Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

The triarchic theory of intelligence was formulated by Robert Sternberg in

the 1980s. The theory attempts to understand the human intelligence in
terms of distinct components rather than a single ability.

The tri-archic theory by Sternberg categorized intelligence into three

different aspects.

 Componential – Analytic skills

 Experiential – Creativity

 Practical – Contextual skills

 Analytical thinking which focuses on planning, monitoring,

reflection, and transfer.

 Creative thinking which focuses on developing, applying new ideas

and creating solutions.

 Practical thinking which focuses on selecting and shaping real-

world environments and experiences.

How successful a person can use these three different

intelligences is not only a result of simply having high intelligence
in one or more of these three intelligence domains, success also
depends on how well they are balanced against each other.
Through metacognition an individual decides what mode of
thinking is appropriate under certain conditions.

Well aware that most people differ in their general ability to use
the three intelligences Sternberg later on developed a typology of
people based on his theory, differentiating seven types:

 The Analyzer fares well in academic environments, but isn't

likely to make a creative contribution to the field.
  The Creator generates ideas easily, but is unable to analyze
these ideas or to put them into practice.

 The Practioner is persuasive and maybe entertaining, but

lacks substance in thinking.

 The Analytical Creator is able to analyze created ideas, but

doesn't easily communicate these ideas to others.

 The Analytical Practioner succeeds in conventional terms

because high IQ is translated into practical work, but he is
unlikely to make a lasting contribution.

 The Creative Practioner has the ability to come up with

new ideas and can persuade other people of the value of
these ideas, regardless whether those ideas are worth it or
not.

 The Consummate Balancer is able to apply all of the three

intelligences as needed, and is therefore in the best position
to make a valuable contribution to society.

Before Sternberg, general intelligence was the idea that dominated most of
the intelligence theories. However, Sternberg believed intelligence to be a
much more complex subject matter, which lead him to propose a theory
dealing with the cognitive approach to intelligence theory rather than a
behavioristic view point. He believed that a person’s adaptation to the
changing environment and his contribution of knowledge in shaping the
world around them had a significant importance in determining their
intelligence.

Sternberg also argued that intelligent tests were wrong to ignore creativity,
and there are always other important characteristics like cognitive
processes, performance components, planning and decision making skills,
and so on.

Key functions in different aspects of Tri-archic theory of Intelligence.

 Key functions in each aspects of intelligence

Componential Experiential Practical

Analyze Create Apply

Critique Invent Use

Judge Discover Put into practice

Compare/Contrast Imagine if… Implement

Evaluate Suppose that Employ

Assess Predict Render Practical

Componential – Analytical Intelligence

Analytical Intelligence can also be referred to as being book smart. This

form of intelligence is more in terms with the traditional definitions of IQ and
academic achievement. It’s also called componential intelligence. Because
of its analytical nature, the person with high analytical intelligence is good
at problem solving. These people are generally more able to see the
solutions not normally seen, because of their abstract thinking and
evaluation skills. Analyzing someone’s analytical intelligence can be done
by few general questions like

 How good are you at analyzing technical problems?

 What’s your history of scoring in standardized tests?

Example:

Emma always scores high on standardized tests. It’s because of her ability
to evaluate and analyze materials using abstract thinking in order to
achieve solutions.

Experiential – Creative Intelligence

The ability to invent new ideas and solutions when dealing with new
situations is regarded as creative intelligence. It’s also referred as
experiential intelligence. This form of intelligence is associated with using
existing knowledge and skills in order to deal with new problems or
situations. Analyzing someone’s creative intelligence level can be done by
few general questions like

 How quickly can they solve a new problem?

 Will they automatically resort to applying new skill in order to deal

with the situation?

Creative intelligence can be further divided into two categories.

 Novelty : This concerns the ability of a person to deal with the

problem for the first time.

 Automation : This concerns the ability of a person to automatically

perform the repeated tasks.

Example:
James Bond is a person high in creative intelligence because of his ability
to use his knowledge and skills to deal with new problems every time.

Practical – Contextual Intelligence

In simple words, practical intelligence can be defined as street-smart. The

ability of a person to adapt in an environment or change it accordingly to

best suit the personal needs is dubbed as practical intelligence. Another
way to understand such type of intelligence is as common sense. Dealing
with the everyday tasks in the best possible manner shows the person’s
intelligence. Analyzing someone’s practical intelligence level can be done
by few general questions like

 Would the person be taken advantage of easily?

 Do they adjust well to the world around them?

 Are they comfortable with the daily adventures?

A person, who is street-smart, or high on practical intelligence, is more able

to cope with concrete situations.

Example:

Johnny is considering buying a second hand motorbike. A salesman,

being salesman, would obviously try to con the buyer, but Johnny is already
prepared with price comparisons and has made up his mind to say no to
unnecessary extras.

Critical Evaluation

The major criticism about the Triarchic theory of intelligence has been
regarding its unempirical nature. Psychologist Linda Gottfredson argued
that it’s not accurate to assume traditional IQ tests do not measure practical
intelligences. Researches have shown people with high IQ to have reached
higher in their career, have higher income. Also, traditional analytical
intelligence also showed correlation with staying alive and out of jail, which
is generally categorized as practical intelligence or street smarts.