Multiple Intelligences: The 8 Intelligences Explained!

Key Takeaways

What if everything you thought you knew about being smart was only part of the story? If you ever found yourself frustrated with the idea that intelligence can be reduced to just a single IQ number, then this is definitely the video for you. We're going to be discussing a popular theory that suggests that intelligence comes in many different shapes and sizes. So, let's jump in and explore. Hi, I'm Harry from Griff Engineering and today we're going to be exploring Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. This theory is an absolute gamecher for the way we think about intellect and it also has some serious implications for the world of learning and development and it's not without its controversy as well. Okay, let's get started. So, who exactly is Howard Gardner? Well, he is an American developmental psychologist and a distinguished Harvard professor. So, it's fair to say he is a pretty smart chap, at least according to our standard definition of what smartness entails. And this is a concept that we're going to return back to again and again throughout this video. He's probably best known for his work in the fields of cognition and education and is particularly known for his 1983 book Frames of Mind where he first introduced the theory of multiple intelligences. In this book, he took aim at the traditional narrow understanding of intellect and fired off a critique that still resonates today. Okay, so let's get into the meat of the actual theory itself. According to the theory of multiple intelligences, intelligence isn't just a single general capacity. Instead, it's a set of distinct and relatively independent intellectual abilities. So, to help us understand this concept a bit better, let's contrast it with our traditional understanding of what intelligence is. You're probably familiar with the concept of IQ or intelligence quotient. You know, those tests that make us feel both bored and inadequate at the same time. We do tend to look up to those who have a high IQ score as if they hold all the secrets to the known universe in their heads. But the truth is, it's actually a rather limited form of measurement as it's just looking at one thing, which is a person's reasoning ability. But what about all our other abilities? Doesn't our overall intelligence amount to more than just that one single measure? And if we do fail a standardized test, does that mean we're simply not intelligent enough? Well, according to Garner, the answer is a resounding no. And he argues that our societal obsession with IQ overshadows other forms of intelligence that deserve just as much respect. To help hammer this point home, Gardner outlined eight different intelligences which are all equally as worthy of our respect and admiration. So first up we have linguistic intelligence or being word smart. These are your Shakespearees or your eloquent word warriors. Next up we have logical mathematical intelligence or being number smart. So these are your math whizzes or pretty much anyone who can split a bill in a restaurant without having to resort to the calculator app. Then we have spatial intelligence or being picture smart which focuses on our ability to understand and manipulate patterns in space. And we also have bodily kinesthetic intelligence which is the realm of dancers, athletes, sports people or just those who have never walked into a sliding glass door before. We also have musical intelligence or being music smart which as the name suggests is all about the ability to understand, interpret and respond to different musical patterns. Then there's interpersonal intelligence or being people smart which is the realm of natural connectors or people who have particularly strong social or soft skills. Similarly, there's intrapersonal intelligence or being selfmart. So those are people who are particularly self-aware. And finally we have naturalistic intelligence or being nature smart. So these are the David Atenbras or the Greta Tunbergs of the world or simply those people who are actually capable of keeping a house plant alive. We should also note that Gardner has at times toyed with adding a ninth intelligence existential intelligence or being philosophically smart. However, to this point, he hasn't added it to his official list of eight intelligences due to a lack of clear neurological evidence and representative symbols. So, what does all this mean and why has this theory proven to be so popular? Well, if we accept the theory to be true, then it means our understanding of intelligence needs to change dramatically and society itself should have to change in order to catch up. Instead of seeing intelligence as a single rigid measure, we should instead see people as having a unique profile of different strengths and weaknesses across these eight different areas. So while someone may not be strong in the area of logical mathematical intelligence or linguistic intelligence, they may instead excel at spatial intelligence or bodily kinesthetic intelligence. In essence, this theory should give us all a broader appreciation and understanding of what it means to be smart. However, it's important to acknowledge that this theory does have its detractors. One of the most common criticisms is that it lacks empirical evidence. And while Gardner did set aside some very clear criteria for what qualifies as an intelligence, it's fair to say that a lot of this was based on observational insights rather than solid scientific foundation. You may also have listened to the list of intelligences that I went through and ask yourself the question, are these really distinct intelligences or are they just skills or abilities? And the lines between these categories are a little bit blurry. However, despite all these issues and these challenges, Gardner theory remains remarkably popular and influential due to its humanistic appeal. In fact, Jerome Bruno once referred to multiple intelligences as useful fictions. And I think that's the perfect description for what they are. So with all that said, I hope this video encourages you to embrace and champion a broader range of abilities and to cater your educational experiences accordingly. Okay, that's all the smarts I've got for you today. I hope you've enjoyed watching. Thank you very much and we'll see you in the next one. Goodbye.