What defines a person’s intelligent?

http://wilderdom.com/intelligence/WhyIntelligentPeopleFail.html

Sternberg’s definition of intelligence is – “the cognitive ability to learn from experience, to reason well, to remember important information, and to cope with the demands of daily living.”

Sternberg depicts the idea of intelligence as an ability to gain knowledge from any environment in which they experience. As a person faces a certain challenge they gain the skills and knowledge to overcome the challenge. If that person fails to use the skills and knowledge to overcome the same or similar challenge their intelligence is put into question. The demands a person must go through each day can be overcome with more ease if they use their previous knowledge to achieve this.

Sternberg doesn’t believe that a person can acquire a true representation of their IQ by taking an intelligence test as they do not portray the genuine experiences a person goes through in their day-to-day living. Sternberg believes how well a person can function effectively in their day-to-day living is a true mark of their intelligence.

Triarchic Theory of Human Intelligence

Analytical – How well a person can use their skills to complete academic, problem solving tasks.

Creative – How well a person can deal with new and unusual problems by using their previous knowledge.

Practical – how well a person can adapt to everyday life by using their existing knowledge and skills.

Sternberg and Wagner devised a test of intelligence called Sternberg’s Triarchic Abilities Test (STAT). STAT (1993) has nine four-option multiple-choice subtests, each consisting of four items, plus three essays. The nine multiple-choice subtests embrace three kinds of process areas (analytical, creative, and practical) with three major content areas (verbal, quantitative, and figural). The three essays assess a person’s performance in analytical, creative, and practical domains.

http://en.copian.ca/library/research/measlit/302.htm

Sternberg’s key idea towards intelligence is that it isn’t just a single trait that defines a person’s intelligence but how well a person can cope in different environments.