The 9 Types of Intelligence

Tuesday 15 September 2015 8 comments

The 9 Types of Intelligence

Intelligence-Types


Howard’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence

Interesting types of intelligence

1. Spatial Intelligence (“Picture Smart”)
Spatial intelligence is the ability to think in three dimensions.  Core capacities include mental imagery, spatial reasoning, image manipulation, graphic and artistic skills, and an active imagination.  Sailors, pilots, sculptors, painters, and architects all exhibit spatial intelligence. Young adults with this kind of intelligence may be fascinated with mazes or jigsaw puzzles, or spend free time drawing or daydreaming. 

2. Musical Intelligence (“Musical Smart”)
Musical intelligence is the capacity to discern pitch, rhythm, timbre, and tone.  This intelligence enables us to recognize, create, reproduce, and reflect on music, as demonstrated by composers, conductors, musicians, vocalist, and sensitive listeners. Interestingly, there is often an affective connection between music and the emotions; and mathematical and musical intelligences may share common thinking processes.  Young adults with this kind of intelligence are usually singing or drumming to themselves.  They are usually quite aware of sounds others may miss.

3. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (Number/Reasoning Smart)
Logical-mathematical intelligence is the ability to calculate, quantify, consider propositions and hypotheses, and carry out complete mathematical operations.  It enables us to perceive relationships and connections and to use abstract, symbolic thought; sequential reasoning skills; and inductive and deductive thinking patterns.  Logical intelligence is usually well developed in mathematicians, scientists, and detectives.  Young adults with lots of logical intelligence are interested in patterns, categories, and relationships.  They are drawn to arithmetic problems, strategy games and experiments.

4. Naturalist Intelligence (“Nature Smart”)
Designates the human ability to discriminate among living things (plants, animals) as well as sensitivity to other features of the natural world (clouds, rock configurations).  This ability was clearly of value in our evolutionary past as hunters, gatherers, and farmers; it continues to be central in such roles as botanist or chef.  It is also speculated that much of our consumer society exploits the naturalist intelligences, which can be mobilized in the discrimination among cars, sneakers, kinds of makeup, and the like.

5. Existential Intelligence
Sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about human existence, such as the meaning of life, why do we die, and how did we get here.

6. Interpersonal Intelligence (People Smart”)
Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand and interact effectively with others.  It involves effective verbal and nonverbal communication, the ability to note distinctions among others, sensitivity to the moods and temperaments of others, and the ability to entertain multiple perspectives.  Teachers, social workers, actors, and politicians all exhibit interpersonal intelligence.  Young adults with this kind of intelligence are leaders among their peers, are good at communicating, and seem to understand others’ feelings and motives.

7. Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (“Body Smart”)
Bodily kinesthetic intelligence is the capacity to manipulate objects and use a variety of physical skills.  This intelligence also involves a sense of timing and the perfection of skills through mind–body union.  Athletes, dancers, surgeons, and craftspeople exhibit well-developed bodily kinesthetic intelligence.

8. Linguistic Intelligence (Word Smart)
Linguistic intelligence is the ability to think in words and to use language to express and appreciate complex meanings.  Linguistic intelligence allows us to understand the order and meaning of words and to apply meta-linguistic skills to reflect on our use of language. Linguistic intelligence is the most widely shared human competence and is evident in poets, novelists, journalists, and effective public speakers.  Young adults with this kind of intelligence enjoy writing, reading, telling stories or doing crossword puzzles.

9. Intra-personal Intelligence (Self Smart”)
Intra-personal intelligence is the capacity to understand oneself and one’s thoughts and feelings, and to use such knowledge in planning and directioning one’s life.  Intra-personal intelligence involves not only an appreciation of the self, but also of the human condition.  It is evident in psychologist, spiritual leaders, and philosophers.  These young adults may be shy. They are very aware of their own feelings and are self-motivated.


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17 October 2015 at 19:15

Categorizing intelligence into groups in this way implies in some way that a person with one type of intelligence is incapable of another. The point I am trying to make is that intelligence is simply intelligence. The idea that there are types seems absurd to me due to the fact that these so-called types are merely the objects of a concentration of the intelligence. Growing up I was always a person of what this author calls "Spatial intelligence". As I grew older I redirected my intelligence towards math. Quite simply I look at all of these "Intelligence types", and I am quite confident I could excel in any one of them because I have "Intelligence". In summary, it is silly to say that a personal interest at any given point in time dictates the type of intelligence they may or may not have.

23 October 2015 at 21:37

Yes and No, I think there ARE different type of intelligence, however I am not quite sure it can be divided 9 times as this article shows. I also according to this article have good Spatial Intelligence and Logical-Mathematical Intelligence. But I would say those two things are very related. Normally someone with very little logical understanding is also not very good with directions (Spatial Intelligence). Now on the other hand, things like Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence and even Musical Intelligence are totally unrelated types.

24 October 2015 at 17:07

Unfair!!! i don't fit in any of these... there definitely is one more, make it 'top 10' and include me.

24 October 2015 at 17:09

Unfair!!! i don't fit in any of these. There definitely needs to be one more, address it and make it a 'top 10' list.

26 March 2016 at 17:05

@Robert Shaw

How do you explain people who excel in math but suck at grammar? Are they smart or stupid?

16 August 2016 at 08:38

Featuring yourself as someone important, while liberally borrowing from someone who has domain expertise? Pretty sad. Gardner already proved this out. It's possible that his strata of intelligence can overlap, and it has been proven. Not sure why this is worthy of any attention. Educational Implications of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner. Taken from his abstract: "According to Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, each human being is capable of seven relatively independent forms of information processing, with individuals differing from one another in the specific profile of intelligences that they exhibit."

3 September 2016 at 01:11

Maybe "intelligence" is not quite the right word to use here, because forms of information processing get confused with an attempt to measure and judge an individuals overall mental capabilities.
Yes, I think there are different ways to process information.No idea if there are seven (imho, it's inherent to reality that you can never be quite sure about that). I think that people who are commonly perceived as "intelligent" have the ability to connect between these different "functions". I for one definitely use the first 3 simultaneously to process mathematics, music and to a certain extend language as well..
I recently "found out" about that and am still exploring..

3 September 2016 at 01:12

Maybe "intelligence" is not quite the right word to use here, because forms of information processing get confused with an attempt to measure and judge an individuals overall mental capabilities.
Yes, I think there are different ways to process information.No idea if there are seven (imho, it's inherent to reality that you can never be quite sure about that). I think that people who are commonly perceived as "intelligent" have the ability to connect between these different "functions". I for one definitely use the first 3 simultaneously to process mathematics, music and to a certain extend language as well..
I recently "found out" about that and am still exploring..

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