The Theory Of Intelligence And The Learning Spectrum

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.

This book is Goleman’s highly readable and wide-ranging exploration of the research available by modern psychologist’s educators & neuro-scientists provides important insights into the true meaning of intelligence. This is a smart &

Intelligence by definition is “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills” (Oxford Dictionary, 2014). However, many psychologists argue that there is no standard definition of ‘intelligence’, and there have been many different theories over time as psychologists try to find better ways to define this concept (Boundless 2013). While some believe in a single, general intelligence, others believe that intelligence involves multiple abilities and skills. Another largely debated concept is whether intelligence is genetically determined and fixed, or whether is it open to change, through learning and environmental influence. This is commonly known as the nature vs. nurture debate.

Before I begin to analyse the elements of the Intelligence Cycle, I must begin with the definition of ‘Intelligence’.

There is linguistic intelligences which enables people to process information and make products with language. Logical – mathematical intelligence which allows people to make calculations and considers hypotheses and solve abstract problems. Spatial intelligence allows people to navigate around complex terrains and manipulate spatial images in their head. Musical intelligences enable humans to produce and make meaning of music of patterns in their head. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence involves using someone’s body to create products or solve something. Interpersonal intelligences reflects an individual’s ability to recognize and interpret people moods, desires, skills, motivations and intentions. Intrapersonal intelligences allow people to recognize and assess the characteristics with themselves. Lastly, is the naturalistic intelligence helps distinguish among various types of plants, animals, weather, and anything found in the natural world like the atmosphere. There are many types of intelligences people have uniquely. Understanding the outcomes of this research in the fields of neuroscience and genetics proceeds, there is different genes in the areas of the brain, involving specific intellectual capacities will rise

Two broad mental abilities are crystallized intelligence and fluid intelligence. Crystallized Intelligence involves accumulated knowledge and experience that all ties in with “wisdom”. Those who use this type of mental ability have good judgment and are experienced in social norms. This type of intelligence is measured on tests by vocabulary, general information, verbal comprehension and logical reasoning. Fluid intelligence is marked by the use of information processing skills. It involves the working memory, detection of relationships among visual stimuli, and the speed of analyzing information. This type of intelligence is measured on tests by spatial visualization, digit span, letter-number sequencing, and symbol search.

Intelligence is considered to be one of the most desirable personality qualities in today's society. Expectant parents are told to read and play music to the fetus, in order to stimulate its brain. Being bright is often thought of one the keys to success in life, and highly intelligent people such as Albert Einstein are celebrated. However, despite all the tests and criteria that measure intelligence, the question still remains: what is intelligence? How can it be measured? Is there only one kind of intelligence, or do humans possess several? These seemingly simple questions have proved to be some of the most perplexing and contentious topics in both public and scientific circles.

Intelligence is a combination of knowledge and aptitude and shows the breadth and rate of learning (Mayer, Roberts, & Barsade 2008, p.511).

Scholar Howard Gardner is famous for developing a pedagogical theory detailing seven different ways that humans learn about the world around them. All human beings are different. We all learn knowledge and use our educations in a variety of ways. One flaw found in the educational system is that it doesn't always recognize different learning styles and instead teaches students using limited methods. According to Gardner's theory, this is a problem that needs to be fixed. He details seven different types of intelligence to show the various ways human beings learn.

This theory explains intelligence as the specific process of solving problems that individuals encounter. Piaget (1952), one of the eminent proponents of this kind of theories, has proposed intelligence as an adaptive process, which a child experiences at various stages of his/her life. Gardner (1983) has developed a theory of multiple intelligence on the basis of cultural significance and their correspondence to the human brain structure (Table 3). Besides the physical and musical varieties, he has identified six other types of intelligence: spatial (visual), interpersonal (the ability to understand others), intrapersonal (the ability to understand oneself), naturalist (the ability to recognize fine distinctions and

Cognitive psychology is defined as the internal mental processes, or how human beings process information. Cognition itself refers to mental actions of acquiring knowledge and understanding through: “experience, and the sensory input,” resulting in a sense of perception and notion (http://spl.stanford.edu/pdfs/2001%20Emotions%20-%20Emotional%20intelligence.pdf). Intelligence is an example of cognition, and the ongoing debate on intelligence and how to measure it intrigued me into further investigation. Moreover, recent research has touched on whether intelligence is determined exclusively by genes or by the environment of the individual.

Learning is perceived differently among society’s population, although the majority of these people have a common understanding on how to measure one’s intellectual abilities. Two important factors come into play when discussing one’s intelligence: one that Bell Hooks talks about which is background and one that Howard Gardner studies which is intelligence. Two tests made to test one’s intellectual abilities are IQ tests and SAT test. These test one’s linguistic intelligence and one’s logical-mathematical intelligence. So I raise the question: is that the only kind of intelligence we as students posses? And does a person’s background influence what they learn and how much they learn?

A professor of education at Harvard University, Dr. Howard Gardner, developed the theory of multiple intelligences in 1983 (American Institute for Learning and Human Development, n.d.). Gardner’s theory suggests that traditional intelligence tests such as IQ tests, only meausures a limited aspect of human intelligence. Instead, this theory suggests that people have potential in eight areas of intelligence which are; linguistic, logical-mathematic, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal, intrapesonal, and naturalist.

Intelligence is a widely studied variable by psychologists. It is one of the key elements considered by educators in curricula development, course structures and education policies and systems. Intelligence is believed to evolve in humans. Many people assign to the ideology that intelligence is a factor that has caused human beings to survive and develop from one generation to another, it has also defined human differences and capacities. Intelligence Quotient is measure by Mental Age/Chronological Age.

Burnout is composed of three dimensions which are: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and feelings of reduced personal accomplishment/achievement (Maslach & Jackson, 1981). Emotional exhaustion refers to a feeling of being emotionally debilitated by work so much that one feels physically collapsed and being unable to recover to work or previous physical health any more (King & DeCicco, 2009). Depersonalization or Cynicism involves pessimism toward one’s coworkers and job which may lead to one’s eagerness to quit his/her career (Maslach & Leiter, 1997). And finally, lower personal accomplishment is described as feeling of not being successful and competent enough and believing that one’s efforts are futile (Maslach & Leiter, 1997). Burnout