Final answer:
Robert Sternberg's Triarchic theory of intelligence encompasses three types of intellectual abilities: Analytical, Creative, and Practical intelligence. Hence, option (a) is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
Robert Sternberg's Triarchic theory of intelligence identifies three types of intellectual abilities that are distinct yet interrelated. These are:
- Analytical intelligence: This type encompasses the skills of academic problem-solving, including the capability to analyze, evaluate, and judge. It is what you use when you're comparing and contrasting ideas or solving mathematical problems.
- Creative intelligence: This form of intelligence involves the ability to deal with novel situations by applying existing knowledge and skills in new and imaginative ways, hence supporting the process of creation and innovation.
- Practical intelligence: Often compared to 'street smarts', this type of intelligence refers to finding solutions that work in everyday life situations, applying knowledge from experiences to adapt to, shape, and select environments.
In relation to a specific schoolwork scenario like examining data to look for trends, the type of intelligence primarily used would be analytical intelligence, as it entails sorting through information, comparing, contrasting, and making judgments based on the data presented.