Theories of Intelligence Piaget Vygotsky Sternberg Gardner Theories

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 Mind Theory 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 world Assimilation: adding new info to old schemas Accommodation: adapting schemas to new info • Organization: internal coherence of knowledge

Equilibration and Reorganization • Confirmation of knowledge equilibration & stability • Disconfirmation of knowledge disequilibrium & reorganization

Stages 1. 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 Criticisms 1. 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

Robert Sternberg

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

Howard Gardner

Frames of Mind • Artificial Intelligence • Neuroscience software hardware central processor modules Single Multiple

Sources of Evidence • Prodigies • Brain damage (eliminates or spares) • Evolutionary history or plausibility • Lab experiments • Information-processing systems • Correlational research (intelligence tests) • Developmental history • Encoding in symbol system