Chapter 11 – Intelligence is not just Inside the Head: The Theory of Successful Intelligence

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the theory of successful intelligence, which says that intelligence is not just inside the head. The time has come to move beyond conventional theories of intelligence and its development. It provides data suggesting that conventional theories and tests of intelligence are incomplete. The general factor of intelligence may be an artifact of limitations in populations of individuals tested, types of materials with which they are tested, and types of methods used in testing. The studies show that even when one wants to predict school performance the conventional tests are fairly limited in their predictive validity. It proposes the theory of successful intelligence that fares well in constructing validations, whether one tests in the laboratory, in schools, or at the workplace. New notions are needed to increase an individual's achievements at school or at the workplace. There are many ways to move beyond conventional notions of intelligence.