Multiple intelligences: theory and applications

Multiple Intelligences

The theory of multiple intelligences is a good way to explain the different ways that people learn. This theory has been used in education, psychology and business to help people understand how they learn, and how others learn. This paper will explain what the theory of multiple intelligences is, how it works and why this is valuable in a number of different settings.

What is the Theory of Multiple Intelligences

The theory of multiple intelligences was crafted by Howard Gardner as a means of explaining why different teaching styles are effective for some people and ineffective for others. Gardner noted that traditional views of intelligence held that intelligence was fixed (Smith, 2008). People were measured on things like their IQ, and this was considered to be the sum total of their intelligence. Gardner began to realize from working with people that they tended to excel in different areas. Somebody with a low IQ could actually be successful if they were taught differently, or if they dealt with the world according to their strengths. A good way to understand this is with the interpersonal dimension, which is essentially "street smarts," as this explains how sometimes dropouts become billionaires while straight A students struggle to find meaningful employment.

Gardner noted several different intelligences that inform how people related to the world. There is linguistic intelligence, logical/mathematical intelligence, musical rhythmic intelligence, bodily/kinetic intelligence, spatial intelligence, naturalist intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, and existential intelligence (PBS, 2014). These reflect the different lines along which people understand their world. Most of the names are self-explanatory. Spatial intelligence refers to how the spatial world is organized in someone's mind -- people who deal with physical things like sculptor or architects need to have good spatial intelligence. Naturalist intelligence reflects a high level of ability to understand the natural world. For example, during the age of exploration Europeans usually felt that the natives of different countries were not intelligent, but they had high naturalist intelligence, able to survive easily in the wilderness while the Europeans struggled mightily for survival under the same conditions.

The Uses of Multiple Intelligences

Gardner first proposed his theory of multiple intelligences for use in the classroom. Because his intelligences reflect a broader range of abilities and talents that people possess, it might provide a more balanced way of teaching children. At the time, it was all about learning with books and memorization, and this favored some students over others. Often, this was to the detriment of both -- the ones who performed well would think they were inherently better and pick up all kinds of bad habits that would hurt them later in life; the ones who struggled suffered from lower sense of self-worth. The theory has been applied at different points in the education system in particular as a means of reaching students who are clearly talented in certain areas, but struggled in their schoolwork. Further, Gardner's model is used as the basis for arguing in favor of a well-rounded education that includes music, art and physical education, not just facts and figures. Multiple intelligences very quickly gained popularity among educators, who immediately saw the benefits when they applied it to their practice (Chapman, 2012). This theory has also been applied in the business setting, where people need to be fitted into the best position to utilize their specific talents. Further, the theory helps managers better understand how to maximize the performances of their workers as well, using this theory.

Criticisms of the Model