Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Gardner’s theory is based on the idea that the mind is not a single, holistic entity, but instead consists of distinct, independent modules. In his 1983 book Frames of Mind, Gardner described seven different types of intelligence, later adding two more:
| Intelligence Type | Used In |
| Linguistic | Reading, writing, or comprehending speech. |
| Musical | Musical appreciation, composition, and performance. |
| Mathematical-Logical | Arithmetic, numerical calculation, and logical reasoning. |
| Spatial | Arranging objects spatially, visual art, and finding one’s way around. |
| Bodily-Kinesthetic | Sport, dancing, and everyday movement and dexterity. |
| Interpersonal | Relating to others, interpreting social signals, and predicting social outcomes. |
| Intrapersonal | Understanding and predicting one’s own behaviour and identifying aspects of the self. |
| Naturalistic (added later) | Sensitivity to features of nature; compassion for nature — strong in wildlifers and botanists. |
| Existential (added later) | Sensitivity to or capacity for tackling deep questions about human existence — the meaning of life, consciousness, mortality. |
This nine-intelligence framework is a direct descendant of the culturally-situated view introduced at the end of Topic 3 — where Spearman and Thurstone debated how many factors sit inside a single general intelligence, Gardner rejects the idea of a single general intelligence altogether, treating each of these nine as its own independent module.
Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence
Robert Sternberg (1988a, 1997b) developed the Triarchic Theory of Intelligence, proposing three types of intelligence: contextual, creative, and analytical.
| Type | Also Known As | What It Involves |
| Contextual Intelligence | Practical intelligence | The ability to adapt to the environment or situational demands — applying knowledge to the real world, and adapting to or modifying one’s environment to fulfil one’s needs. People high in this intelligence are ‘street smart’ and often successful in life. |
| Creative Intelligence | Experiential intelligence | The ability to develop new ideas or ways of solving a problem or tackling a situation, using previous experience to make new inventions. People high in this intelligence are highly creative. |
| Analytical Intelligence | Componential intelligence | The ability to think abstractly and appraise a situation, measured by traditional intelligence tests. People high in this intelligence tend to score well on IQ tests, and are strong at critical/analytical, mathematical, and verbal tasks, often excelling academically. |
It’s worth noticing how Sternberg’s analytical intelligence lines up closely with what traditional IQ tests actually measure — while his contextual and creative intelligences capture real-world and inventive abilities that a standard IQ test tends to miss entirely. In that sense, Sternberg’s theory can be read as an attempt to broaden intelligence testing rather than replace it.
