A few thoughts on Dynamic intelligence

Guest Blogger-  Dr Gutstein
A Brief Introduction to Dynamic Intelligence
Steven E. Gutstein Ph.D.

What is Dynamic Intelligence?

  • The real-world application of the most sophisticated level of human neural processing.
  • Mental functioning that has evolved to enable us to successfully handle challenges presented by complex, dynamic environments


The Gutstein Dynamic Intelligence Model, considers human beings to be active decision-makers, problem-solvers, opportunity-seekers and life-long learners, who benefit from their own and others experience, to make and execute effective decisions, in increasingly complex, dynamically changing environments.   

Dynamic Intelligence is deployed in settings where emergent change is the norm. These are fluid, information rich environments, where paralysis or chaos results if we cannot rapidly "filter" and narrow down the Decision-Making Field. They are "volatile" environments where new situations may emerge without notice and require immediate set-shifting.  They present tasks and problems where even the most careful plans inevitably require multiple revisions, as we encounter unanticipated factors, inherent in dynamic environments.
 

Let me provide just a few examples of the unique abilities we consider as hallmarks of Dynamic Intelligence:

  • Selecting personal goals in balance with the needs of others and the limits imposed by the current environmental field 
  • Widening our perspectives to consider multiple viewpoints. 
  • Selecting several potential response options and "mentally modeling" them in our minds
  • Rapidly "narrowing" our response options to select a contextual "best-fit" response
  • Maintaining a dynamic equilibrium through "on line" adjustments of multiple competing variables, such as performance quality and quantity
  • Updating and upgrading our knowledge, through evaluating the effectiveness of current efforts, whether they be successful or unsuccessful


    Dynamic Intelligence provides us the ability to select from a range of potential responses, matched to the unique needs of a situation.  Take the example of the world-famous wound specialist, whose 3-year-old son fell and cut his knee. Rather than using the height of his sophisticated medical knowledge, the famous expert respond to this wound by saying, "Oh Jimmy has a boo boo.  It's all right. Daddy is going to kiss it, put a band-aid (anti-bacterial of course) on it and make it better. Oh look at the dinosaur on the band-aid! What kind of dinosaur is that?" In this example, the expert physician is also an expert father. He recognizes that helping his son to reduce the emotional impact of the event is  more important than accessing any expert knowledge he might have about his sons' wound.

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