The 15 TYPES of INTELLIGENCE: which ones do you stand out in?

Human intelligence has been the subject of research in psychology and other disciplines for some time. However, his study has not been without controversy and controversy regarding its definition, components and explanatory models. Despite this, in recent years new theories have been developed that break with the concept of unique intelligence and bet on their diversity. If you want to know what intelligences have been identified so far and their characteristics, keep reading this Psychology-Online article where you will find the 15 types of intelligence.

Index

1. How many types of intelligence are there
2. Logical-mathematical intelligence
3. Linguistic-verbal intelligence
4. Visual-spatial intelligence
5. Body-kinesthetic intelligence
6. Musical intelligence
7. Intrapersonal intelligence
8. Interpersonal intelligence
9. Naturalistic intelligence
10. Emotional intelligence
11. Collaborative intelligence
12. Existential intelligence
13. Creative intelligence
14. Crystallized intelligence
15. Fluid intelligence
16. General intelligence or g factor

In general terms, intelligence can be defined as the Cognitive ability that allows the human being to learn from experience, make use of reasoning, problem solving, abstract thinking and understanding complex ideas.

It is a faculty that allows adaptation to the environment and the survival of people. However, this definition of intelligence is not the only one and it is not shared by all people, since it is not currently considered a unitary concept. The study of intelligence from psychology has been and is a field that arouses great interest and controversy, in addition to having evolved since the beginning of his research.

The beginning of the study of human intelligence in psychology can be placed at the end of the 19th century, although it was in the 20th century when it became one of the central areas of this discipline. The first Inteligence test It was created in 1904 by Binet and Simon, with the aim of establishing a tool for measuring it, they also explored the notion of mental age.

Later, Stern would relate the concept of mental age with chronological age, contributing to Terman finally developing the concept of IQ or IQ.

Regarding theories about intelligence, Spearman was one of the first to propose one of them, the bifactorial theory, by which there would be a Factor General or G Factor that is common and transversal in all the tasks we perform and an S factor that corresponds to specific skills for a certain activity.

With Cattell and Horn a new point of view about intelligence appears, based on the theory of Spearman, proposes that human beings have two types of intelligence, fluid and crystallized. The first of them refers to the ability to acquire new learning and adapt to novelty, while the second refers to the ability to apply knowledge already possess.

Although many other authors continued investigating intelligence and trying to establish the different types of intelligence In psychology, in the 1960s and 1970s the study of this topic lost interest and became stagnant.

However, in the 1980s, Howard Gardner It raises how many types of intelligence exist, giving rise to the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, in which it rejects the unitary concept of the intelligence and identifies up to a total of eight intelligences that would be present in all people to a lesser or greater degree of development. This broadening of the definition of intelligence culminates in the inclusion of emotions and recognition of their importance in the mental faculty. The popularization of the concept of emotional intelligence is due to Daniel goleman, who has also conducted multiple investigations about it.

So what are the types of intelligence? At the moment, the following can be identified 15 types of intelligence:

1. Logical-mathematical intelligence
2. Linguistic-verbal intelligence
3. Visual-spatial intelligence
4. Body-kinesthetic intelligence
5. Musical intelligence
6. Intrapersonal intelligence
7. Interpersonal intelligence
8. Naturalistic intelligence
9. Emotional intelligence
10. Collaborative intelligence
11. Existential intelligence
12. Creative intelligence
13. Crystallized intelligence
14. Fluid intelligence
15. General intelligence or g factor

The logical-mathematical intelligence It is part of Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Implicit in it is the ability to calculation, analysis and reasoning. It includes logical thinking, abstract thinking, inductive and deductive reasoning, numerical calculations and the use of the scientific method. It is one of the intelligences that has traditionally been considered representative of the general concept of intelligence and with great academic weight.

The linguistic-verbal intelligence, together with the logical-mathematical, has been part of the concept of intelligence in educational contexts in a traditional way. Relates to communication skills, language use and understanding of this. It encompasses both oral and written communication. People with a high development of this intelligence are able to make good use of the communication to express themselves, as well as show ability to capture information through language.

The visual-spatial intelligence is another multiple intelligence that, in this case, implies the capacity for projection and abstraction of mental images. People with this intelligence demonstrate ability to perceive reality, rotation and mental manipulation of models or physical elements, as well as they have aptitude for the reproduction of graphic form of these. This intelligence also encompasses the orientation and capture of dimensions, volumes and distances.

Gardner defined the body-kinesthetic intelligence such as the ability to express ideas and emotions through the body and its movements, as well as the cognitive abilities that connect the brain with the body, allowing greater control over it. Strength, coordination, balance, flexibility and automation of learned skills depend on it.

The musical intelligence It is another of the intelligences identified by Gardner and encompasses the capacities regarding music. It involves the ability to sing, play musical instruments, compose, appreciate and distinguish sounds, capture rhythms, timbre, tones and melodies. It is also conceptualized as the facility for the expression of emotions through music, as well as the capture of feelings or ideas through the musical medium.

The Intrapersonal intelligence It is another of the multiple intelligences and is defined as the ability to form an image as exact as possible and in tune with the reality of our own person. It implies being able to know yourself and understand yourself, recognize one's own feelings and be able to use this information to our benefit, regulating one's behavior and managing it effectively. It is basically the skill of introspection.

The Interpersonal intelligence it is one of the eight types identified by Gardner. It is the capacity that is related to the ability to interact with other people, refers to the social contact we establish. People with a development of this intelligence can capture the emotional states, intentions and desires of other people through both verbal and non-verbal language. It is the competence of understand and empathize with people and being able to relate effectively through social skills and adapting our actions and words to those of the other person.

It is the last type of intelligence that Gardner identified and is related to the natural environment. The naturalistic intelligence it implies an interaction with the environment, an identification of its components and the ability to draw connections between them, as well as make classifications and distinctions. It is the capacity that allows adaptation to the environment competently, as well as their handling.

You can know in which of the previous ones you stand out with this multiple intelligences test.

The emotional intelligence it received attention, gained popularity and was spread thanks to the psychologist Daniel Goleman. This intelligence refers to the ability to recognition and management of both one's own feelings and those of others, as well as the ability to motivate ourselves. Therefore, the competencies that make up this intelligence are self-knowledge, self-regulation, empathy, social skills, and self-motivation. For this psychologist, this intelligence has a central role in the functioning of various vital areas of a person, Therefore, the more academic intelligence in isolation could not be predictive of the success or adjustment of a individual.

If you want to know your level of development of these skills, you can do the emotional intelligence test.

This relatively emergent intelligence refers to the ability to further create content through joint action of a group of people, who makes decisions and overcomes the obstacles of an increasingly complex environment in a shared way. It is thus the ability to interaction, cooperation and coordination among a group of people. This intelligence is related to technology and digital content and is of great importance in the business context.

Existential intelligence is related to transcendence and spirituality, but it should not be confused with religiosity. It is the capacity for sensitivity and application of intuition and values ​​in the approach to human existence and the world that surrounds us. It is the introspection about the cosmos and its elements. In short, it is the ability to pose and respond to abstract questions of humanity.

It refers to the combination of creativity and intellect; is the ability to apply logic and reasoning to existing reality but having another vision or point of view that allows a different perception of this, being able to originate something new. It is therefore the ability to generate new ideas or viable solutions by proposing alternatives and experimentation. It is characterized by mental flexibility and originality. In the following article you will find more information about the creativity.

It is the accumulation of knowledge and learning that a person acquires throughout his experience and life trajectory. This intelligence increases over the years, may increase depending on the cultural context, learning opportunities and habits. It includes skills or factors above all, but not only, of a verbal nature. The elements that compose it are verbal comprehension, use of semantic relationships, orientation spatial, evaluation and assessment of experience, mechanical knowledge and establishment of trials.

Fluid intelligence refers to the ability to adaptation and resolution of novel problems about which there is no previous experience or knowledge, so it is independent of these. It is considered to reach its maximum development by the age of 20 approximately, tending to decline later in old age. It is related to neurological variables and is made up of inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, and memory span. Here you will find more information about Fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence.

The factor g refers to the general mental capacity, the factor that influences all the cognitive abilities or abilities that a person possesses, is common to all of them, and is a predictor of a person's performance and adaptation. It is conceptualized as hereditary and stable over time. Generally, it is defined as the ability to adequately perceive the environment, make use of reasoning and problem solving, as well as act efficiently in different situations.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to 15 types of intelligence, we recommend that you enter our category of Cognitive psychology.

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