15 Types of Intelligence
Human intelligence has been the subject of research in psychology and other disciplines for a long time. However, its study has not been exempt from polemics and controversies regarding its definition, components and explanatory models. Despite this, for a few years new theories have been developed that break with the concept of a single intelligence and bet on their diversity. If you want to know what intelligences have been identified so far and their characteristics, keep reading this article where you will find the 15 types of intelligence.
How many types of intelligence are there?
In general terms, intelligence can be defined as the cognitive capacity that allows the human being to learn from experience, make use of reasoning, problem solving, abstract thinking and the understanding of 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 its investigation.
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 that it became one of the central areas of this discipline. The first intelligence test was created in 1904 by Binet and Simon, with the aim of establishing a tool to measure it, they also explored the notion of mental age.
Later, Stern would relate the concept of mental age to chronological age, contributing to Terman finally developing the concept of Intelligence Quotient or IQ .
As for theories about intelligence, Spearman was one of the first to propose one of them, the bifactorial theory, by which there would be a General Factor or Factor G that is common and transversal in all the tasks that we carry out 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 Spearman's theory, which proposes that human beings have two types of intelligence, fluid and crystallized. The first one refers to the ability to acquire new learning and adaptation to novelty, while the second refers to the ability to apply the knowledge that is already possessed.
Despite the fact that many other authors continued researching about intelligence and trying to establish the different types of intelligence in psychology, in the decades of the 60s and 70s the study on this subject lost interest and stagnated.
However, in the 1980s, Howard Gardner considers how many types of intelligence exist, giving rise to the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, in which he rejects the unitary concept of intelligence and identifies up to a total of eight intelligences that are would be present in all people to a lesser or greater degree of development. This expansion 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 carried out multiple investigations about it.
So what are the types of intelligence? At the moment, the following 15 types of intelligence can be identified :
Logical-mathematical intelligence
linguistic-verbal intelligence
Visual-spatial intelligence
bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
Musical intelligence
Intrapersonal intelligence
Interpersonal intelligence
naturalistic intelligence
emotional intelligence
collaborative intelligence
existential intelligence
creative intelligence
crystallized intelligence
fluid intelligence
General intelligence or g factor
Logical-mathematical intelligence
Logical -mathematical intelligence is part of Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Implicit in it is the ability to calculate, analyze and reason . 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 has great academic weight.
linguistic-verbal intelligence
Linguistic -verbal intelligence , together with logical-mathematical intelligence, has traditionally been part of the concept of intelligence in educational contexts. It is related to the ability to communicate, the use of language and the understanding of it. It encompasses both oral and written communication. People with a high development of this intelligence are capable of making good use of communication to express themselves, as well as showing the ability to capture information through language.
Visual-spatial intelligence
Visual -spatial intelligence is another multiple intelligence that, in this case, implies the capacity for the projection and abstraction of mental images . People with this intelligence demonstrate the ability to perceive reality, rotate and mentally manipulate models or physical elements, as well as have aptitudes for graphically reproducing them. This intelligence also encompasses the orientation and capture of dimensions, volumes and distances.
bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
Gardner defined bodily-kinesthetic intelligence 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.
Musical intelligence
Musical intelligence is another of the intelligences identified by Gardner and encompasses abilities 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.
Intrapersonal intelligence
Intrapersonal intelligence is another of the multiple intelligences and is defined as the ability to form an image as accurate as possible and in tune with the reality of our own person. It implies being able to know oneself and understand oneself , 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 ability of introspection.
Interpersonal intelligence
Interpersonal intelligence is one of the eight types identified by Gardner. It is the capacity that is related to the ability to interact with other people , it refers to the social contact that 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 about the competence to understand and empathize with people and to be able to relate effectively through social skills and the adaptation of our actions and words to those of the other person.
naturalistic intelligence
It is the last type of intelligence that Gardner identified and is related to the natural environment. Naturalistic intelligence implies an interaction with the environment, an identification of its components and the ability to draw connections between them, as well as to make classifications and distinctions. It is the capacity that allows the adaptation to the environment in a competent way, as well as its manipulation.
emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence received attention, gained popularity, and spread thanks to psychologist Daniel Goleman. This intelligence refers to the ability to recognize and manage both our 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, so that the most academic intelligence in isolation could not be a predictor of the success or adjustment of an individual.
collaborative intelligence
This relatively emerging intelligence refers to the capacity for greater content creation through the joint action of a group of people , who make decisions and overcome the obstacles of an increasingly complex environment in a shared way. It is therefore the ability of interaction, cooperation and coordination between a group of people. This intelligence relates to technology and digital content and is of great importance in the business context.
existential intelligence
Existential intelligence is related to transcendence and spirituality , but should not be confused with religiosity. It is the capacity for sensitivity and application of intuition and values in the approach of human existence and the world around us. It is the introspection about the cosmos and its elements. In short, it is the ability to approach and respond to abstract questions of humanity.
creative intelligence
It refers to the combination between creativity and intellect ; it is the ability to apply logic and reasoning to the existing reality but having another vision or point of view that allows a different perception of it, 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 creativity.
crystallized intelligence
It is the accumulation of knowledge and learning that a person acquires throughout their experience and life trajectory. This intelligence increases over the years , it can increase depending on the cultural context, learning opportunities and habits. It includes aptitudes or factors above all, although not only, of a verbal nature. The elements that compose it are verbal comprehension, use of semantic relations, spatial orientation, evaluation and evaluation of experience, mechanical knowledge and establishment of judgments.
fluid intelligence
Fluid intelligence refers to the ability to adapt and solve novel problems on which there is no prior experience or knowledge, so it is independent of these. It is considered that it reaches its maximum development at 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 .
General intelligence or g factor
The g factor refers to general mental capacity , the factor that influences all the cognitive capacities 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, use reasoning and problem solving, as well as act efficiently in different situations.
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