Completed: Construct Validating Aspects of the Theory of Successful Intelligence Via a Test Battery for Measuring Mental Flexibility

Principal Investigator: R. J. Sternberg
Project Director: Cynthia Matthew

Description: We know that people differ in their ability to cope with novelty and to "get the swing" of new procedures, but can it be measured? Our goal in this project is to create a battery of tests to measure flexible thinking, which is a precursor to creative ability. These tests will require people apply the components of successful intelligence in relatively novel tasks and situations. Given the importance of flexibility in a rapidly changing world, and the fact that mental flexibility is not currently assessed by conventional intelligence tests, such a test battery will not only be practically useful but theoretically important.

The triarchic theory of successful intelligence provides a broader conceptualization of intelligence than what is typically assumed by standard intelligence tests. The triarchic theory comprises three subtheories that deal with distinct but related aspects of human functioning. First, the componential subtheory deals with the more universal thinking components that intelligence tests have traditionally assessed. Second, the contextual subtheory deals with the types of mental processes that are needed to successfully adapt to the environment, to change or shape the environment, and to select new environments if adaptation and shaping are not appropriate. And third, the experiential subtheory deals with mental flexibility - a precursor to creative thinking that requires the ability to cope with novelty and to make routine processing more automatic. The goal of this research is to develop a multifaceted test of flexible thinking that measures how well one can apply the components of intelligence in relatively novel tasks and situations.

Funding Agency: U.S. Army Research Institute
IRB Approval By: Yale University Faculty of Arts and Science Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects
Funding Period: 2003 - 2005
Award Amount: $668,054