Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

IQ, or intelligence quotient, was developed as a (purportedly) broad and objective measurement of individual intelligence. However, Frames of Mind critiques it as an overly narrow and culturally biased measure of human intelligence, arguing that IQ tests primarily assess linguistic and logical-mathematical abilities and thus neglect other vital forms of intelligence, such as musical, spatial, and bodily-kinesthetic.

Linguistic intelligence refers to the capacity to use language effectively for expression, communication, and reasoning. Gardner explores this intelligence through examples of poets, writers, and speakers who demonstrate sensitivity to word meanings, rhetorical power, and syntactic nuance. It is one of the intelligences that contemporary secular education tends to promote.

Logical-mathematical intelligence involves the ability to reason abstractly, recognize patterns, and engage in deductive thinking. Gardner traces its historical dominance in Western educational systems and aligns it with what psychologist Jean Piaget considered the highest stages of cognitive development. Although it has often been equated with general intelligence, Gardner treats it as one intelligence among many, cautioning against its undue elevation in academic settings.

Musical intelligence encompasses the ability to perceive, discriminate between, compose, and express musical forms. Gardner discusses this intelligence in terms of pitch, rhythm, and timbre and shows how it can be found in composers, performers, and even attentive listeners. The work positions musical intelligence as distinct from but often complementary to linguistic intelligence, highlighting its early developmental emergence and its near-universal presence across cultures.

The personal intelligences comprise intrapersonal intelligence (understanding oneself) and interpersonal intelligence (understanding others). Though less easily measured, these intelligences are essential for leadership, empathy, and self-reflection, and Gardner urges that they be taken seriously in both education and psychological theory.