The traditional conception of intelligence, strongly based on the general factor (g), has been widely accepted for over a century as a standard for measuring human cognition. However, Robert J. Sternberg proposes a strong critique of this paradigm, suggesting that the current psychometric model, although useful for predicting academic or occupational performance, fails to capture the evolutionary and adaptive core of intelligence. In his article “A Theory of Adaptive Intelligence and Its Relation to General Intelligence”, Sternberg argues that true intelligence, in biological terms, should be understood as the capacity for broad adaptation — not only to environmental changes, but to the modification and selection of environments themselves in order to ensure the survival of the human species (Sternberg, 2019).
The main criticism is the dissonance between traditionally measured intelligence and the actual adaptation of the individual or species. For example, people with high IQ scores have historically been able to develop technologies such as nuclear weapons and fossil fuels, whose environmental and social consequences are heading towards collective self-destruction. This reveals, according to the author, a form of “general” intelligence that may be cognitively sophisticated but biologically dysfunctional. Intelligence that leads to environmental collapse or civilizational collapse cannot be considered truly adaptive, as it fails to preserve the minimum conditions for the perpetuation of human life (Sternberg, 2019).
Sternberg thus proposes the concept of “adaptive intelligence,” anchored in an evolutionary perspective. This form of intelligence not only allows individual survival, but also favors behaviors that promote the continuity of the species and the maintenance of the ecosystems that sustain it. Interestingly, he points out that skills traditionally not valued in IQ tests — such as the ecological knowledge of indigenous populations or navigation through natural means without technological instruments — may represent more authentic forms of intelligence, as they directly contribute to survival in real contexts (Sternberg, 2019).
Furthermore, the author demonstrates how the Western model of intelligence has a strong cultural influence, being constructed based on individualistic and academic values. This generates a circular validation: intelligence tests measure what we culturally define as intelligence, reinforcing the hegemony of certain cognitive patterns to the detriment of others. Sternberg denounces this limitation by arguing that intelligence, if it truly intends to be a scientific and universal concept, must transcend the cultural biases that shape it and align itself with biological principles of adaptation (Sternberg, 2019).
In the educational field, the implications are profound. If we accept the premise that intelligence is, or should be, essentially adaptive, then educational systems need to go beyond promoting analytical and memory skills. They would also need to foster practical, creative and, above all, wise skills — those that guide the use of knowledge for collectively beneficial and sustainable purposes. According to Sternberg, the absence of this holistic approach in current curricula may be contributing to the global crisis of environmental and social governance that we face (Sternberg, 2019).
Sternberg’s proposal is thus a necessary reconceptualization of what it means to be intelligent in a world threatened by its own creations. He points out that true intelligence is that which prevents extinction, not that which makes it inevitable. This view forces us to rethink not only IQ tests, but the very goals of education, science policy, and modern technological culture.
Reference:
STERNBERG, Robert J. A Theory of Adaptive Intelligence and Its Relation to General Intelligence. Journal of Intelligence, vol. 7, no. 4, p. 23, 2019. DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence7040023.
