Human Intelligence Is Diverse And Multifaceted

In “A Rounded Version: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences”, Howard Gardner illustrates how there are a variety of intelligences. Gardner starts off with an example how IQ tests may predict achievement in school but may not predict achievement in life. After finding out certain parts of the brain are responsible for certain functions, such as “Broca’s Area” which is responsible for sentence production, Gardner proposes the existence of multiple intelligences. Multiple studies later led him to propose seven distinct intelligences; Musical, bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, linguistic, spatial, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Each intelligence has certain classifications. According to Gardner’s classifications, I realized my intelligences are bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, and intrapersonal.

Gardner examined many subjects to decide upon the seven intelligences in his Multiple theories of Intelligence. Gardner finally concluded that intelligent behavior does not come from one single quality of the mind. He believed that different intelligences are generated from different metaphorical pools of mental energy, and that these pools enable people to solve problems or create products that are valued within one or more cultural settings. He came up with this concept from his experiences working with members of different populations where certain cognitive abilities are apparent even in the absence of basic abilities. For example, when an autistic person is a genius at math and lacks the ability to tie his shoes.

     A renowned professor of education and psychology at Harvard University, Howard Gardner has radically changed the way we look at intelligence. In 1983 Gardner published the first of two books that theorize that there are multiple intelligences. Gardner believes “that human cognitive competence is better described in terms of a set of abilities, talents, or mental skills, which we call “intelligence” (378). Gardner’s theory dismisses the idea that intelligence is a single attribute of the mind and suggests that there are different types of intelligences that account for different human

On the contrary, those people who scored low on one kinds of ability test, were more likely to score badly on others as well. Meanwhile, Spearman also concluded that intelligence is a cognitive ability which could be measured and expressed numerically.

Within chapter four, Gladwell introduces two different types of intelligence; practical and analytical, both in which influence our success. He claims that practical intelligence is something one is not born with, but instead, a reflection of one’s cultural advantages. For example, Oppenheimer attained the skill of practical intelligence because he always knew what to say, when it was appropriate to say it, and knew how to get what he wanted through people. Oppenheimer was taught to be a social savvy through concerted cultivation because his parents had fostered him to be assertive and question authority. We see in chapter four that being a social savvy and having practical intelligence is “a set of skills that have to be learned. It has to come from somewhere . . . get these kinds of attitudes and skills is from our families” (Gladwell, 102). Another intelligence Gladwell introduces is analytical intelligence. Langan and Oppenheimer both acquired this skill. It was intelligence within your genes. Gladwell describes analytical intelligence as a mental process that is expressed through our intelligence. Gladwell states that it’s in “your genes . . . he was born smart. IQ is a measure, to some degree” (Gladwell, 102). These two types of intelligence affect and influence one’s ability to succeed because intelligence refers back to

Gerald Graff, the author of “Hidden Intellectualism” argues that there is more than one way to measure intelligence. This essay significantly considers how Graff’s beliefs on “Hidden Intellectualism” can be related to today’s education system. While I somewhat agree with Graff I find it difficult to completely believe that children should be taught only of topics that interest them because a student should be well rounded and have a general understanding of the other basic academic skills.

Traditionally, people have defined someone who is intelligent as an individual who can solve problems, use logic to answer questions, and think critically. But psychologist Howard Gardner has a much broader definition of intelligence. Compare the traditional idea about intelligence with Gardner's. How have his ideas changed the way we assess the strengths and weaknesses of people?

The definition of intelligence has strongly been debated over for many centuries, and many individuals have their arguments for what it is. So what is really the true meaning of intelligence? Some, such as college professor of psychology, Carol S. Dweck, strongly believes that intelligence is something achieved through large amounts effort and having optimistic mindsets as inferred in her article, “The Secret to Raising Smart Kids”. However, on the other hand, successful author of best selling novel “Steve Jobs”, Walter Isaacson, claims that intelligence is an abstract idea that is derived from ingenuity and applying creativity to life and other material concepts. With almost completely opposite sets of beliefs, it is likely that Dweck will not agree with Isaacson’s nation of intelligence being derived from natural intuition rather than raw intelligence.

Charles Spearman’s theory (1904) also takes the psychometric approach that there is a general intelligence. Spearman maintains that intelligence is hereditary and an individual is born with their maximum mental ability. This suggests that intelligence cannot be changed or strengthened. The concept of ‘general intelligence’ suggests that an individual has an underlying intelligence, in which their performance in one type of cognitive task is often similar to their performance in another (Boundless 2013). Spearman demonstrated this through the correlations between tests, where individuals who performed well in one test, often performed well in others. This led Spearman to the conclusion that intelligence is defined as a single factor. However, critics refute Spearman’s conclusions, as they argue that one cannot reduce all factors of intelligence to an indefinable “g” (Neisser et al. 1996).

‘‘Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory can be used for curriculum development, planning instruction, selection of course activities, and related assessment strategies. Instruction which is designed to help students develop their strengths can also trigger their confidence to develop areas in which they are not as strong. Students’ multiple learning preferences can be addressed when instruction includes a range of meaningful and appropriate methods, activities, and assessments. Gardner’s early work in psychology and later in human cognition and human potential’ led to the development of the initial six intelligences. Today there are nine intelligences and the possibility of others may eventually expand the list. These intelligences (or competencies) relate to a person’s unique aptitude set of capabilities and ways they might prefer to demonstrate intellectual abilities’’ ( (Armstrong, T., 2010). Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences

Operational variables include the political, military, economic, social, information, infrastructure, physical environment, and time (PMESII-PT) conditions within any given location. The conditions and circumstances present in Colombia effect our human intelligence response.

"Gardner's original Theory of Multiple Intelligences consists of three components, seven "intelligences," and eight supporting criteria of what comprises an "intelligence." The Three Components include: a definition of intelligence, a challenge to the notion of a general intelligence (g), and a challenge to the conviction that g can be reliably measured." (Helding,

The capabilities and limitations of United States human and intelligence collection programs has pretty much always relied upon the Central Intelligence Agency and their standard operating procedures in learning how to conduct some of these operations for recruiting, exploiting, and coercing possible assets into doing something they did not intend to do (Norwitz 2010). It would also seem that those same techniques are often employed within competing agencies, trying to stay relevant and ahead of their counterparts at the same time. After the Cold War, the intelligence community had to reevaluate their approach to collections and targeting with the new and emerging threats of the new century (Steele 2007).

Being around people who are different from us makes us more creative, more diligent and harder-working.

The theory of multiple intelligences was developed by Dr. Howard Gardner in 1983. The Theory of Multiple Intelligences is a critique of the standard psychological view of intellect: there is a single intelligence, adequately measured by IQ or other short answer tests. Instead, on the basis of evidence from disparate sources, the theory claims that human beings have a number of relatively discrete intellectual capacities. IQ tests assess linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence, and sometimes spatial intelligence; they are a reasonably good predictor of who will do well in school. This is because humans have several other significant intellectual capacities (Harvard University).