What is Intelligence?
Written By: Laila Ibrahim and Mariam Shahzad
Everyone is familiar with the concept of “IQ”, also known as “Intelligence Quotient”. Intelligence is defined as ‘the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills’. However, what some don’t know is that there are different types of intelligence, referred to as “The Nine Types of Intelligence” founded by Howard Gardner. Gardner challenged the belief that intelligence can only be measured by an IQ score. He argues that most individuals had a little bit of each intelligence, but some had more of one than the other. For example, a NASA scientist might have high ‘Logical-Mathematical’ intelligence, but a known musician might have a high ‘Musical’ intelligence.
The other intelligence types are defined below:
Linguistic Intelligence: The ability to use language effectively.
Logical-Mathematical Intelligence: The ability to reason logically, and solve mathematical problems.
Spatial Intelligence: The ability to manipulate spaces mentally.
Musical Intelligence: The ability to pick up on rhythm and musical patterns (more of a sensitivity to it)
Body-Kinesthetic Intelligence: The ability to control body movements in a skillful way.
Interpersonal Intelligence: The ability to understand and interact with others.
Intrapersonal Intelligence: The ability to understand oneself.
Naturalistic Intelligence: The ability to understand elements of the natural world.
Existential Intelligence: The ability to engage with deep questions about life, meaning and purpose.
Gardner’s theory is significant because it changed the way we think about intelligence. Intelligence has only been associated with IQ scores and academic achievements. However, Gardner argued against that, believing that intelligence is much broader and includes varying abilities that cannot be measured by a typical IQ test.
However, critics of his theory that these ‘varying types of intelligence’ are more considered talents, rather than things that require their own category of intelligence.
Nonetheless, Gardner’s distinction is extremely important, because research has shown that IQ (and academic achievements) can be heavily affected by socioeconomic and environmental factors. Access to books, quality education, technology, and stable living conditions can heavily affect an individual’s ability to perform highly on standardized assessment, such as the SAT, and even IQ exams. With that in mind, IQ tests may not always measure a person's true potential, but they may be able to reflect differences in opportunity and stability in homes. The ‘Nine Types of Intelligence’ theory encourages society to recognize strengths that our traditional measure of intelligence may overlook individual’s strengths. A student who struggles with most standardized testing, and who may score lower on an IQ exam, may excel linguistically, musically, or interpersonally. Acknowledging varying forms of intelligence promotes a diverse and inclusive view of human ability.
Essentially, an individual's strengths, abilities, and intelligence can’t always be defined by a number. IQ tests can provide information about cognitive abilities (such as ‘Logical-Mathematical' reasoning skills), Gardner’s theory reminds us that individuals contribute to society in more ways than one. Recognizing varying forms of intelligence helps us appreciate the potential of every individual. And recognizing the limitations of IQ scores, can help create a more understanding and inclusive culture that values diverse strengths and abilities.
References:
Farooq, Adil. “Types of Intelligence: Theories and Models in Psychology.” Psychiatry Magazine -, 13 Nov. 2025,
https://psychiatrymagazine.com/types-of-intelligence-theories-and-models-in-psychology/.
Burton, Neel. “What Is Intelligence?” Psychology Today, 2018, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201811/what-is-intelligence.
IQ Metrics. “Socioeconomic Status and IQ: What the Evidence Shows.” IQ Metrics, 7 Sept. 2026, https://iqmetrics.org/socioeconomic-status-and-iq/.
