INTELLIGENCE 19, 93-116 (1994) Intelligence and the Epistemics of Interpersonal Acumen: Testing Some Implications of Gardner's Theory RALPH L. ROSNOW ANNE A. SKLEDER MARIANNE E. JAEGER BRUCE RIND Temple Universi~ Gardner (1985) theorized a developmental trajectory leading to qualitative changes in the ability to read motives or intentions, which we viewed as implying stages (or levels) of interpersonal acumen in adults. To test this idea, we conceptualized graduated levels of action-intention combinations ranging from least to most cognitively taxing according to particular end-state skills described by Gardner. In a set of studies using varied formats, we found that, if adult subjects mastered one combination in the hierarchy, they also tended to master combinations implying more primitive skills; if they failed a task, they generally failed at combinations implying more complex skills. We were able to find no substantial relationships between task performance and surrogate indices of verbal and mathematical IQ or standard tests of interpersonal reactivity, interpersonal trust, need for cognition, and self-monitoring. Although tentative, this finding was consistent with Gard- ner's view of interpersonal intelligence as independent of g-ocentric facets of intellectual potential and different from personality. We isolated a set of self-described markers of high and low scorers, which also seemed consistent with Gardner's intuitions. We con- clude by noting some limitations of this investigation. Even though the idea of intelligence as an entity distinct from other skills goes back more than two millenia, the nature and definition of intelligence continue to be a source of strong disagreement (see, e.g., Calfee, 1993; Jensen, 1993; McClelland, 1993; Ree & Earles, 1993; Schmidt & Hunter, 1993; Sternberg & Wagner, 1993). In a recent survey, Sternberg and Detterman (1986) noted a considerable emphasis on the roles of metacognition, context, and culture in the attributes that a panel of experts linked to intelligence, whereas such emphasis Funding for this research was obtained through the Bolton Professorship and a Biomedical Re- search Support Grant to Ralph Rosnow. Study 5 is based on Anne Skleder's 1993 doctoral disserta- tion at Temple University; she is now at Alvernia College. We thank Howard Gardner and Laurence Steinberg for their helpful criticisms of an earlier draft. Ralph Rosnow also benefited from discus- sions with Stephen Ceci and Robert Rosenthal. Correspondence and requests for reprints should be sent to Ralph L. Rosnow, Department of Psychology, Temple University, 517 Weiss Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19122. 93