Tufts University Dean To Discuss "Intelligence For Real Life"03:11PM / Friday, October 03, 2008
WILLIAMSTOWN - Robert Sternberg, dean of arts and sciences and professor of psychology at Tufts University, will present a talk on Tuesday, Oct. 7, titled "Intelligence for Real Life: Beyond IQ, SAT, GRE, and Alphabet Soup." The event will begin at 7:15 p.m. in The Science Center's Wege Auditorium on the Williams College campus. The event is free and open to the public.
For nearly three decades, Robert Sternberg has been recognized as one of the world's leading authorities on human intelligence and intelligence testing. He is an outspoken critic of the most widely used, traditional measures and definitions of intelligence, and his papers, books, interviews, and lectures on these topics have sparked much controversy and debate.
During his lecture, Sternberg will discuss not only his unique theories and research on intelligence, but also the specific issue of college admission testing and some of the innovations he has been promoting at Tufts.
Sternberg believes that the focus on specific types of measurable mental abilities, such as the IQ or the SAT, is too narrow. Instead, his theory categorizes intelligence into three parts: analytical, creative, and practical. Sternberg feels that the conventional measures colleges and universities use for analyzing academic skills are incomplete, in that they measure analytical skills, but not creative or practical.
At Tufts, Sternberg has worked to develop what he calls "enlightened admissions policies," which will incorporate these factors into admissions decisions by adding elements of creative and practical testing to the application, the interview, and recommendations.
Sternberg is the author of more than 1,000 books and articles, has won dozens of awards for his scholarship, and served in numerous ways, including president of the American Psychological Association. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University and has 10 honorary doctorates. |
