Testing for Intelligence?

There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.~~Ronald Reagan

There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.

Ronald Reagan

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/ronaldreag183770.html#UxpfJR6mS78TUWY4.99

There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.

Ronald Reagan

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/ronaldreag183770.html#UxpfJR6mS78TUWY4.99

There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.

Ronald Reagan

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/r/ronaldreag183770.html#UxpfJR6mS78TUWY4.99

In ancient times if an adult were strong and fertile, that was enough to be considered a worthy mate. In today’s society, a worthy mate may still be strong and fertile, but they must also be intellectually compatible.  Because of this increase in intellectual desirability, many ways to determine intelligence have been devised (Berger, 2012).

Intelligence tests like Wechsler or Stanford-Binet measure cognitive ability, and  became a standard testing since they were first introduced in the early 1900’s but here is my question to you. Is intelligence measured only in cognitive ability?  How can a standard test be used globally when lives of those tested do not live “standard lives”? These standardized tests do not take into consideration the cultural differences, and cannot measure the many complexities of the human brain.

Since the advent standard IQ tests, other theories of measuring intelligence have become available and take into consideration the diversity of humans, cultures and values.

Howard Gardner’s Theories of Multiple Intelligence:

"Multiple intelligences is a psychological theory about the mind. It's a critique of the notion that there's a single intelligence which we're born with, which can't be changed, and which psychologists can measure. It's based on a lot of scientific research in fields ranging from psychology to anthropology to biology. It's not based upon based on test correlations, which most other intelligence theories are based on.

Harvard professor Howard Gardner has identified eight different types of intelligences that each individual has the capacity to possess. The idea of multiple intelligences is important because it allows for educators to identify differing strengths and weaknesses in students and also contradicts the idea that intelligence can be measured through IQ. In researching about genius, we found that Howard Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligences provides a great alternative to the popular measurable IQ method. Summaries of eight intelligences: Visual/Spatial - Involves visual perception of the environment, the ability to create and manipulate mental images, and the orientation of the body in space. Verbal/Linguistic - Involves reading, writing, speaking, and conversing in one's own or foreign languages. Logical/Mathematical - Involves number and computing skills, recognizing patterns and relationships, timeliness and order, and the ability to solve different kinds of problems through logic. Bodily/Kinesthetic - Involves physical coordination and dexterity, using fine and gross motor skills, and expressing oneself or learning through physical activities. Musical - Involves understanding and expressing oneself through music and rhythmic movements or dance, or composing, playing, or conducting music. Interpersonal - Involves understanding how to communicate with and understand other people and how to work collaboratively. Intrapersonal - Involves understanding one's inner world of emotions and thoughts, and growing in the ability to control them and work with them consciously. Naturalist - Involves understanding the natural world of plants and animals, noticing their characteristics, and categorizing them; it generally involves keen observation and the ability to classify other things as well. Emotional IntelligenceTheory Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to perceive, control and evaluate emotions. Some researchers suggest that emotional intelligence can be learned and strengthened, while others claim it is an inborn characteristic. Since 1990, Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer have been the leading researchers on emotional intelligence. In their influential article "Emotional Intelligence," they defined emotional intelligence as, "the subset of social intelligence that involves the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one's thinking and actions". The Four Branches of Emotional Intelligence Salovey and Mayer proposed a model that identified four different factors of emotional intelligence: the perception of emotion, the ability reason using emotions, the ability to understand emotion and the ability to manage emotions. 1.     Perceiving Emotions: The first step in understanding emotions is to accurately perceive them. In many cases, this might involve understanding nonverbal signals such as body language and facial expressions. 2.    Reasoning With Emotions: The next step involves using emotions to promote thinking and cognitive activity. Emotions help prioritize what we pay attention and react to; we respond emotionally to things that garner our attention. 3.    Understanding Emotions: The emotions that we perceive can carry a wide variety of meanings. If someone is expressing angry emotions, the observer must interpret the cause of their anger and what it might mean. For example, if your boss is acting angry, it might mean that he is dissatisfied with your work; or it could be because he got a speeding ticket on his way to work that morning or that he's been fighting with his wife. 4.    Managing Emotions: The ability to manage emotions effectively is a key part of emotional intelligence. Regulating emotions, responding appropriately and responding to the emotions of others are all important aspect of emotional management. According to Salovey and Mayer, the four branches of their model are, "arranged from more basic psychological processes to higher, more psychologically integrated processes. For example, the lowest level branch concerns the (relatively) simple abilities of perceiving and expressing emotion. In contrast, the highest level branch concerns the conscious, reflective regulation of emotion". In today’s every changing times wouldn’t it be more desirable to possess differing abilities, because as they say “it takes all kinds of kinds.” References: Berger, K. S. (2012), The Developing Person through Childhood (6th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishing.