Intelligence and Technology

“Intelligence and Technology: The Impact of Tools on the Nature and Development” is a May 2005 publication edited by Robert Sternberg, David D. Preiss and Wendy M. Williams. The book appears is a rather expensive educational psychology text, but addresses many questions of vital interest to educators in our 21st century technology-laden environment. These include:

1. What is the impact of different technologies on human abilities?
2. How does technology enhance or limit human intellectual functioning?
3. What is the cognitive impact of complex technologies?
4. What is the cognitive impact of the transfer of technologies?
5. How can we design technologies that foster intellectual growth?
6. How does technology mediate the impact of cultural variables on human intellectual functioning?

For more resources on Sternberg’s views on intelligence, check out this PBS Frontline Interview entitled “Secrets of the SAT” and these video clips of Dr. Sternberg discussing human intelligence from Indiana University.

This statement from the third video clip about his mentors I found very interesting, especially in light of my recent reading and thinking about educational technology and QUESTIONING what many regard as assumptions or articles of faith:

As an undergraduate my principal mentor was Endel Tulving, who was at Yale when I was a senior. And he taught me many things, but I think the—perhaps the most important one—was that if a lot of people believe something, not only does it not make it true, but you should be very suspicious of it. So, one of his signature trademarks in his research was if almost everyone believes X, then he would show that not-X is true. So, I later started doing work on creativity and did work with Todd Lubart and other people on creativity is defying the crowd, and I think that I internalized that attitude from Endel Tulving.