Theoretical and Research Base: Multiple Intelligences

Over the past decade, our view of human intelligence has expanded and enlarged. In the past, there was a tendency to think of intelligence as a singular trait—the general capacity of the human being for storing, retrieving, and processing information. Howard Gardner (1993a) defines intelligence as “the ability to solve problems, or to fashion products that are of consequence in a particular cultural setting or community” (p. 15) and he has proposed that there are nine—and possibly more—types of intelligence. (The ninth intelligence is newer and has not been researched as extensively as the other eight.) He argues that each way of thinking is sufficiently distinctive to warrant a special category. The nine types of intelligence are as follows:

1. Verbal/linguistic—intelligence with words and language, such as the skill possessed by a writer or a person who can speak several languages fluently.
2. Logical/mathematical—intelligence with sequential thinking and numerical reasoning ability, such as the abilities possessed by a mathematician or scientist.
3. Bodily/kinesthetic—wisdom about one’s own body and its movements, such as the intelligence possessed by a figure skater or a wide receiver in football.
4. Visual/spatial—intelligence in using “the mind’s eye” to work with images and see their interrelationships, such as the intelligence needed by an architect.
5. Musical/rhythmic—intelligence having to do with sound patterns, mastery of musical notation, and musical talent, such as the skills of a composer or performer.
6. Interpersonal—intelligence in dealing with human interaction and perceptivity about how to resolve social problems, such as the abilities of a skilled counselor or therapist.
7. Intrapersonal—wisdom about the self that leads to self-knowledge and personal growth, such as the intelligence of a person who fully understands how he or she learns.
8. Environmental/naturalist—intelligence having to do with adapting to and learning about the physical environment, both natural and human-made (Checkley, 1997). Examples of careers for naturalists are marine biologist, city planner, and forest ranger.
9. Philosophical/moral—Although research on this type of intelligence is not as well developed as it is for the previous eight, those who possess philosophical/moral intelligence are capable of seeing the big picture and getting to the heart of the matter. These individuals raise questions of significance and grapple with ethical considerations effectively. Examples of professions that would rely on this form of intelligence are judges and clergy.