Ene
Active member
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2012
- Messages
- 3,574
- MBTI Type
- iNfj
- Enneagram
- 5w4
* I apologize, in advance, for any mistakes you may find in this, but I'm trying to type my thoughts quickly, before my measly 25 minute lunch break is over
Also, I realize there is another IQ thread, here: http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/general-psychology/1731-mbti-type.html but I was concerned that I veer off course enough that it might be considered a derail of sorts and I didn't want to high-jack someone else's thread. However, if my fellow mods feel it needs to be moved, that's cool.
Bob Sternberg said, back when he was at Yale, that intelligence has nothing to do with an IQ test and after having researched the history and purpose of IQ tests during my pursuit of a Master's Degree [which required me taking some], I'm inclined to agree with him. It seems that throughout history, definitions of intelligence largely depended upon the needs of the society which spawned them.
What I mean is that if I still lived as my ancestors did, then the most intelligent person in my tribe might be the one who could bring down the largest amount of prey in the shortest time with the least amount of effort. It might be the woman who could turn out the best moccasins or the girl who knew where all the best medicinal plants grew, etc.
You may say that's not intelligence, it's skill, but according to cognition expert, Robert L. Costa [as in Costa and Marzano], intelligence isn't about the ability to solve puzzles on a timed test. True intelligence is about the ability to adapt, learn and work cooperatively with others. Costa says that intelligence is not evident when we "know" the answer but rather is made apparent by how we behave when confronted with what we don't know. So, the ability to learn, adapt and benefit humanity in some positive way is considered by some experts in the field, to be the marks of true intelligence.
Sternberg, in his work, Successful Intelligence, says that he considers intelligence to have aspects from three components – analytical, creative, and practical forms. He says that it isn't sufficient to be proficient in one area. There needs to be interplay and connectivity across all three areas. I can't help but thinking of how this plays out in cognitive types and that an individual of any type can be considered intelligent if the individual learns process balancing, or consistently moves toward self-actualization.
When we look at his three components of intelligence we can see that they include strengths of both feelers and thinkers, sensors and intuitives. I am convinced, more than ever, that there is no such thing as a "smartest" type, but rather that there are "smart" people, even geniuses, of all types.
I particularly like this quote from Sternberg and things k the bolded part correlates with MBTI, “Successful intelligence is the kind of intelligence used to achieve important goals. People who succeed, whether by their own standards or by other people’s, are those who have managed to acquire, develop, and apply a full range of intellectual skills, rather than merely relying on the inert intelligence that schools so value. These individuals may or may not succeed on conventional tests, but they have something in common that is much more important than high test scores. They know their strengths; they know their weaknesses. They capitalize on their strengths; they compensate for or correct their weaknesses.†(12)
So what are his three components?
Interestingly, they are components that span all the cognitive types and can be attained by any type.
Analytical
Analyze
Critique
Judge
Compare/Contrast
Evaluate
Assess
Creative
Create
Invent
Discover
Imagine what if....
Suppose that....
Predict
Practical
Apply
Use
Implement
Put in place...
Employ
Render Practical
Costa and other experts broke "intelligent thought" down into twelve basic mental habits. That's not saying there aren't more, but that these twelve mental habits are a present commonality in what they consider to be highly intelligent people.
1. Persistence: persevering when the solution to a problem is not immediately apparent
2. Decreasing impulsiveness--clarifying goals, planning and exploring alternative problem solving strategies and considering the consequences of an action before preforming it or even considering the impact of words before speaking them.
3. Listening to others – with understanding and empathy "Some psychologists believe that the ability to listen to another person, to empathize with, and to understand their point of view is one of the highest forms of intelligent behavior." R.L. Costa
4. Flexibility in thinking-considering alternative points of view or dealing with several sources of information simultaneously. .
5. Metacognition: awareness of our own thinking
6. Checking for accuracy and precision--doing it right verses doing it fast. If someone is performing surgery or working on our car or filling our teeth or whatever...we should hope they shoot for accuracy and precision.
7. Questioning and problem posing-- We are the only species on the planet that actually looks for problems to solve. Questioning, curiosity is one of the legs of intelligent thinking.
8. Drawing on past knowledge and applying it to new situations
9. Precision of language and thought--being precise about what we mean and attempting to clarify what we say so that others can understand. Stephen Covey spoke of this in his Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. First attempt to understand then make yourself understood. Asking questions, clarifying and holding off on snap judgment calls regarding another person's point of view, according to some cognition experts, is an intelligent behavior.
10. Using all the senses - All information gets into the brain through the sensory pathways: visual, tactile, kinesthetic, auditory, olfactory, gustatory. "Those whose sensory pathways are open, alert, and acute absorb more information from the environment than those whose pathways are withered or oblivious." Costa
11. Ingenuity, originality, insightfulness: creativity-- Costa says intelligent human beings are creative. They often try to conceive problem solutions differently, examining alternative possibilities from many angles (lateral thinking)...."They are uneasy with the status-quo. They constantly strive for greater fluency, elaboration, novelty, parsimony, simplicity, craftsmanship, perfection, beauty, harmony, and balance."
12. Wonderment, inquisitiveness, curiosity, and the enjoyment of problem solving –
Well, my lunch break is over so I had better go teach a Math class. I do hope some of you will find something noteworthy in this and perhaps find something to add. As a professional educator, I have long questioned the validity of IQ tests and their value in today's society. I am a strong advocate of multiple intelligences and very strongly feel that it isn't the number on a test that makes the difference but what we do with what we have and how well we are able to use it to the betterment of humanity. Having said that, I know that some of you have read my "20 facts" and are aware that I am a member of a high IQ society, but I just joined out of curiosity. I wanted to know what people did in such a society and the answer is...next to nothing. You'd think that out of a group of 900 geniuses, somebody would be interesting, but most of those guys are just well...kind of dull. I mean sure everyone in the group scored exceptionally high on the test, but listening to a bunch of people brag about test scores isn't exactly my idea of a good time. haha. So, I'm more convinced than ever that having a high score is less important than people once believed it was.
Also, I realize there is another IQ thread, here: http://www.typologycentral.com/forums/general-psychology/1731-mbti-type.html but I was concerned that I veer off course enough that it might be considered a derail of sorts and I didn't want to high-jack someone else's thread. However, if my fellow mods feel it needs to be moved, that's cool.
Bob Sternberg said, back when he was at Yale, that intelligence has nothing to do with an IQ test and after having researched the history and purpose of IQ tests during my pursuit of a Master's Degree [which required me taking some], I'm inclined to agree with him. It seems that throughout history, definitions of intelligence largely depended upon the needs of the society which spawned them.
What I mean is that if I still lived as my ancestors did, then the most intelligent person in my tribe might be the one who could bring down the largest amount of prey in the shortest time with the least amount of effort. It might be the woman who could turn out the best moccasins or the girl who knew where all the best medicinal plants grew, etc.
You may say that's not intelligence, it's skill, but according to cognition expert, Robert L. Costa [as in Costa and Marzano], intelligence isn't about the ability to solve puzzles on a timed test. True intelligence is about the ability to adapt, learn and work cooperatively with others. Costa says that intelligence is not evident when we "know" the answer but rather is made apparent by how we behave when confronted with what we don't know. So, the ability to learn, adapt and benefit humanity in some positive way is considered by some experts in the field, to be the marks of true intelligence.
Sternberg, in his work, Successful Intelligence, says that he considers intelligence to have aspects from three components – analytical, creative, and practical forms. He says that it isn't sufficient to be proficient in one area. There needs to be interplay and connectivity across all three areas. I can't help but thinking of how this plays out in cognitive types and that an individual of any type can be considered intelligent if the individual learns process balancing, or consistently moves toward self-actualization.
When we look at his three components of intelligence we can see that they include strengths of both feelers and thinkers, sensors and intuitives. I am convinced, more than ever, that there is no such thing as a "smartest" type, but rather that there are "smart" people, even geniuses, of all types.
I particularly like this quote from Sternberg and things k the bolded part correlates with MBTI, “Successful intelligence is the kind of intelligence used to achieve important goals. People who succeed, whether by their own standards or by other people’s, are those who have managed to acquire, develop, and apply a full range of intellectual skills, rather than merely relying on the inert intelligence that schools so value. These individuals may or may not succeed on conventional tests, but they have something in common that is much more important than high test scores. They know their strengths; they know their weaknesses. They capitalize on their strengths; they compensate for or correct their weaknesses.†(12)
So what are his three components?
Interestingly, they are components that span all the cognitive types and can be attained by any type.
Analytical
Analyze
Critique
Judge
Compare/Contrast
Evaluate
Assess
Creative
Create
Invent
Discover
Imagine what if....
Suppose that....
Predict
Practical
Apply
Use
Implement
Put in place...
Employ
Render Practical
Costa and other experts broke "intelligent thought" down into twelve basic mental habits. That's not saying there aren't more, but that these twelve mental habits are a present commonality in what they consider to be highly intelligent people.
1. Persistence: persevering when the solution to a problem is not immediately apparent
2. Decreasing impulsiveness--clarifying goals, planning and exploring alternative problem solving strategies and considering the consequences of an action before preforming it or even considering the impact of words before speaking them.
3. Listening to others – with understanding and empathy "Some psychologists believe that the ability to listen to another person, to empathize with, and to understand their point of view is one of the highest forms of intelligent behavior." R.L. Costa
4. Flexibility in thinking-considering alternative points of view or dealing with several sources of information simultaneously. .
5. Metacognition: awareness of our own thinking
6. Checking for accuracy and precision--doing it right verses doing it fast. If someone is performing surgery or working on our car or filling our teeth or whatever...we should hope they shoot for accuracy and precision.
7. Questioning and problem posing-- We are the only species on the planet that actually looks for problems to solve. Questioning, curiosity is one of the legs of intelligent thinking.
8. Drawing on past knowledge and applying it to new situations
9. Precision of language and thought--being precise about what we mean and attempting to clarify what we say so that others can understand. Stephen Covey spoke of this in his Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. First attempt to understand then make yourself understood. Asking questions, clarifying and holding off on snap judgment calls regarding another person's point of view, according to some cognition experts, is an intelligent behavior.
10. Using all the senses - All information gets into the brain through the sensory pathways: visual, tactile, kinesthetic, auditory, olfactory, gustatory. "Those whose sensory pathways are open, alert, and acute absorb more information from the environment than those whose pathways are withered or oblivious." Costa
11. Ingenuity, originality, insightfulness: creativity-- Costa says intelligent human beings are creative. They often try to conceive problem solutions differently, examining alternative possibilities from many angles (lateral thinking)...."They are uneasy with the status-quo. They constantly strive for greater fluency, elaboration, novelty, parsimony, simplicity, craftsmanship, perfection, beauty, harmony, and balance."
12. Wonderment, inquisitiveness, curiosity, and the enjoyment of problem solving –
Well, my lunch break is over so I had better go teach a Math class. I do hope some of you will find something noteworthy in this and perhaps find something to add. As a professional educator, I have long questioned the validity of IQ tests and their value in today's society. I am a strong advocate of multiple intelligences and very strongly feel that it isn't the number on a test that makes the difference but what we do with what we have and how well we are able to use it to the betterment of humanity. Having said that, I know that some of you have read my "20 facts" and are aware that I am a member of a high IQ society, but I just joined out of curiosity. I wanted to know what people did in such a society and the answer is...next to nothing. You'd think that out of a group of 900 geniuses, somebody would be interesting, but most of those guys are just well...kind of dull. I mean sure everyone in the group scored exceptionally high on the test, but listening to a bunch of people brag about test scores isn't exactly my idea of a good time. haha. So, I'm more convinced than ever that having a high score is less important than people once believed it was.
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