Tuesday, November 8, 2011

A Psychologist says being smart is already part of your mental toolbox

Intelligence and smart thinking are not the same, according to University of Texas at Austin psychologist Art Markman, who studies how best to apply knowledge for smarter thinking at work and home.

Drawing on his work at a top multinational corporation and his scholarly work, Markman says science confirms that smart thinking is not an innate quality but rather a skill to be cultivated. Humans are not born with a particular capacity to do smart things. "Each of the components of being smart is already part of your mental toolbox," he says.

"I have always had an interest in how to bridge the gap between research and the application of that research in the world," says Markman, director of the Human Dimensions of Organizations program at The University of Texas at Austin. The program is a new type of executive education focused on an understanding of the people inside and outside organizations that drive performance in today's diverse global marketplace.

Synthesizing research from many areas of neuroscience and psychology, Markman gives examples of great thinkers such as James Dyson, industrial designer and founder of the Dyson company, to illustrate his core concepts such as the importance of understanding how things function.

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