Jordan Peterson - The Theory of Multiple Intelligences is Rubbish!

Summary

The transcript discusses the controversial nature of intelligence in psychology, particularly focusing on the theories of Bob Sternberg and Howard Gardner. Sternberg introduced practical intelligence, while Gardner proposed the theory of multiple intelligences, which had a significant impact on educational psychology. The speaker argues against these concepts, suggesting that they dilute the meaning of 'intelligence' and should be better described as 'talents.' The discussion emphasizes the importance of defining terms clearly, citing the need for correlation between abilities for them to be considered part of the same construct. The speaker also highlights the unique predictive power of IQ in social sciences.

Takeaways

• 😀 Intelligence is a controversial concept with ongoing debates in psychology.
• 😀 Psychologists continue to discover new kinds of intelligence, with notable proponents like Bob Sternberg and Howard Gardner.
• 😀 Bob Sternberg introduced the concept of practical intelligence.
• 😀 Howard Gardner proposed the theory of multiple intelligences, which influenced educational psychology.
• 😀 Gardner's theory posits seven or eight intelligences, including linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal intelligences.
• 😀 Emotional intelligence and practical intelligence are also discussed, but the speaker considers them less meaningful.
• 😀 The speaker believes that labeling talents (e.g., dancing ability) as intelligence is problematic because it blurs the definition of intelligence.
• 😀 The issue with the broad use of the term 'intelligence' is that it makes it difficult to understand what intelligence truly means.
• 😀 The distinction between talents and intelligence is crucial; talents are distinct from intelligence and should not be grouped together.
• 😀 To validate whether something is intelligence, it should correlate strongly with other related abilities. For example, people who are good at dancing should also be good at quickly solving mathematical problems if both are considered intelligences—this correlation does not exist.
• 😀 IQ, despite its flaws, is considered the most predictive construct in social sciences, with high validity in its predictions.

Q & A

What is the central topic discussed in the transcript?

The central topic of the transcript is intelligence, focusing on the debate surrounding different theories and definitions of intelligence in psychology, specifically questioning the validity of concepts like multiple intelligences and practical intelligence.

What are the key theories of intelligence mentioned in the transcript?

The key theories mentioned are Bob Sternberg's theory of practical intelligence and Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences.

How did Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences impact educational psychology?

Gardner's theory, which posited seven or eight types of intelligence (e.g., linguistic, musical, logical-mathematical, spatial, etc.), had a significant impact on educational psychology by encouraging educators to recognize different kinds of intellectual strengths beyond traditional measures.

What is the speaker's general stance on theories like multiple intelligences and practical intelligence?

The speaker dismisses theories like multiple intelligences and practical intelligence, describing them as 'complete rubbish' due to technical and philosophical reasons.

What is the speaker's criticism of the word 'intelligence' in relation to multiple intelligences?

The speaker criticizes the misuse of the word 'intelligence' to describe abilities like dancing or musical talent, arguing that it dilutes the word's meaning and blurs the distinction between intelligence and talent.

How does the speaker differentiate between 'intelligence' and 'talent'?

The speaker suggests that 'talent' is a more appropriate term for abilities like dancing or musical skill, whereas 'intelligence' should refer to cognitive abilities that are more closely related and measurable, such as logical problem-solving.

What does the speaker say about the process of construct validity in psychology?

The speaker mentions that the process of construct validity helps distinguish between different phenomena by testing their correlation. For example, if dancing ability and mathematical ability were both forms of intelligence, they would show a high correlation, which they do not.

What point is the speaker making about the correlation between different abilities, like dancing and mathematical ability?

The speaker argues that if both dancing and mathematical ability were types of intelligence, there would be a significant correlation between the two. However, since no such correlation exists, they are considered separate abilities rather than two aspects of the same phenomenon.

What does the speaker think about the general state of educational psychology?

The speaker suggests that educational psychology is highly susceptible to fads, with each new theory generally being considered less valuable than the last.

What is said about the predictive validity of IQ?

The speaker emphasizes that IQ has the highest predictive validity of any measure in the social sciences, meaning it is the most reliable indicator of future outcomes like academic success and professional achievement.