Howard Gardner’s Frames of Mind (1983) argued that a single general intelligence was too thin a story for schools, and offered several relatively autonomous intelligences — linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, later naturalist.
As a reminder that children can be strong in different symbol systems, MI is a useful taxonomy. As a psychometric theory it is weak: Lynn Waterhouse (2006) and Beth Visser and colleagues (2006) argued that the “intelligences” are not independently measured the way Gardner’s claims require, and that g still organises test batteries.
Check each criteria to confirm findings against the atlas verdict.
Howard Gardner’s Frames of Mind (1983) argued that a single general intelligence was too thin a story for schools, and offered several relatively autonomous intelligences — linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, later naturalist.
As a reminder that children can be strong in different symbol systems, MI is a useful taxonomy. As a psychometric theory it is weak: Lynn Waterhouse (2006) and Beth Visser and colleagues (2006) argued that the “intelligences” are not independently measured the way Gardner’s claims require, and that g still organises test batteries.
This page treats MI as a curriculum conversation starter, not as a replacement for Spearman’s positive manifold and not as a new caste system. It also refuses to turn “intelligences” into group rankings. He argued g was too narrow for a human-worth story. He did not make the intercorrelations among tests disappear. Spearman’s positive manifold remains a psychometric fact.
That MI lacks the cognitive-neuroscience and psychometric support a new theory of intelligence would need, and that schools adopted it ahead of the evidence. Tasks written to tap Gardner’s intelligences still loaded on general and broad factors rather than eight independent IQs.
This is about practice and individual craft. It is not a group IQ score. It does not replace the full topic page.
Next question: Musical talent · Open the topic: Multiple intelligences
🔎 Athletic talent: read “Windows” before you decide · 🛑 Athletic talent: what “Practice band” does not decide · 🛠 Culinary talent: use “Core” in the tool · 📍 Culinary talent: the local fact in “Myth” · 🔎 Deliberate practice: read “Sport band” before you decide · 🛑 Deliberate practice: what “Tone” does not decide · Decision checks