of skills
derived from many disciplines.
He considered that the problem lies in an education al system unable
to handle all these intelligences in a classroom. I n "Unschooled Mind:
How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach (19 91)," as in
"Multiple Intelligence. The Theory in Practice (199 3), "he addresses
different learning styles and suggests that the edu cational system be
adapted to learning styles of all children, so that they are not forced to
learn in a traditional way. Gardner argues that the problem of academic
failure is not due to student: [anonimizat]ity, but the system of
measurement used to examine the capacity. In these volumes Gardner
suggests various ways in which teachers might use h is theory to teach and
assess students.
Starting from the limits of general ability theory, Gardner (1983, 1999,
2003) developed the soycalled model of multiple int elligences. The model
was then improved and described in "Cinq formes d'i ntelligence pour
mieux affronter le futur".
According to his theory, the multidimensional const ruct of
intelligence consists of seven distinct types of in telligences: linguistic,
logicalymathematical, spatial, musical, bodilyykine sthetic, interpersonal,

intrapersonal, and natural. Later, as I said above, he developed the
concepts of existential and spiritual intelligence.
His theory has enjoyed international recognition an d has been
adopted in several schools in the U.S. and Europe a s an educational
policy.
Through valuable contributions that he had in the c onceptualization
of intelligence, Gardner's model is an alternative to the theory of the g
factor (Mih, 2010).
The general purpose of educational interventions de veloped on the
theory of multiple intelligences is y the accumulat ion of knowledge and
skills acquired by training as many types of intell igence.
This theory has risen in value as it was faced with reality. The first use
would be linked to education, both in the teaching and knowledge
assessment. The second, of the utmost importance, i s related to
professional orientation.
Some observations have allowed the establishment of lists of
occupations associated with dominant forms of intel ligence. The following
table seeks to illustrate these associations.
Another possibility to reflect on a person's profes sional future is to
identify the importance of intelligence given in ou r society and trying to
imagine the future importance that it might have.
For example, we are currently living in a society p ulled back on itself,
in which <<every man for himself>> is the supreme v alue.
Therapeutic approaches of any kind are multiplied, competition
values have surpassed those of cooperation.
Intelligence Professions examples Personality
Interpersonal Administrator y Nurse –
Seller –
Sociologist y Mediator Mother Teresa
Intrapersonal Theologian – Psychologist –
Planner – Entrepreneur Carl Gustav Jung,
Kinesthetic Mechanic y Choreographer y
masseur y Jeweler y Coach y
Surgeon Thomas Edison,
Constantin Brâncuși
Linguistics Librarian y Writer y Lawyer y
Secretary y comedian y Singer William Shakespeare,
Mihai Eminescu
Logicaly
mathematical Accountant y Economist y
Computer scientist y Engineer Henry Coandă, Albert
Einstein

Spatial Architect – Pilot y Urban
planner – Cartographer y
Graphic designer y Artist Pablo Picasso

Musical Musician y Sound Engineer y
Head of the orchestra y DJ Ray Charles,
Dumitru Zamfir
Naturalist Geologist y Explorer y
Veterinary y Meteorologist y
Biologist Jacques Cousteau

Viorel Mih however brings into question a limit of the theory of
multiple intelligences, namely, the absence of pred ictive empirical data to
support or test the theory as a whole.

3. Triarchic theory of intelligence
Sternberg believes that people resort to the same c ognitive processes
regardless of the type and content of the problems they face.
After multiple studies, Sternberg has identified th ree general
components involved in any type of problem solving: metacomponents,
parts procurement and the performance ratio. These are information basal
processes acting on sensory information.
Sternberg's triarchic theory’s objective is to spec ify the the mental
mechanisms behind intelligent behavior. The basic c oncept of this theory
is that selectivity, according to the author refers to the individual decision
to allocate at a certain time, cognitive resources to priority y process some
specific content of a task. It has three subycompon ents: contextual theory,
experienceybased theory and componential. All this leads to the
explanation of intelligentbehavior.

Figure 1: Triarchic theory of intelligence (Sternberg, 1985)

Triarchic theory of intelligence

Componential Experince-based Contextual
Theory Theory Theory
Metacomponents Novelty Adaptation
Performance Automation Selection
Knowledge aquisition Remodeling

Experience
Connection with spectrum Connection with
the inner world outer world of
of the individual the individual.

– Conceperea unor programe în cadrul cărora să nu dob ândească
numai anumite cunoștinŃe despre diverse fenomene sa u probleme, ci și un
stil de abordare a lor;
– Formarea și exersarea unor abilităŃi de monitorizar e și control ale
procesului de învăŃare.
y Componential Theoryyits purpose is to identify me chanisms of
information processing that characterizes the perfo rmance of intelligent
behavior. The role of these mechanisms (components) is to select and
decide which information is relevant for to achieve a specific goal. Thus
they involve permanent decisions to make with certa in content and to
ignore others.
y Experienceybased Theory – expresses the idea that intelligent
behavior is strongly influenced by the subjects exp eriences. Different
individuals with different experiences resort to di fferent processing in a
specific task.
y Contextual Theory y the relationship between inte lligent behavior
and contextual / the outer world of an individual. According to this
theory, there are three ways of interaction with th e environment:
adaptation, shaping the environment, environmental change.
• Intelligent behavior results from a balance between adaptation to
the environment, shaping it and changing it.

• The level of intelligence of an individual is given by the way he
strikes a balance between these three processes to adjust its resources to
environmental demands.
• sternberg and his collaboraters distinguish three t ypes of thinking
skills that lead to the development of successful i ntelligence:
• analytical skills;
• creative skills;
• practical skills.

This theory emphasizes the fact that multiple skill s are often
underutilized in school because education tends to exploit predominantly
the analytical component and retrieval systems and less the creativity and
practical skills.
The usefulness of this theory in education resultin g from the
following:
y Encourage individuals to capitalize on the streng ths and compensate
on weaknesses;
y It facilitates different approaches of materials to learn and
understand;
y Increased motivation through attractive presentat ion materials.
Viorel Mih – gives a few suggestions through which the teacher could
improve students intelligent behavior (based on the Triarchic Theory of
Intelligence):
y Taking it to real problems, current interest;
y General cognitive learning strategies that studen ts may use in
solving large classes of problems;
y Development of metacognitive skills to students ( planning,
monitoring, evaluation) to help them adapt their co gnitive strategies
depending on the problematic situation they are fac ing;
y Design of programs in which to acquire not only s ome knowledge
about various phenomena and problems, but also a st yle to approach
them; y Training and practice of monitoring and con trol skills of the
learning process.

Conclusions
Both theories presented are not educational methods , but they interest
educators because now more than ever, the speed of scientific and
technological discoveries does not only offer facil ities, it also causes
difficulties for some areas that need new knowledge . It depends on the

existence of a parallelism between the abundance of theories and their
transfer in the fields of application.In our opinio n, education is one area
where they could successfully transfer these theori es, as well as that of
career counseling and guidance.