The Intelligence Trap

Lewis Terman developed the IQ test to measure general intelligence and predict future success.

The success of those with high IQs later in life seemed to prove Lewis Terman was correct about general intelligence: No matter their path in life, those with higher intelligence seemed to do well. But too often they just encountered better treatment and received better opportunities. Most people assume that high intelligence also means high common sense and better judgment. Terman’s test evaluates verbal, mathematical and abstract reasoning skills. It’s the basis for standardized tests like the SAT and GRE, which universities use routinely to measure academic achievement. While useful, they don’t comprehensively measure a person’s “total intellectual potential.”

Robert Sternberg developed the Triarchic Theory of Successful Intelligence which measures three aptitudes: “creative, practical” and “analytical” intelligence. Creative intelligence measures a person’s ability to imagine and invent. Practical intelligence involves planning and executing an idea, and it incorporates experience in problem solving. Sternberg warns that emphasizing...