According to Triarchic Theory, which of the following is not a type of…

CONCEPT

Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Intelligence (1985) holds that human intelligence is not a single unified ability but is made up of three distinct sub-theories: the Componential (Analytical) sub-theory, covering information-processing and analytical reasoning; the Experiential (Creative) sub-theory, covering the ability to deal with novelty and automatize thinking; and the Contextual (Practical) sub-theory, covering the ability to adapt to, shape, and select real-world environments.

APPLICATION

Matching the theory's three named components against the options offered, Analytical, Creative, and Practical are exactly the three components Sternberg named in the theory. The theory itself is a theoretical model, but “Theoretical” is not one of the three types it names.

CONTRAST

• Analytical (componential) intelligence — the ability to analyze, evaluate, and compare — is one of the three named types.

• Creative (experiential) intelligence — the ability to create, design, and cope with novel situations — is one of the three named types.

• Practical (contextual) intelligence — the ability to apply and implement ideas in everyday, real-world contexts — is one of the three named types.

• Theoretical describes the general nature of an abstract academic model, not a type of intelligence the theory defines.

Since Analytical, Creative, and Practical are the three types Sternberg's Triarchic Theory explicitly names, Theoretical is the one that is not a type of intelligence under this framework.