Theory of Multiple Intelligences
In 1983, Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner proposed a ground-breaking theory regarding each human being’s unique intellectual capacity in his book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Mulitple Intelligences. Gardner postulated that the traditional view of intelligence was too limited and did not account for a person’s true capabilities.
Content
Theory of Multiple Intelligences
In 1983, Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner proposed a groundbreaking theory regarding each human being’s unique intellectual capacity in his book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Mulitple Intelligences. Gardner postulated that the traditional view of intelligence was too limited and did not account for a person’s true capabilities.
He stated that conventional measures of intelligence were inaccurate, since testing in traditional education basically demonstrates a person’s ability to read and write and ignores the unique essence of each person’s ability to demonstrate knowledge. Gardner originally identified seven intelligences including: • Logical – is the ability to discover patterns and to engage in scientific reasoning. People who show strength in this area are excellent problem solvers and tend to excel in the subject of mathematics and science. • Linguistic – consists of a distinctive ability to read, write and express language. Individuals who tend to exhibit strong reading and writing skill are usually able to successfully demonstrate knowledge in the educational world.
• Musical – encompasses a keen awareness of the sounds and intricacies of music, both formally and informally. Individuals who possess this are usually highly skilled within the musical realm, being able to compose and perform music. • BodilyKinesthetic – consists of an acute awareness of one’s body and physical demonstration of skills. Movement and nonverbal communication is critical to the individual who possesses this intelligence. • Visual – encompasses the skill of visualizing ideas and concepts, such as a strong understanding of visual arts. These types of individuals enjoy working with puzzles, drawing and painting. • Interpersonal – is the capacity to successfully socialize and communicate with other people. These individuals can easily sense and interpret the behaviors and emotions of those around them. People who possess this intelligence are excellent problemsolvers in social situations, being able to understand different perspectives in a group situation. • Intrapersonal – consists of strong selfreflection and a keen innerawareness of one’s thoughts, feelings and emotions. This intelligence encompasses a strong desire to analyze psychological theories and apply them to one’s self. Howard Gardner’s most recent addition to his theory is naturalistic intelligence, which entails the desire to explore and learn about the environment. People with this intelligence have a robust connection to nature and highly enjoy outdoor activities. Educators have met Gardner’s theory with great enthusiasm, as traditional education and assessment of knowledge almost exclusively relies upon linguistic intelligence; that is, testing generally forces the student to perform ideas and concepts in a written form, even if he or she struggles to communicate in that fashion. Gardner’s theory embraces and celebrates the unique capacity and intelligence within each person, encouraging the beauty of selfexpression. The psychological realm has not embraced Gardner’s ideas with the exhilaration of the educational world, due to a lack of broad, scientific evidence; however, most professionals within both the psychological and educational world agree upon the positive implications that lie within expanding students’ opportunities for authentic selfexpression.
In 1983, Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner proposed a groundbreaking theory regarding each human being’s unique intellectual capacity in his book, Frames of Mind: The Theory of Mulitple Intelligences. Gardner postulated that the traditional view of intelligence was too limited and did not account for a person’s true capabilities.
He stated that conventional measures of intelligence were inaccurate, since testing in traditional education basically demonstrates a person’s ability to read and write and ignores the unique essence of each person’s ability to demonstrate knowledge. Gardner originally identified seven intelligences including: • Logical – is the ability to discover patterns and to engage in scientific reasoning. People who show strength in this area are excellent problem solvers and tend to excel in the subject of mathematics and science. • Linguistic – consists of a distinctive ability to read, write and express language. Individuals who tend to exhibit strong reading and writing skill are usually able to successfully demonstrate knowledge in the educational world.
• Musical – encompasses a keen awareness of the sounds and intricacies of music, both formally and informally. Individuals who possess this are usually highly skilled within the musical realm, being able to compose and perform music. • BodilyKinesthetic – consists of an acute awareness of one’s body and physical demonstration of skills. Movement and nonverbal communication is critical to the individual who possesses this intelligence. • Visual – encompasses the skill of visualizing ideas and concepts, such as a strong understanding of visual arts. These types of individuals enjoy working with puzzles, drawing and painting. • Interpersonal – is the capacity to successfully socialize and communicate with other people. These individuals can easily sense and interpret the behaviors and emotions of those around them. People who possess this intelligence are excellent problemsolvers in social situations, being able to understand different perspectives in a group situation. • Intrapersonal – consists of strong selfreflection and a keen innerawareness of one’s thoughts, feelings and emotions. This intelligence encompasses a strong desire to analyze psychological theories and apply them to one’s self. Howard Gardner’s most recent addition to his theory is naturalistic intelligence, which entails the desire to explore and learn about the environment. People with this intelligence have a robust connection to nature and highly enjoy outdoor activities. Educators have met Gardner’s theory with great enthusiasm, as traditional education and assessment of knowledge almost exclusively relies upon linguistic intelligence; that is, testing generally forces the student to perform ideas and concepts in a written form, even if he or she struggles to communicate in that fashion. Gardner’s theory embraces and celebrates the unique capacity and intelligence within each person, encouraging the beauty of selfexpression. The psychological realm has not embraced Gardner’s ideas with the exhilaration of the educational world, due to a lack of broad, scientific evidence; however, most professionals within both the psychological and educational world agree upon the positive implications that lie within expanding students’ opportunities for authentic selfexpression.
