This fall, six psychologists will deliver lectures on intelligence as part of the Smithsonian Institution's "Campus on the Mall" series, a continuing-education program that gives the general public an opportunity to listen to outstanding speakers from the humanities, arts and sciences.
The series, "Getting Smart: The Nature and Meaning of Intelligence," runs for six weeks from Oct. 10 to Nov. 21 and is co-sponsored by APA. All lecturers will give 45-minute speeches starting at 6 p.m., with a question-and-answer period to follow.
"Being involved with activities such as the Smithsonian Lecture Series is a marvelous opportunity to help promote a more rounded view of what psychology is, what psychologists do, and what psychology studies," says Merry Bullock, PhD, associate executive director of APA's Science Directorate. "And from the science end, it's a chance to showcase really interesting research."
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Courtesy of the Washington Convention & Visitors' Association |
Bullock is co-moderating the series with APA Executive Director for Science Richard McCarty, PhD. Six eminent psychologists will cover a broad range of topics pertaining to intelligence:
• Oct. 10--"Successful intelligence." Robert J. Sternberg, PhD, IBM professor of
psychology and education at Yale University, on the nature of intelligence and why a high IQ is not enough to succeed.
• Oct. 17--"Gifted children: myths and realities." Ellen Winner, PhD, professor of psychology at Boston College and senior research associate at Harvard University, on the personality, social interaction and education of the gifted child.
• Oct. 24--"The cultural evolution of IQ." Patricia Greenfield, PhD, a developmental psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, on the cultural influences on intelligence, such as how modern technology, education and games help change who we are and how we think.
• Oct. 31--"Our nearest relative: insights into ape cognition." Sarah (Sally) Boysen, PhD, a psychology professor and project director of the comparative cognition project at the Ohio State University, on how much we can learn about human intelligence by studying the similarities and differences of the basic conceptual abilities of primates.
• Nov. 14--"The aging of intelligence." Timothy Salthouse, PhD,
a psychology professor at the University of Virginia, on how and why mental abilities change as people age, which decline and which improve with age.
• Nov. 21--"Emotional intelligence, another way to be smart?" Peter Salovey, PhD, professor of
psychology and epidemiology and public health and director of graduate studies at Yale, on his new research
on emotional intelligence and the insights it gives us into our everyday lives.
--M. WATERS
