Experience and its cumulative lessons count for more than anything else. They advocate what might be called a reflective view of intelligence. Considered in perspective, the debate appears somewhat misplaced. Indeed, each camp has compelling arguments for the influence of the factors it highlights. It is time to accept this reality and acknowledge that intelligence is not monolithic.
Intelligence has multiple principal causes.
Rather than rivals, these three should be considered contrasting causal factors that all contribute substantially to intelligent behavior. Such a formulation dissolves a fruitless debate and sets the stage for asking what education can do to cultivate these three dimensions of intelligence. Of them all, reflective intelligence offers the best target of opportunity for education because reflective intelligence is the most learnable of the three. Research evidence suggests that the neural component of intelligence does not change very much with instruction or practice, although there are nutritional and maturational effects. Experiential intelligence in a particular area takes years to build.