8 Types Of Intelligence: What Is Yours?
For years now, the idea that there is only one type of intelligence has been considered obsolete. It has in fact been shown that human intelligence is not of just one type, but there are several. All this has various consequences, including, for example, the fact that a person may be very intelligent in theoretical fields, but perhaps not able to apply his intelligence to solve practical problems (or vice versa).
Studies of educational and developmental psychology have demonstrated the existence of multiple intelligences. In particular, Howard Gardner in 1983 introduced the concept of “ sub-intelligences “: these are the different parts that make up personal intelligence, and show that this ability is not made up of a single block.
Far from tying intelligence to purely intellectual academic achievement, Gardner established that intelligence is founded on personal abilities, which can change and evolve over time. What determines which intelligence predominates over the others is the interaction between biological inheritance and the environment in which we live. And what can be deduced from this? That intelligence is the tool we use to adapt to the world around us , through our ability to solve inconveniences or generate new problems, immersed in a specific culture.
The different types of intelligence
Intelligences can be divided into eight types:
1. Linguistic-verbal : predominant in people who express themselves adequately, both written and oral.
2. Logico-mathematic a: allows the very rapid resolution of problems, through the evaluation of multiple variables and using deductive and intuitive methods.
3. Spatial : high skills in drawing and in the perception and visualization of details.
4. Musical : predominates in people who know how to listen, write and play music.
5. Corporeal-kinesthetics : great capacity for bodily control, expression and coordination.
6. Intrapersonal : it is the intelligence that is based on the knowledge and management of one’s thoughts and emotions, with the aim of drawing conclusions.
7. Interpersonal : allows you to read and understand the desires, motivations and emotions of others, without necessarily depending on language.
8. Naturalist : even if it was not originally foreseen in the list of types of intelligence, the author added it in 1995. It is defined “naturalist intelligence” that intelligence that is based on the recognition of the relationships between animals and other elements of natural world.
It is important to clarify that, in the past, only type 1 and type 2 intelligences were used as the basis for calculating the Coefficient of Intelligence. Furthermore, each type of intelligence defines in which social, cultural and work area we can achieve better results.
The importance of the education system
We all possess the different types of intelligence listed, but not to the same extent: there are some that always stand out from the others. Despite the advances that have been made in these fields theoretically, the current education system continues to benefit especially people with high levels of verbal and mathematical intelligence, diminishing the abilities of those with other kinds of intelligence. This poses the problem of evaluating a change in the education system, since all types of intelligence should be equally important. The ideal would be, therefore, to generate different and personalized educational systems, which take into account personal attitudes, and thus stimulate the strengths of each student.
It is essential to be able to recognize which type (s) of intelligence we are best suited to, to be able to make the most of our skills. This, in fact, will also define the most effective learning system for us and the path we will take in our life.
Image courtesy of Angela Waye
