Dozens of Intelligences from A-Z
You probably didn't realize that you are filled with many sorts of intelligence. Psychologist Howard Gardner's “Theory of Multiple Intelligences” proposes nine distinct types of intelligence: linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalist, and existential.
In "Successful Aging," a book by Daniel Levitin, he simplifies intelligence by first referring to the test used by early cognitive psychologists, the intellectual quotient, IQ. However, evidence suggested that this test may be flawed and was only assessing a particular aspect of intelligence. Levitin suggests that we need to separate the learning experiences a person has had, or knowledge acquisition, from their innate ability to use that knowledge. Scientists call the things you've already learned crystallized intelligence, and they call your potential to learn fluid intelligence. A third is called acquisitional intelligence, which refers to the speed and ease with which one acquires new information.
Cyrstallized intelligence is the knowledge you have already acquired, regardless of how easy or difficult it was for you to obtain it. It includes aspects such as your vocabulary, general knowledge, skills, and any mathematical rules or formulas with which you are familiar. Crystallized intelligence also depends on educational experience and opportunity. Crossword puzzles and Sudoku are examples of this sort of intelligence.
Fluid intelligence is your ability to apply any information you have to new contexts. It is your innate ability to reason and think, to identify patterns, and to solve problems. It is the intelligence that enables you to think quickly on your feet.
Broadly speaking, a brain-driven, focused specialty can be considered an intelligence. Gardner defines intelligence as "the ability to solve problems, or to create products, that are valued within one or more cultural settings. And when you think you've got a handle on the intelligences, we add a few more, including creative, digital, emotional, existential, moral, musical, practical, and visual. Intelligence becomes context-specific, implying the capacity to excel in a particular domain. If you spend the majority of your time developing software code, you certainly have some form of coding intelligence.
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