Thinking Styles

In our society the recognition of talent depends largely on idealized andentrenched perceptions of academic achievement and job performance. ThinkingStyles buck... » 

In our society the recognition of talent depends largely on idealized andentrenched perceptions of academic achievement and job performance. ThinkingStyles bucks this trend by emphasizing the method of our thought rather thanits content. Psychologist Robert Sternberg argues that ability often goesunappreciated and uncultivated not because of lack of talent but because ofconflicting styles of thinking and learning. Using a variety of examples thatrange from scientific studies to personal anecdotes Sternberg presents atheory of thinking styles that aims to explain why aptitude tests schoolgrades and classroom performance often fail to identify real ability. Hebelieves that criteria for intelligence in both school and the workplace areunfortunately based on the ability to conform rather than learn. He takes thetheory a step further by stating that achievement can be a result of thecompatibility of personal and institutional thinking styles and failure istoo often the result of a conflict of thinking styles rather than a lack ofintelligence or aptitude. Sternberg bases his theory on hard scientific datayet presents a work that remains highly accessible. «