The 12 Types Of Intelligence: Which One Do You Have?
Intelligence is one of the traits most valued by our society, along with beauty or health. This construct is usually seen as a trait that one has or does not have, which is why it is common to talk about whether someone is intelligent or not. The reality is that intelligence is full of nuances
Over the decades there has been a great debate about what types of intelligence exist. What happens to the boy who is not able to pass a mathematics exam but, instead, is capable of writing pieces of music of infinite beauty? What about the guy who’s not good at languages but he’s a programming genius? Much of this debate has focused on whether there was a unitary intelligence or different types of intelligence.
In today’s article, We are going to review the different types of intelligence that exist based on the second option of this debate
Different intelligence tests for different types of intelligence
The truth is that intelligence is an abstract construct, which is why it has caused great discussions among different experts.
Psychologists have long been interested in this concept and today there are different types of intelligence tests. Some of them measure what is known as “G Factor” or unitary intelligence and others measure the different types of intelligence that we will talk about in this article. For example, logical-mathematical intelligence or linguistic intelligence
The 12 types of intelligence
And of course, since this construct has been studied, several theories have tried to explain what intelligence is. From Raymond Cattell’s crystallized and fluid intelligence, Spearman’s two-factor theory or Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences, there are many contributions that different psychology researchers and professionals have left us to help us understand how human intelligence works.
This last theory, that of multiple intelligences, has been very influential when it comes to naming some of the most recognized intelligences and has contributed significantly to breaking with the paradigm of unitary intelligence.
But, What types of intelligence exist? Below you can see a list of the different types of intelligence.
As the name suggests, is the ability to master the language But this type of intelligence not only includes oral language, but also writing or gestures, so it has a lot to do with the communication process. People who have high linguistic intelligence have a special sensitivity to the meaning of words, their order, sounds, rhythms, metrics, etc. (for example, writers or poets).
2. Logical-mathematical intelligence
It is the ability to conceptualize logical relationships between actions or symbols (for example, a mathematician or scientist) In other words, it is the ability to reason deductively and logically and the ability to solve mathematical problems.
The psychologist Jean Piaget, when he carried out his studies, thought he was working on a wide range of intelligences, but in reality he was studying logical-mathematical intelligence. The speed in solving mathematical problems is the most common indicator to determine how much logical-mathematical intelligence an individual has.
3. Spatial intelligence
Spatial intelligence is defined as the human ability to observe the world and objects from different perspectives and, furthermore, it is the ability to manipulate or create mental images in order to solve problems. This type of intelligence is made up of different skills: dynamic imagination, image manipulation, artistic graphic skills or spatial reasoning, among others. People with high spatial intelligence are very good at doing puzzles or drawing. Sculptors, architects, painters or pilots are examples of individuals with high spatial ability.
4. Musical intelligence
While some people are very good at making sculptures or painting, Others have an enormous capacity for creating musical pieces, since they recognize and compose musical tones and rhythms with great talent. These musically advantaged people have high musical intelligence, which allows them to play instruments and read or compose musical pieces with ease.
5. Bodily and kinesthetic intelligence
And dancers, what type of intelligence do they possess? Well, according to the theory of multiple intelligences, they have what is known as bodily or kinesthetic intelligence, which is the ability to use one’s own body, that is, the coordination of body movements
This type and intelligence makes visible a great connection between the mind (and emotions) and movement, and, in addition to dancers, actors or athletes usually have it. Have you ever seen Leo Messi play? He surely can’t play a piece of Beethoven or make a caricature of Luis Suárez, but, with the ball at his feet, he is capable of doing things that are not within reach of anyone else.
There are individuals who have a remarkable ability to understand themselves, their thoughts and emotions and regulate their own behavior, because they are able to access their feelings and emotions and reflect on them. Although intrapersonal intelligence includes self-knowledge and self-appreciation, it also includes understanding the human condition. Psychologists, philosophers or writers generally have a high capacity in this type of intelligence. In addition, these types of individuals usually enjoy greater emotional and psychological well-being.
7. Interpersonal intelligence
You may have noticed that hThere are certain individuals who have a unique ability when it comes to getting along or relating to other people They are individuals who use their interpersonal intelligence when they interact with others efficiently, as they are capable of understanding, empathizing, and communicating appropriately.
Interpersonal intelligence is the ability to discern the emotions and intentions of others and allows us to interpret the words and gestures, or the objectives and goals of other people. Politicians, teachers or actors are advantaged in this type of intelligence.
Recommended reading: “Interpersonal intelligence: definition and tips to improve it”
8. Emotional intelligence
One of the recent and great paradigms of intelligence is emotional intelligence. Although the concept of emotional intelligence was first used by the American psychologists Peter Salovey and John Mayer in 1990, it was Goleman who, thanks to his best-seller Emotional Intelligence (1995), made this construct famous.
Emotional intelligence includes both intrapersonal intelligence and interpersonal intelligence, and is made up of five elements: emotional self-awareness, emotional self-control, self-motivation, empathy and social skills. There is a lot of research that affirms that emotional intelligence provides many benefits: it minimizes the effects of stress and prevents it, improves emotional well-being, improves interpersonal relationships, improves work performance…
9. Naturalistic intelligence
Naturalistic intelligence refers to the sensitivity that some people show toward the natural world, since it is the ability to distinguish, order, classify, understand and use elements of the environment, objects, animals or plants. In the past, this type of intelligence was extremely important for survival. Biologists, farmers, botanists or hunters master this type of intelligence.
10. Existential intelligence
While some individuals live the day without devoting much time to the reason for things, People with high existential intelligence tend to meditate on their existence These types of thoughts can include the meaning of life and death. Existential intelligence is known as the ninth multiple intelligence in Howard Gardner’s theory, and he defines it as: “the ability to situate oneself with respect to the cosmos and with respect to the existential features of the human condition, such as meaning. of life and death, the final destiny of the physical and psychological world in profound experiences such as love for another person.”
The search for meaning, self-knowledge, having one’s own scale of moral values, aesthetic joy or the sense of mystery are some of the manifestations of this type of intelligence, which can be cultivated with the practice of meditation, contemplation or exercise. to philosophize and dialogue.
While some authors speak of this type of intelligence as spiritual intelligence, others, on the other hand, affirm that they are two different types of intelligence, since Existential intelligence goes far beyond spiritually positive and healthy behavior beyond being a good person.
11. Creative intelligence
There are people who are made to work in a job that requires mechanical and monotonous work and who adapt without problems to work environments of this type. But instead, There are people whose minds seem to fly, who are always one step ahead of others and who are constantly innovating These people have high creative intelligence.
But what characterizes people with high creative intelligence? Fluency, that is, the ability to produce many ideas; flexibility, to see and approach situations in different ways; and originality, to create unusual or novel responses.
How are creative people? Find out in this article: “The 7 personality traits of creative people”
12. Collaborative intelligence
Recently, a new concept of intelligence has appeared in the organizational environment, it is collaborative intelligence. It could be defined as the ability to choose the best option to achieve a certain goal by working together and is based on the idea of teamwork, so necessary for today’s companies.
In fact, teamwork is one of the skills that recruiters value most, and that is why, given this new need when it comes to finding a job, many master’s degrees or courses specialized in this type of intelligence are appearing.
If you want to delve deeper into this topic, you can find all the information you need in our post: “Collaborative intelligence: what exactly is it?”
