Howard Gardner is a developmental psychologist best-known for this theory of multiple
intelligences. He believed that the conventional concept of intelligence was too narrow and
restrictive and that measures of IQ often miss out on other "intelligences" that an individual may
possess. His 1983 book Frames of Mind, outlined his theory and his eight major types of
intelligence. Gardner's theory had a particular impact in the field of education where it inspired
teachers and educators to explore new ways of teaching aimed at these different intelligences.
"We have this myth that the only way to learn something is to read it in a textbook or hear a
lecture on it. And the only way to show that we've understood something is to take a short-answer
test or maybe occasionally with an essay question thrown in. But that's nonsense. Everything can
be taught in more than one way," Howard Gardner has suggested.
Brief Biography
Howard Gardner was born on July 11, 1943 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. He described himself as "a
studious child who gained much pleasure from playing the piano." He completed his post-
secondary education at Harvard, earning his undergraduate degree in 1965 and his PhD in 1971.
While he had originally planned to study law, he was inspired to study developmental psychology
by the works of Jean Piaget. He also cited the mentoring he received from the famous
psychoanalyst Erik Erikson as part of the reason why he set his sights on psychology.
"My mind was really opened when I went to Harvard College and had the opportunity to study
under individuals—such as psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, sociologist David Riesman, and cognitive
psychologist Jerome Bruner—who were creating knowledge about human beings. That helped set
me on the course of investigating human nature, particularly how human beings think," he later
explained.
Career and Theories
After spending time working with two very different groups, normal and gifted children and brain-
damaged adults, Gardner began developing a theory designed to synthesize his research and
observations. In 1983, he published Frames of Mind which outlined his theory of multiple
intelligences.
According to this theory, people have many different ways of learning. Unlike traditional theories
of intelligence that focus on one single general intelligence, Gardner believed that people instead
have multiple different ways of thinking and learning.
He has since identified and described eight different kinds of intelligence:
1. Visual-spatial intelligence
2. Linguistic-verbal intelligence
3. Mathematical intelligence
4. Kinesthetic intelligence
5. Musical intelligence
6. Interpersonal intelligence
7. Intrapersonal intelligence
8. Naturalistic intelligence
He has also proposed the possible addition of a ninth type which he refers to as "existential
intelligence."
Gardner's theory has perhaps had the greatest impact within the field of education, where it has
received considerable attention and use. His conceptualization of intelligence as more than a
single, solitary quality has opened the doors for further research and different ways of thinking
about human intelligence.
Researcher Mindy L. Kornhaber has suggested that the theory of multiple intelligences is so
popular within the field of education because it "validates educators' everyday experience:
students think and learn in many different ways. It also provides educators with a conceptual
framework for organizing and reflecting on curriculum assessment and pedagogical practices. In
turn, this reflection has led many educators to develop new approaches that might better meet
the needs of the range of learners in their classrooms."
Gardner currently serves as the Chairman of Steering Committee for Project Zero at the Harvard
Graduate School of Education and as an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Harvard University.
