The Pros And Cons Of Linguistic Intelligence

Ever since Spearman proposed the intelligence theory with G factor, there were several other intelligence theories proposed in response or as an alternative to Spearman’s. Among those, Sternberg’s Triarchic Theory of Intelligence and Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence Theory would be the most influential ones as they are widely accepted and used in real life. Both of the theories share a critical view towards the unitary perspective which is the traditional definition of intelligence. However, the two theories differ in which they don’t agree with what factors should be the measures of intelligence, as well as the emphasis of the two theories.

Howard Gardner developed the Multiple intelligence theory. Gardner believed that the human mind did not have one general intelligence but many that had independent functions. He believed that the previous measure of intelligence did not accurately measure the capability of the human mind. "While formulating this theory, Gardner placed less emphasis on explaining the results of mental tests than on accounting for the range of human abilities that exist across a vast majority of cultures. (www.associatedcontent.com)

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory challenged traditional beliefs in the field of education and cognitive science. He is a psychologist professor at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education. According to a traditional definition, intelligence is a uniform cognitive capacity people are born with. Simply put, intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences proposes that all human beings possess each of the nine intelligences in varying amounts. In addition, he claims that these intelligences are located in different parts of the brain which can work together or independent of each other, and that the multiple intelligences can be strengthened or weakened depending how you treat each intelligence. The nine intelligences are as follows:

Language is considered unique among humans. Language, as defined below, occurs only among the human species and does not exist elsewhere in the animal kingdom. Therefore, the study of how humans learn, process, and create meaning from linguistic utterances and the written word is a central feature of cognitive psychology. The many questions that arise from this line of research include whether language is a separate faculty apart from cognition or if language is a product of our general cognitive abilities (Harris, n. d.). To examine language in the context of cognition, it is necessary to arrive at a working

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.

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?

"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,

It wasn’t until the year 1920 that different types of intelligence were defined. It was proposed by a man named EL Thorndike, and he separated the different types of intelligence into three categories: abstract, mechanical, and social intelligence. Years later, it was argued that social intelligence is somewhat

I am going to provide real-world examples for three types of intelligence as theorized by Gardner: verbal/linguistic, body-kinesthetic (movement), and logical/mathematical. I'll explain why each example represents one of the types of intelligence and present argumentative critics that have been offered against Gardner's research.

Gardner, H. E. (2000). Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century. New York: Basic Books.

In the book, Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice (1993) by Howard Gardner, he proposed seven distinct intelligences that his studies led him to, first being linguistic, meaning that it applies to having great success in learning a language and using it appropriately. This intelligence usually appears more in people who exceed in the english language, such as poets and writers.

In 1983 the researcher and professor at Harvard University named Howard Gardner proposed a new sight of intelligence that has been highly received since its publication, so being incorporated in school curricula all over the country. Gardner suggests his theory of multiple intelligences, a theory that identified the dominant definition of intelligence as restricted to mathematical and linguistic abilities (verbal and computational intelligences). Gardner theorized that instead of just these two intelligences, a grouping of seven intelligences more correctly explains for the diversity of ways in which people receive and utilize knowledge (Sternberg & Lubart, 1991).

2. The theory of Multiple Intelligences by Howard Gardner expanded the definition of intelligence. (a) Describe the benefits of this theory in everyday life (for example, in school setting). (b) Assess the type of

What is human intelligence? This topic is always controversial and has been debated for over 2 centuries. For example, in 1921,the American psychologists Lewis M. Terman and Edward L. Thorndike debated about the the definition of intelligence, Terman stressing the ability to think abstractly and Thorndike emphasising learning and the ability to give good responses to questions. So we can see that, there is no standard definition of what exactly constitutes “intelligence” and different investigators emphasise different aspects of intelligence in their definitions.(Robert J,1)

Howard Gardner recognizes that intelligence is more than the single logical-mathematical processing of stored facts that intelligence tests assess. He views intelligence as problem-solving, problem-creating, and problem-finding across a range of situations. There are a total of eight Multiple Intelligences: Logical-Mathematical, Linguistic, Musical, Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and lastly, Naturalist Intelligence. These Intelligences allow educators to carefully integrate several content areas within a specific curricula.