Theories of Intelligence

Piaget, Vygotsky, Sternberg, & Gardner

Theories of Intelligence• Geographic: IQ testing, Spearman• Computational: cog. neuroscience• Epistemological: child development,

Piaget• Sociological: Vygotsky, Sternberg• Systems: Sternberg, Gardner

Frames of MindTheory of Multiple

Intelligences• Sources of Theory:

•Piaget•Vygotsky•Sternberg

Jean Piaget

1896 - 1980

Piaget: Child as Scientist• Discovers & creates knowledge of

world• Discovers & creates methods of

knowing the world• Stages of Development

– Stable periods: equilibrium– Transitional / crisis periods:

reorganization

Piaget: Basic Processes• Adaptation: agreement of thought with

external worldAssimilation: adding new info to old schemasAccommodation: adapting schemas to new info

• Organization: internal coherence of knowledge

Equilibration and Reorganization

• Confirmation of knowledge equilibration & stability

• Disconfirmation of knowledge disequilibrium &

reorganization

Stages1. Sensorimotor (0 - 2 yrs)

2. Symbolic / pre-operational (2 – 7 yrs)

3. Concrete operations (7 – 11 yrs)

4. Formal operations (11 – 15 yrs)

Sensorimotor Stage• Coordination of reflexes• Beginning of object permanence• Emergence of causality• Active experimenting on world• Invention of new means by mental

combination (18 – 24 months) beginning of symbolic thought

Symbolic / “pre-operational”

• Use of symbols: language, numbers, etc.

• Concrete: limited to here & now failure to recognize conservation

• Egocentric: focus on child’s relations to objects, not relationships of objects with other objects

Concrete Operations• Basic logical & mathematical operations

(including conservation of substance, volume, weight;classification)

• Can think in ways that contradict immediate impressions

• Can’t manipulate systems of abstractions (can’t do proofs of theorems)

Formal Operations• Operations on operations

(Given bucket of water & objects -- asked to figure out why some float and some don’t -- can figure out notion of density.)

• Mental exploration of possible worlds

Piaget: Main Criticisms1. Periods achieved gradually, with

little discontinuity

2. Can perform some higher-level tasks when procedures modified

3. Operations often don’t generalize, but remain specific to tasks

Lev Vygotsky

1896 - 1934

Lev Vygotsky• Intelligence is social & cultural• Growth of intelligence based on

internalization of social processes• Intelligence is product of history;

resides in culture

Vygotsky: Key Ideas• Tools & symbols

• Zone of Proximal Development(ZPD)

Apprenticeship Learning

RobertSternberg

Robert Sternberg• Analytic: what IQ & achievement

tests measure

• Practical: real-world problem-solving

• Creative: art, music, literature, etc.

Studying Practical Intelligence

• Formulating Hypotheses Test

• In-Basket Exercises

Both use panels of expert raters

HowardGardner

Frames of Mind• Artificial

Intelligence

software

central processor

Single

• Neuroscience

hardware

modules

Multiple

Sources of Evidence• Prodigies• Brain damage

(eliminates or spares)• Information-

processing systems• Developmental

history

• Evolutionary history or plausibility

• Lab experiments• Correlational

research (intelligence tests)

• Encoding in symbol system

Criteria for “Intelligence”

• Neurobiological system• Symbol system

Intelligences1. Linguistic2. Logical-mathematical3. Musical4. Spatial5. Bodily – Kinesthetic6. Personal: knowledge of self &

others

Stages of Development

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