The Theory of Multiple Intelligence

• The theory of multiple intelligences was proposed by Howard Gardner in 1983 as a model of intelligence that differentiates intelligence into various specific (primarily sensory) modalities, rather than seeing it as dominated by a single general ability.

• “I want my children to understand the world, but not just because the world is fascinating and the human mind is curious. I want them to understand it so that they will be positioned to make it a better place. Knowledge is not the same as morality, but we need to understand if we are to avoid past mistakes and move in productive directions. An important part of that understanding is knowing who we are and what we can do. Ultimately, we must synthesize our understandings for ourselves. The performance of understanding that tries matters are the ones we carry out as human beings in an imperfect world which we can affect for good or for ill”. (Howard Gardner 1999)

• Howard Gardner was born on July 11, 1943, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He completed his post-secondary education at Harvard, earning his undergraduate degree in 1965 and his Ph.D. in 1971. After spending time working with two very different groups, normal and gifted children and brain-damaged adults, Gardner began developing a theory designed to synthesize his research and observations. In 1983, he published Frames of Mind which outlined his theory of multiple intelligences. Gardner is best-known for his theory of multiple intelligence. According to this theory, people have many different ways of learning. Traditional theories of intelligence focus on one single general intelligence, Gardner believed that people instead of having a general intelligence have multiple different ways of thinking and learning.
• Gardner argues that there is a wide range of cognitive abilities and that there are only very weak correlations between these. For example, the theory predicts that a child who learns to multiply easily is not necessarily generally more intelligent than a child who has more difficulty on this task.
• The child who takes more time to master simple multiplication
  • may best learn to multiply through a different approach,
  • may excel in a field outside of mathematics, or
  • may even be looking at and understanding the multiplication process at a fundamentally deeper level, or perhaps as an entirely different process.
• Such a fundamentally deeper understanding can result in what looks like slowness and can hide a mathematical intelligence potentially higher than that of a child who quickly memorizes the multiplication table despite a less detailed understanding of the process of multiplication.
• Howard Gardner has since identified and described nine different kinds of intelligence. The first two have been typically valued in schools; the next three are usually associated with the arts, the next two are what Howard Gardner called ‘personal intelligence’

Types of Intelligence:

Linguistic intelligence (Word Smart):

• This intelligence involves sensitivity to spoken and written language, the ability to learn languages, and the capacity to use language to accomplish certain goals. People with high verbal-linguistic intelligence display a facility with words and languages. This intelligence includes the ability to effectively use language to express oneself rhetorically or poetically; and language as a means to remember information.
• People with this intelligence are typically good at reading, writing, telling stories and memorizing words along with dates. They tend to learn best by reading, taking notes, listening to lectures, and by discussing and debating about what they have learned.
• People having verbal-linguistic intelligence learn foreign languages very easily as they have high verbal memory and recall, and an ability to understand and manipulate syntax and structure.
• Writers, poets, lawyers, and speakers have high linguistic intelligence.

Logical-mathematical intelligence (Number or Reasoning Smart):

• This intelligence involves the capacity to analyze problems logically, carry out mathematical operations, reasoning, abstractions, numbers and investigate issues scientifically. It entails the ability to detect patterns, reason deductively and think logically.
• This intelligence is most often associated with scientific and mathematical thinking. While it is often assumed that those with this intelligence naturally excel in mathematics, chess, computer programming, and other logical or numerical activities, a more accurate definition places less emphasis on traditional mathematical ability and more on reasoning capabilities, recognizing abstract patterns, scientific thinking, and investigation and the ability to perform complex calculations.

Visual-spatial intelligence (Picture Smart):

• This intelligence involves the potential to recognize and use the patterns of wide space and more confined areas. This area deals with spatial judgment and the ability to visualize with the mind’s eye.
• The people with this type of intelligence are very much aware of their surroundings and are good at remembering images. They have a keen sense of direction and often enjoy maps. They have a sharp sense of space, distance, and measurement.
• People with Visual intelligence learn well through visual aids such as graphs, diagrams, pictures, and colorful displays.
• They usually enjoy visual arts such as drawing, painting, and photography. They can visualize anything related to art, fashion, decoration and culinary design before creating it.
• Careers which suit those with this type of intelligence include artists, designers, and architects. A spatial person is also good with puzzles.

Musical intelligence (Music Smart):

• This intelligence involves skill in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns. This is to do with sensitivity to sounds, rhythms, tones, and music. It encompasses the capacity to recognize and compose musical pitches, tones, and rhythms. Since there is a strong auditory component to this intelligence, those who are strongest in it may learn best via lecture.
• Language skills are typically highly developed in those whose base intelligence is musical. In addition, they will sometimes use songs or rhythms to learn. They have a sensitivity to rhythm, pitch, meter, tone, melody or timbre.
• Careers that suit those with this intelligence include instrumentalists, singers, conductors, disc-jockeys, orators, writers, and composers. According to Howard Gardner, musical intelligence runs in an almost structural parallel to linguistic intelligence.

Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (Body Smart):

• This intelligence entails the potential of using one’s whole body or parts of the body to solve problems. It is the ability to use mental abilities to coordinate bodily movements. Howard Gardner sees mental and physical activity as related. The core elements of the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence are control of one’s bodily motions and the capacity to handle objects skillfully. It also includes a sense of timing, a clear sense of the goal of the physical activity, along with the ability to train responses so they become like reflexes.
• People who have bodily-kinesthetic intelligence should learn better by involving muscular movement (e.g. getting up and moving around into the learning experience) and are generally good at physical activities such as sports or dance. They may enjoy acting or performing, and in general, they are good at building and making things. They often learn best by doing something physically, rather than by reading or hearing about it. Those with strong bodily-kinesthetic intelligence seem to use what might be termed muscle memory.
• Careers that suit those with this intelligence include athletes, pilots, dancers, musicians, actors, surgeons, doctors, builders, police officers, and soldiers.

Interpersonal intelligence (People Smart):

• This intelligence is concerned with the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations, and desires of other people. This area has to do with interaction with others.
• Such people are characterized by their sensitivity to others’ moods, feelings, temperaments and motivations, and their ability to cooperate in order to work as part of a group. They communicate effectively and empathize easily with others, and may be either leaders or followers. They typically learn best by working with others and often enjoy discussion and debate.
• Educators, salespeople, religious and political leaders, and counselors all need a well-developed interpersonal intelligence.

Intrapersonal intelligence (Self Smart):

• This intelligence entails the capacity to introspect, to understand oneself, to appreciate one’s feelings, fears and motivations. People with intrapersonal intelligence are intuitive and typically introverted.
• This intelligence refers to having a deep understanding of the self; what your strengths/ weaknesses are, what makes you unique, being able to predict your own reactions/emotions.
• Careers which suit those with this intelligence include philosophers, psychologists, theologians, lawyers, and writers. People with intrapersonal intelligence also prefer to work alone.

Existential Intelligence:

• Some proponents of multiple intelligence theory proposed spiritual or religious intelligence as a possible additional type. Gardner did not want to commit to spiritual intelligence but suggested that an “existential” intelligence may be a useful construct. The hypothesis of an existential intelligence has been further explored by educational researchers.
• Ability to contemplate phenomena or questions beyond sensory data, such as the infinite and infinitesimal.
• Careers or callings which suit those with this intelligence include shamans, priests, mathematicians, physicists, scientists, cosmologists, and philosophers.

Naturalistic Intelligence (Nature Smart):

• This intelligence has to do with nurturing and relating information to one’s natural surroundings. Examples include classifying natural forms such as animal and plant species and rocks and mountain types; and the applied knowledge of nature in farming, mining, etc.
• Careers which suit those with this intelligence include naturalists, farmers, and gardeners.

Note:

• Everybody possesses all the intelligence to some extent. The most powerful learning combines all of them. All intelligence are of value, you need to identify where your strengths lie and use that intelligence. Multiple intelligence education is multiple chances of learning.