Use of Exemplar Surveys to Reveal Implicit Types of Intelligence

Abstract

Implicit theories of intelligence were investigated via surveys of exemplars of intelligence. Study 1 was a four-sample survey of famous exemplars. These diverse samples reported a similar set of popular exemplars, which clustered into five groups. These groups represented five types of intelligence: scientific, artistic, entrepreneurial, communicative, and moral intelligence. In Study 2, the minimal overlap of intelligence exemplars with those of fame, creativity, and wisdom refuted the possibility that exemplar reports are indiscriminate or solely a result of availability. In Study 3, knowledgeable judges rated the similarity of 50 famous persons to exemplars representing each type of intelligence. All five similarity ratings predicted exemplar popularities. In Study 4, where exemplar reports were not restricted to famous people, 31% were nonfamous (friends, family members, teachers, etc.). The results indicate that five implicit types of intelligence, each represented by highly available exemplars, play a role in people’s implicit theories.

Effects of Explicit Instruction to “Be Creative” Across Domains and Cultures

“…Research into lay beliefs has revealed erroneous but common preconceptions that creativity is more closely linked to arts and literature than to mathematics and sciences (see Paulhus, Wehr, Harms, & Strasser, 2002;Runco, 1999). Given such assumptions, it seems likely that participants in our standard condition did not construe the Geometric Drawings, Cutting Rectangles, and Nine Dots Area tasks as germane to creativity, relative to the Poetry, Story, Title, Non-Geometric Drawing, and Chair Design tasks.…”

Are lay people lumpers or splitters? The factor structure of, and sex differences related to, self-rated and other-rated abilities

“…This paper is specifically concerned with the perceived structure of intelligence using self-and other estimates of intelligence (Ackerman, Beier, & Boyle, 2002;Borkenau & Liebler, 1993). Many recent studies have looked at lay theories of intelligence (Paulhus & Landelt, 2000;Paulhus, Wehr, Harms, & Strasser, 2002;Sternberg, Conway, Ketron, & Bernstein, 1981;Wober, 1973). Sternberg (1990) distinguished two groups of academic psychologists: lumpers, who stressed the concept of general intelligence (all tests of cognitive ability are highly intercorrelated; Thurstone, 1938) and splitters, who argued that intelligence is made up of a number of specific mental faculties only loosely correlated.…”

Wisdom

“…Presumably, logic and mathematics are epistemically significant subject matters, but it seem like a mistake to say that someone could be wise with respect to mathematics or logic, 15 whereas it does not seem mistaken in that way to say that one can be wise with respect to areas like gardening or stock picking or baseball managing. What seems needed for deep 14 When students and adults across a wide range of North American contexts were asked to name exemplars of intelligence on the one hand and wisdom on the other, only one person made it onto both lists: Oprah Winfrey [Paulhus et al 2002]. By and large, the people who were selected as paradigms of intelligence were scientists, politicians, and inventors: e.g.…”