howard gardner brief biography

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center

Howard Gardner

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• The American Academy of Political and Social Science - Biography of Howard Gardner
• Official Site of Howard Gardner

Howard Gardner (born July 11, 1943, Scranton , Pennsylvania , U.S.) is an American cognitive psychologist and author, best known for his theory of multiple intelligences . First presented in Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983) and subsequently refined and extended in Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice (1993), Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century (1999), and Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons (2006), Gardner’s theory inspired teachers, school leaders, and special educators to embrace the notion that there are many ways to be intelligent.

Gardner was the son of Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. He was a studious child who loved to read, and he developed into a gifted pianist. He retained a lifelong passion for music that contributed to his nonunitary conception of human cognitive capacity.

Gardner undertook most of his formal training and graduate work at Harvard University , where he earned a bachelor’s degree in social relations in 1965 and a doctoral degree in developmental psychology in 1971. His many academic appointments included a professorship of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine (1984–2005) and a professorship of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (1986–98), where he was appointed the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education in 1998.

In Frames of Mind , Gardner faulted earlier, unitary models of intellectual ability, in which intelligence was typically reported as a single IQ (intelligence quotient) score. He detailed instead a more complex paradigm in which human intelligence comprises eight or more relatively autonomous intellectual capacities: logical-mathematical intelligence, musical intelligence, linguistic intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, spatial intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence (the capacity to understand oneself), and naturalist intelligence (the ability to recognize and make use of certain aspects of the environment).

The theory of multiple intelligences affected many school-improvement efforts in the United States . Gardner and others promoted efforts to understand diverse student capacities and emphasized the need for personalized educational environments , improved interdisciplinary curricular programs, and the use of performance-based assessments .

Other works by Gardner included The Mind’s New Science: A History of the Cognitive Revolution (1985) and Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed: Educating for the Virtues in the 21st Century (2011).

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions
• Self-Improvement
• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Sweepstakes
• Guided Meditations
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2024 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support

Howard Gardner's Contributions to Psychology

Biography and Theories

• Gardner's Contributions to Psychology
• Contrasting Views

Howard Gardner is a developmental psychologist whose best-known contribution to psychology is his 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 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 .

At a Glance

Howard Gardner's contributions to psychology have helped expand our understanding of learning and knowledge. Instead of focusing on traditional ways of learning and testing, he suggests that there are many types of knowledge and that things can be taught in various ways. His theory of multiple intelligence proposes that this can include interpersonal, intrapersonal, kinesthetic, verbal, mathematical, musical, natural, and visual intelligence.

Brief Biography of Howard Gardner

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 Ph.D. 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 why he set his sights on psychology.

His influences at Harvard, including Erikson, sociologist David Riesman, and cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner, had a major impact on Gardner's ideas and work.

Gardner's Contributions to Psychology

After spending time working with kids and adults who had experienced brain damage, 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.

The Eight Intelligences

He has since identified and described eight different kinds of intelligence:

• Interpersonal intelligence
• Intrapersonal intelligence
• Kinesthetic intelligence
• Linguistic-verbal intelligence
• Mathematical intelligence
• Musical intelligence
• Naturalistic intelligence
• Visual-spatial intelligence

He has also proposed the possible addition of a ninth type which he refers to as "existential intelligence."

Impact on Education

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.

The theory has become enormously popular among educators, in part because it validates their everyday experiences in the classroom. Many teachers can say how much kids vary in terms of how they learn, as well as how they display that knowledge.

The theory has helped provide a framework that helps guide how teachers organize their curriculum, assess learning, and create their teaching practices. It has also help teachers develop new approaches that can help a broader range of learners succeed in the classroom.

Gardner previously served as the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was also an adjunct professor of psychology at Harvard University and senior director of Harvard Project Zero.

While he retired from teaching in 2019, Gardner continues to research and write. He published a memoir of his life, "A Synthesizing Mind," in 2020.

Howard Gardener's Publications and Awards

Gardner's publications include "Frames of Mind" (1983), "Intelligence Reframed" (1999), "The App Genderation" (2013), and "A Synthesizing Mind" (2020).

Due to his significant contributions to psychology, Howard Gardner has also received a number of awards.

• 1981 , MacArthur Prize Fellowship
• 1987 , William James Book Award, American Psychological Association
• 1990 , University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Education
• 2000 , John S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship
• 2011 , Prince of Asturias Award in Social Sciences
• 2015, Brock International Prize in Education
• 2020, American Education Research Association's Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award

Multiple Intelligences vs. Learning Styles

In his 2013 book The App Generation , Gardner and co-author Katie Davis suggested that the theory of multiple intelligences has too often been conflated with the idea of learning styles . Gardner says that the two are not the same and uses a computer analogy to demonstrate the differences between the ideas.

Gardner distinguishes between his multiple intelligences and the idea of learning styles by defining intelligences as a mental computational power in a certain area such as verbal ability or spatial intelligence. He defines learning styles as to how an individual learner approaches different educational materials.

Traditional conceptions of a single intelligence suggest that the mind possesses a single, central and all-purpose "computer," suggests Gardner in his book. This computer then determines how people perform in every aspect of their lives.

Gardner's conception of multiple intelligences, on the other hand, proposes that the mind possesses a number of "computers" that act mostly independently of one another and contribute to different mental abilities. Gardner initially outlined eight multiple intelligences but is researching the inclusion of existential intelligence.

Learning styles, on the other hand, relate to an individual's personality and learning preferences. The problem with the concept of learning styles, Gardner explains, is that not only are they only vaguely defined, but research has also found little evidence that teaching to a student's preferred style affects learning outcomes.

What This Means For You

Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences has had a meaningful impact on how we think about human intelligence. Rather than simply focusing on a single measure of human cognitive ability, it can be helpful to consider all of the different mental strengths that you possess.

Cerruti C. Building a functional multiple intelligences theory to advance educational neuroscience .  Front Psychol . 2013;4:950. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00950

Edutopia. Big thinkers: Howard Gardner on multiple intelligences .

Martin DJ, Loomis KS. Building Teachers: A Constructivist Approach to Introducing Education . Cengage Learning; 2013.

Scherer M, Gardner H. The understanding pathway: a conversation with Howard Gardner . The Constructivist Classroom . 1999; 57(3):12-16.

Watson TS, Skinner CH. Encyclopedia of School Psychology. Springer Science & Business Media; 2012.

Langworth RM, Gardner H. Multiple Intelligences. ReadHowYouWant.com; 2010.

Kornhaber ML. In Palmer-Cooper, J. A., Cooper, D. E., & Bresler, L.,  Fifty modern thinkers on education: From Piaget to the present day . London: Routledge; 2001.

Gardner H, Davis K. The App Generation, How Today's Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy, and Imagination in a Digital World . Yale University Press; 2013.

Newton PM, Miah M. Evidence-based higher education - Is the learning styles 'myth' important ?  Front Psychol . 2017;8:444. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00444

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Howard Gardner (Intelligence Psychologist Biography)

In the late 20th century, a psychologist named Howard Gardner believed that the way people thought about intelligence was too narrow and that was more helpful to recognize other mental strengths individuals may have. What he proposed has made him one of the most well-known psychologists living today.

Who Was Howard Gardner?

Howard Gardner is an American psychologist who specializes in cognitive and developmental psychology. He is best known for his theory of multiple intelligences. His theory has helped many professionals in the field of education to embrace the idea that there are many ways to be intelligent.

Howard Gardner's Birth

Howard Earl Gardner was born on July 11, 1943 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. His parents were Ralph and Hilde Gardner. Gardner’s parents were German-Jewish immigrants who fled from Nazi persecution in Germany. They arrived in the United States with their three year old son, Eric, on November 9, 1938, just before the outbreak of World War II.

Howard Gardner's Family Life

Ralph and Hilde Gardner moved to Scranton soon after they landed in America. At the time, Scranton was a small coal-mining town. Ralph Gardner and a few associates “traced the fate of every family member in Europe or elsewhere in the Diaspora” in an attempt to provide aid during and after the Holocaust. It was not uncommon for family members to spend many nights at their small residence in Scranton.

Four years after the Gardner family settled in Scranton, Hilde watched as Eric died in a tragic sledding accident. Eric did not speak any English when he first arrived, but he demonstrated ability beyond his years and did very well in school. Gardner’s parents were overcome with grief and felt as if they lost everything. Many years later, Gardner’s parents told him they may have considered suicide if Hilde was not pregnant with him at the time Eric died.

After Howard Gardner was born in 1943, his parents had a daughter named Marion three years later. According to Gardner, the Holocaust and the death of his older brother Eric “cast large shadows” on his childhood. Gardner’s parents did not speak about what happened during the Nazi regime to him, his sister, or to acquaintances. And they did not tell him about his older brother Eric either. He believes they were unable to. When Gardner asked about the little boy in all the pictures around the house, his parents told him that it was a child from the neighborhood. Gardner eventually uncovered the truth when he was ten years old after he found clippings about Eric’s death.

Howard Gardner's Childhood

Gardner describes his childhood self as “a dark-haired, slightly chubby, bespectacled boy of above average height, who walked and moved somewhat awkwardly.” He was born with crossed eyes and had poor eyesight, but he also had a very curious mind and loved to read and write. Gardner would often ask his parents, teachers, adults, and older children very difficult questions. When he was seven years old he considered himself a journalist and began publishing his own home and school newspapers.

Gardner was also a talented piano player and may have pursued a career in music. However, he stopped playing as a teenager because he thought it was too troublesome to practice. Gardner’s parents discouraged him from getting involved in athletics or risky physical activities due to the circumstances of Eric’s death. He spent several years as a Cub Scout and Boy Scout, reaching the rank of Eagle Scout at the age of thirteen.

Although Gardner eventually had a successful career as a psychologist and scientist, as a boy he was not particularly fond of exploring the outdoors. He was not interested in studying insects or dissecting mice unless he was trying to earn a scouting merit badge. His youth was not spent taking cars or gadgets apart and putting them back together. His only exposure to psychology occurred during his teenage years when he read an interesting discussion on color blindness in a psychology textbook.

Nevertheless, education was of great importance in the Gardner household. Gardner’s parents wanted him to attend Phillips Academy Andover, but he chose to go to Wyoming Seminary because it was closer to home. He was an excellent student who did very well in math and science, but his main interests were in literature, history, and the arts. He believes his parents had a major impact on his development, especially after they transferred their aspirations to him following the death of his talented older brother.

Educational Background

Gardner enrolled at Harvard College in September 1961. When he first arrived, he was a bit intimidated by the fact he now had peers who could match him in academics and the arts. However, he soon regained his focus and took advantage of the wide variety of academic courses available to him.

Gardner’s initial objective at Harvard was to major in history. In his junior and senior years, he was tutored by psychoanalyst Erik Erikson. Over time, Gardner’s interest in the social sciences grew as he studied under cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner and sociologist David Riesman. Interestingly, he also took a number of pre-med and pre-law courses to prove to himself and his parents that he could have had a successful career in those fields had he chosen to stick with them. In 1965, Gardner graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in social relations.

After receiving his first degree, Gardner spent a year at the London School of Economics studying philosophy and sociology as a Harvard Fellow. However, he decided to return to Harvard to pursue graduate studies in developmental psychology after being inspired by the works of psychologist Jean Piaget. In 1967, Gardner became a founding member of Project Zero—a research group that studied cognition with a focus on creativity and artistic thought. He earned his PhD in developmental psychology in 1971.

With his doctoral studies complete, Gardner worked with behavioral neurologist Norman Geschwind at Boston Veterans Administration Hospital as a postdoctoral fellow. He conducted neuropsychology research at the hospital for more than 20 years. According to Gardner, he “probably could have had a reasonably successful career as a cognitive neuroscientist, or perhaps even a developmental neurobiologist,” but he eventually “left the straight science track and moved to issues of educational reform and social policy.”

Gardner accepted a teaching position at Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1986. Since 1995, he has spent most of his time working on The GoodWork Project—a program that promotes ethics and excellence in work and life. In 1998, Gardner was selected as the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard. He retired from teaching at the end of the 2019 academic year.

How Did Howard Gardner Develop His Theory of Multiple Intelligences?

Gardner developed his theory of multiple intelligences (MI theory) in the late 1970’s to early 1980’s. Up to that time, intelligence was generally conceived of as a singular quality influencing performance on all cognitive tasks. Gardner felt that this view of intelligence was too narrow and failed to capture the full range of human intellectual faculties. He argued instead that humans do not possess a unitary intelligence but rather, several different types of intelligence. He proposed eight different forms of intelligence, namely:

• Linguistic  - The ability to learn and use languages in oral and written form, for example, through reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
• Logical-mathematical - The ability to engage in logical reasoning, display scientific thought, solve abstract problems, and perform mathematical calculations.
• Spatial - The ability to recognize and manipulate spatial images; involves a propensity for learning visually.
• Musical - The ability to compose, produce, and derive meaning from music and sound patterns.
• Bodily-kinesthetic - The ability to use one’s body skilfully to solve problems, create products, and express oneself.
• Naturalistic - The ability to recognize and differentiate elements of the natural world, including plants, animals, and weather patterns; involves close attention to nature and the ability to understand environmental issues.
• Interpersonal - The ability to discern, understand, and respond appropriately to other people’s moods, desires, intentions, and motivations.
• Intrapersonal - The ability to identify and understand one’s own moods, desires, intentions and motivations.

What Makes This a Theory?

One common question about the Theory of Multiple Intelligences is why it's called a  theory.  This Reddit post (and its comments) provide the answer!

"I would say that the main distinction between "laws" and "theories" is just that a law is a simple statement, while a theory is something more complicated. Neither of them necessarily explain "why" something happens - for example both Newton's law of universal gravitation and the theory of general relativity are models of gravity, but neither of them really explain why gravity exists, they just state how it works."

About Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Gardner did not rule out the possibility that other forms of intelligence exist. He himself later considered adding a ninth form of intelligence known as existential intelligence. This involves the ability to consider life’s big questions, such as those relating to life, death and love. However, existential intelligence was never formally included in MI theory since Gardner was not convinced that it sufficiently met the criteria for identification as a unique intelligence.

The eight intelligences are said to be independent of each other and can function autonomously. However, many tasks require a blend of intelligences. For example, when performing an operation, a surgeon needs both spatial intelligence in order to guide the scalpel to the correct location, as well as bodily-kinesthetic intelligence in order to manipulate the scalpel with dexterity. Similarly, a rousing musical performance requires not just musical intelligence, but also bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. Even a measure of interpersonal intelligence is needed in order for one to successfully engage members of the audience and stir their emotions.

Linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence are the two types of intelligence traditionally emphasized in formal educational settings. They are also the ones on which conventional tests of intelligence have been based. These tests purport to give an estimate of the test-taker’s general intelligence which can then be used to predict performance on diverse tasks. However, Gardner dismissed the idea of a ‘general’ intelligence, noting that people who perform exceptionally well in one cognitive domain will not necessarily display the same level of aptitude in another.

Another point of departure between MI theory and more traditional theories of intelligence has to do with the origin of intelligence. Many other theories describe intelligence as an inborn capacity that remains fairly constant throughout life. The idea is that one’s intellectual ability is set from birth and there is very little one can do to modify it. By way of contrast, MI theory suggests that intelligence is as much a function of ‘nurture’ as it is ‘nature.’ Even though individuals are born with a certain set of skills and potentials, Gardner suggests that these can be enhanced (or diminished) by environmental factors.

Gardener believed that all humans (except in cases of severe brain damage) possess varying levels of all eight intelligences. It would therefore be incorrect to state that an individual lacks a particular form of intelligence. Gardner believed that we all have unique patterns of cognitive strengths and weaknesses, with no two individuals displaying the same profile of abilities.

In recent years, Gardner suggested two broad types of intelligence profiles: searchlight and laser-like. These profiles describe the relative strengths of intelligences within an individual. People with searchlight profiles readily shift among intelligences that tend to be comparable in strength.  Those with laser-like profiles have one or two intelligences that are more dominant than the others and are used in greater depth. Gardner believes the searchlight profile is typical of politicians and businessmen, while the laser-like profile is characteristic of artists, scholars and scientists.

The Goodwork Project

Since the mid 1990’s, much of Gardner’s attention has been focused on The Goodwork Project (recently renamed The Good Project), which began as a collaboration between himself and two of his colleagues, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and William Damon. The purpose of the project is to determine the factors that enable people to carry out “good work” in their chosen disciplines and to increase the incidence of such work throughout society.

“Good work” is a term used to describe work that reflects the three Es: (1) Excellence - work that is high in quality, (2) Ethics - work that is socially and morally responsible, and (3) Engagement - work that is meaningful and beneficial to the worker. Having interviewed hundreds of professionals across several disciplines, the researchers identified several variables associated with “good work,” including:

• Positive early experiences within the family
• Religious and spiritual values
• Collaboration with peers and colleagues
• Support and inspiration from authority figures and mentors

Gardner and his colleagues make no attempt to offer a specific formula for “good work.” However, they believe that if workers routinely consider and seek powerful answers to four specific questions, they will be well on their way to producing “good work.” The four questions (or four Ms) are:

• What is the Mission of our field?
• What are the positive and negative Models that we need to keep in mind?
• When we look into the Mirror as individual professionals, are we proud or embarrassed by what we see?
• When we hold up the Mirror to our profession, are we proud or embarrassed by what we see?

Applications of Gardner’s Theory

Gardner’s MI theory has been applied primarily in educational circles. Hundreds of schools across many countries have used the core principles of the theory to revise their mission, curriculum, and approach to teaching and assessment. Some of the educational interventions derived from his theory include:

• Individualizing students’ instruction by becoming familiar with their strengths, weaknesses and interests.
• Presenting lessons in a variety of non-traditional ways, for example, through art, music, field trips, games, multimedia presentations, and role-playing.
• Employing a variety of non-traditional assessment methods, including portfolios, projects, videos and other creative or performance-based tasks.
• Establishing learning centers in the classroom, each dedicated to a different form of intelligence. Students can move through the centers, exploring the topic being taught in different ways.
• Team teaching in which teachers focus on their own intellectual strengths, allowing students to be exposed to a variety of instructional methods.
• Cooperative learning teams in which students are grouped either (a) homogeneously, according to a shared intellectual strength, or (b) heterogeneously, according to varying intellectual strengths. Homogenous groups allow learners to challenge one another in their areas of strength, while heterogeneous groups allow them to learn from one another and develop their weaker abilities.

MI theory has also been applied in occupational spheres, particularly in the areas of hiring, job placement, and team assembly. Multiple intelligence evaluations can assist HR managers and CEOs to better align the skills and abilities of potential candidates with the functions associated with each role.

MI theory may also be used during career counseling to help students understand the range of careers typically associated with their intellectual profile. In this way, students are able to make more informed vocational decisions and are in a better position to choose careers that best suit their interests and abilities.

Criticisms of Gardner’s Theory

A popular criticism of MI theory is that it was not developed on the basis of empirical research. This critique stems from the fact that Gardner himself did not undertake any form of psychometric testing or empirical study to support his classification system or test his theory. Instead, he relied on existing research findings across various disciplines, including neuroscience, anthropology, evolutionary biology, and psychology. In Gardner’s view, this multi-disciplinary synthesis of research findings provides a sufficient empirical framework for the theory, despite the fact that it has not been subjected to in-depth experimental investigation.

As it relates to the number of intelligences identified, Gardner’s critics fall into one of two camps. On one hand, there are critics who claim that MI theory expands the concept of intelligence to such an extent that it is no longer a useful construct. On the other hand, some argue that the eight intelligences are not specific enough and need to be further expanded. Gardner acknowledged the latter argument, suggesting the possibility that there may be sub-intelligences within each of the eight abilities he specified. However, in Gardner’s view, any attempt to list all of these sub-intelligences would render the theory too complex and unwieldy, making application more difficult.

Other critics have argued that:

• Multiple Intellignece theory fails to explain how the various intelligences interact with one another.
• Gardner’s criteria for identifying unique intelligences is arbitrary and subjective.
• What Gardner calls intelligences are simply talents, cognitive styles, or personality traits.

Howard Gardner's Books, Awards, and Accomplishments

Howard Gardner has authored and co-authored thirty books which have been translated into several languages. Some of his literary works include:

• Intelligence: Multiple Perspectives,  1995
• Practical Intelligence for School, 1997
• The Disciplined Mind: Beyond Facts and Standardized Tests, the K-12 Education that Every Child Deserves, 2000
• Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century, 2000
• Development and Education of the Mind, 2005
• Making Good: How Young People Cope with Moral Dilemmas at Work, 2005
• Changing Minds, 2006
• Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons in Theory and Practice, 2006
• Responsibility at Work: How Leading Professionals Act (or Don't Act) Responsibly, 2007
• Extraordinary Minds: Portraits of Four Exceptional Individuals and an Examination of Our Own Extraordinariness , 2008
• Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet, 2008
• Five Minds for the Future, 2009
• GoodWork: Theory and Practice, 2010
• Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership, 2011
• The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should Teach, 2011
• Creating Minds: An Anatomy of Creativity Seen Through the Lives of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, and Ghandi, 2011
• Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, 2011
• Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed: Educating for the Virtues in the Age of Truthiness and Twitter, 2012
• The App Generation: How Today’s Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy, and Imagination in a Digital World, 2013
• Mind, Work, and Life: A Festschrift on the Occasion of Howard Gardner’s 70th Birthday, 2014

Gardner has also received 31 honorary degrees from universities around the world. A few of his other awards include:

• MacArthur Prize Fellowship, 1981
• Book Award, The National Psychology Awards for Excellence in the Media, 1985
• William James Book Award, American Psychological Association, 1987
• University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award in Education, 1990
• John S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, 2000
• Prince of Asturias Award in Social Sciences, 2011
• Awarded the Brock International Prize in Education, 2015

Gardner is a member of the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Education, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. He is also a board member at the American Philosophical Society and the New York Museum of Modern Art.

Is Howard Gardner Married?

Howard Gardner married his first wife, Judy Krieger, in 1966. Like Gardner, she was a graduate student in psychology at the time of their marriage. For their honeymoon they went to Geneva to meet renowned Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. The couple had three children together—Kerith, Jay, and Andrew⁠—before they went through a difficult divorce years later.

In 1973, Gardner met his second wife, Ellen Winner. Winner was eager to pursue graduate studies in clinical psychology after majoring in literature and studying painting at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. However, a job opening at Harvard as a research assistant in the psychology of art caught her attention. Winner committed to the job for two years but she would remain with Gardner long after. They were married in 1982. The couple adopted a child from Taiwan named Benjamin in 1986.

Is Howard Gardner Alive Today?

Yes! Today, Kerith oversees the National Academy of Education, Jay works as a photographer, and Andrew is a teacher. Gardner also has five grandchildren—Oscar, Agnes, Olivia, Faye Marguerite, and August Pierre.

Biography of Howard Gardner. (n.d.). Howard Gardner. Retrieved from https://howardgardner.com/biography/

Davis, K., Chistodoulou, J., Seider, S., & Gardner, H. (2011). The theory of multiple intelligences. In R. J. Sternberg & S. B.Kaufman (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of intelligence (pp.485-503). UK: Cambridge University Press.

Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Howard Gardner. In Encyclopedia Britannica . Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Howard-Gardner

Gardner, H. (n.d.). One way of making a social scientist. Retrieved from https://howardgardner01.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/one-way-of-making-a-social-scientist2.pdf

Gardner, H. & Winner, E. (2006, November 1). On being a couple in psychology. Retrieved from https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/on-being-a-couple-in-psychology

Goodwork Project. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://coa.stanford.edu/research/goodwork-project

Howard Gardner: Factfile . (2001, May 22). The Irish Times. Retrieved from https://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/howard-gardner-factfile-1.309216

McInerney, D. M. (2014). Educational psychology: Constructing learning (6th ed.). Australia: Pearson.

Mineo, L. (2018, May 9). The greatest gift you can have is a good education, one that isn’t strictly professional. The Harvard Gazette. Retrieved from https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/05/harvard-scholar-howard-gardner-reflects-on-his-life-and-work/

Verducci, S., & Gardner, H. (2005). Good work: Its nature, its nurture. In F. A. Huppert, N. Baylis, & B. Keverne (Eds.), The science of well-being (pp.343-359). New York: Oxford University Press.

Related posts:

• Howard Gardner's 9 Types of Intelligence (Examples)
• Wisdom vs Intelligence (Differences + Similarities)
• What is Intelligence? (9 Types Controversy + Examples)
• Educational Psychologist Career (Salary + Duties + Interviews)
• Edward Thorndike (Psychologist Biography)

Reference this article:

About The Author

Famous Psychologists:

Abraham Maslow

Albert Bandura

Albert Ellis

Alfred Adler

Beth Thomas

Carl Rogers

Carol Dweck

Daniel Kahneman

David Dunning

David Mcclelland

Edward Thorndike

Elizabeth Loftus

Erik Erikson

G. Stanley Hall

George Kelly

Gordon Allport

Howard Gardner

Hugo Munsterberg

Ivan Pavlov

Jerome Bruner

John B Watson

John Bowlby

Konrad Lorenz

Lawrence Kohlberg

Leon Festinger

Lev Vygotsky

Martin Seligman

Mary Ainsworth

Philip Zimbardo

Rensis Likert

Robert Cialdini

Robert Hare

Sigmund Freud

Solomon Asch

Stanley Milgram

Ulric Neisser

Urie Bronfenbrenner

Wilhelm Wundt

William Glasser

PracticalPie.com is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Follow Us On:

Youtube Facebook Instagram X/Twitter

Psychology Resources

Developmental

Personality

Relationships

Psychologists

Serial Killers

Psychology Tests

Personality Quiz

Memory Test

Depression test

Type A/B Personality Test

© PracticalPsychology. All rights reserved

Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Howard Gardner: Biography Of The American Psychologist

Howard Gardner (United States, 1943) is an American psychologist and pedagogue who has dedicated much of his life to research. Gardner is popularly known for his Theory of multiple intelligences

As a theorist, he thought that the view of intelligence that existed until then (at the time he proposed his theory) did not explain human intelligence in its entirety, and the measurement of Intelligence Quotient (IQ) did not take into account the different intelligences that exist. a person can possess and develop.

His main work, “Structures of the mind: the theory of multiple intelligences (1983)”, explains his theoretical approach and his eight types of intelligence His conception of this construct has had a great impact not only in the field of psychology, but also in the educational field, where he has inspired thousands of teachers and educators who explore new ways of teaching thanks to these different intelligences. In Gardner’s own words: “Each human being has a unique combination of intelligence. This is the fundamental educational challenge”.

Table of Contents

Howard Gardner Biography

Howard Gardner was born in 1943 in Scranton, Pennsylvania (United States). He is the son of a Jewish family that settled in the United States fleeing Nazi Germany, and from a young age he was always an enthusiast for reading and playing the piano. As a student he stood out for his brilliance, and was accepted into the prestigious Harvard University where he became interested in developmental psychology due to the influence of Erik Erikson and Jerome Bruner.

After earning a PhD in psychology from Harvard University and completing postdoctoral research in the field of neuropsychology, Gardner contributed greatly to the field of education and psychology As already mentioned, Gardner, in the 1980s, proposed and developed the theory of multiple intelligences based on his empirical work.

Teaching and projects

In addition, he has continued his professional career as a teacher, which has led him to be part of the same university institution where he studied. Currently, Howard Gardner is the John H. Professor of Cognition and Education & Elisabeth A. Hobbs at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and director of Harvard Project Zero, a research group created in 1967 by the Harvard Higher School of Education, whose object of study is the learning processes of children and adults.

Furthermore, starting in the 90s, in collaboration with William Damon and the famous psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, (the latter well known for being the author of the concept of flow state) he founded The Good Project. Gardner, to this day, continues to direct this foundation, which he coordinates with a group of professionals who promote excellence and ethics in education, dealing with different topics: civic participation, organizational collaboration or the correct use of the digital medium, among others. .

Thanks to his work he has received various awards or prizes, especially for his theory of multiple intelligences. He is an Honorary Doctor from several universities, among which those of Tel Aviv, Princeton and McGill stand out. He has been awarded by the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and has additionally received more than 20 honorary degrees. In 2011, he received the Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences.

His great work: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

After spending time working with different groups of individuals (children with and without disabilities and adults with brain damage), Gardner began to develop a theory that synthesizes his research and observations.

His theory is a counterweight to the paradigm of a single intelligence , because, after his research and experiences, he came to the conclusion that human life requires the development of various types of intelligence, not a unitary intelligence. Therefore, contrary to traditional theories of intelligence that focus on a single intelligence or general intelligence, he proposed that people have different ways of learning and thinking, and he identified and described eight types of intelligence.

1. Linguistic intelligence

It is the ability to master language and communication It not only includes oral language, but also writing or gestures.

2. Logical-mathematical intelligence

It is the ability to reason deductively and logically and the ability to solve mathematical problems. It is usually associated with scientists and the speed in solving mathematical problems. It is the indicator that determines how much logical-mathematical intelligence one has.

3. Spatial intelligence

Also known as visual-spatial intelligence, it is the ability to observe the world and objects from different perspectives , as well as the ability to manipulate or create mental images to solve problems. This ability is not limited to vision, since spatial intelligence also develops in blind people. Spatial intelligence stands out in chess players and visual arts professionals (painters, designers, sculptors…).

4. Musical intelligence

For Gardner, there is a musical intelligence in all people, characterized by the ability to recognize and compose musical tones and rhythms There are people who are more advanced in this type of intelligence, who are able to play instruments and read or compose musical pieces with ease.

5. Bodily and kinesthetic intelligence

It is the ability to use the ability to coordinate body movements This type of intelligence is a manifestation of the connection between the mind (and emotions) and movement. They stand out in bodily intelligence: dancers, actors or athletes.

6. Intrapersonal intelligence

This type of intelligence is characterized by the ability to understand and control one’s internal environment. People who master intrapersonal intelligence are able to access feelings and emotions and reflect on them. Generally, these types of individuals enjoy greater emotional and psychological well-being.

7. Interpersonal intelligence

Interpersonal intelligence refers to the ability to discern the emotions and intentions of others. In other words, it allows you to interpret the words or gestures, or the objectives and goals of other people. Nowadays, it is considered a very important part of emotional intelligence.

8. Naturalistic intelligence

This type of intelligence is the ability to distinguish, order, classify, understand and use elements of the environment , objects, animals or plants. Therefore, this type of intelligence refers to the ability to observe, experiment, reflect and question the physical environment. Biologists, botanists or hunters usually have high naturist intelligence.

Bases of Multiple Intelligences

Gardner argues that There are both biological and cultural bases in multiple intelligences Neurobiological research indicates that learning is the result of modifications in synaptic connections between neurons. The primary elements of the different intelligences are found in the brain regions where these transformations occur.

On the other hand, Gardner explains that culture also plays an important role in the development of these intelligences and different cultures value different intelligences differently. So that, the cultural value to execute tasks related to these intelligences serves as motivation to develop them

A psychologist as influential as he is controversial

Perhaps Howard Garner’s main characteristic has been his ability to generate intuitive ideas capable of resonating with the way of thinking of many people outside the field of psychology.

The concept of multiple intelligences, specifically, has had greater penetration in the world of pedagogy than in that of psychology, despite the fact that there is no very clear way to apply these ideas to the way in which children should be educated. the boys and girls.

On the other hand, Howard Gardner’s opposition to the idea of ​​defining intelligence based on psychometric criteria It has earned him a lot of criticism, since it complicates the way to advance in the study of mental abilities.

In any case, there is no doubt that Gardner has served to take into account that we must go beyond statistics and numbers to understand the psychological abilities available to human beings, which is already an important lesson. .

Related Posts:

• Utility Menu

Mind Brain Behavior

Interfaculty initiative, howard gardner.

Gardner is best known in educational circles for his theory of multiple intelligences, a critique of the notion that there exists but a single human intelligence that can be assessed by standard psychometric instruments. For twenty years, he carried out neuropsychological research at the Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center. He is also a co-founder of the Mind, Brain, and Education concentration at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Contact Information

Profile type.

• Faculty Director
• Steering Committee
• Standing Committee Co-Chairs
• Seminar Committee
• Emeritus Faculty
• Young Investigators

MBB Standing Committee

Standing Committee

If you are a Harvard University faculty member, who is interested in joining MBB, please contact us .

• Commitment to Diversity & Justice
• Land Acknowledgement
• PZ Doctoral Fellows
• Our First 50 Years
• Art & Aesthetics
• Assessment, Evaluation & Documentation
• Civic Engagement
• Cognition, Thinking & Understanding
• Collaboration & Group Learning
• Digital Life & Learning
• Disciplinary & Interdisciplinary Studies
• Ethics at Work
• Global & Cultural Understanding
• Humanities & Liberal Arts
• Leadership & Organizational Learning
• Learning Environments
• Making & Design
• Science Learning
• Early Childhood
• Primary / Elementary School
• Secondary / High School
• Higher Education
• Adult & Lifelong Learning
• Organizational Learning
• Agency by Design
• Artful Thinking
• Arts as Civic Commons
• Causal Learning Projects
• Center for Digital Thriving
• Citizen-Learners: A 21st Century Curriculum and Professional Development Framework
• Creando Comunidades de Indagación (Creating Communities of Inquiry)
• Creating Communities of Innovation
• Cultivating Creative & Civic Capacities
• Cultures of Thinking
• EcoLEARN Projects
• Educating with Digital Dilemmas
• Envisioning Innovation in Education
• Global Children
• Growing Up to Shape Our Place in the World

Higher Education in the 21st Century

• Humanities and the Liberal Arts Assessment (HULA)
• Idea Into Action

Implementation of The Good Project Lesson Plans

• Inspiring Agents of Change
• Interdisciplinary & Global Studies
• Investigating Impacts of Educational Experiences
• JusticexDesign
• Leadership Education and Playful Pedagogy (LEaPP)
• Leading Learning that Matters
• Learning Innovations Laboratory
• Learning Outside-In
• Making Ethics Central to the College Experience
• Making Learning Visible
• Multiple Intelligences
• Navigating Workplace Changes
• Next Level Lab
• Out of Eden Learn
• Pedagogy of Play
• Project DELTA
• Reimagining Digital Well-being
• Reimagining Early Childhood Education
• Re-imagining Migration
• Signature Pedagogies in Global Education
• Talking With Artists Who Teach
• Teaching for Understanding
• The Good Project
• The Good Starts Project
• The Studio Thinking Project
• The World in DC
• Transformative Repair
• Visible Thinking
• Witness Tree: Ambassador for Life in a Changing Environment
• View All Projects
• At Home with PZ
• Thinking Routine Toolbox
• Zero In Newsletters
• View All Resources
• Professional Development

Search form

You are here

Howard gardner.

• Principal Investigator

Email: [email protected]

Howard Gardner is the Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Among numerous honors, Gardner received a MacArthur Prize Fellowship in 1981, the Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences in 2011, and in 2015, the Brock International Prize in Education, and in 2020, he was presented with the Distinguished Contributions to Research in Education Award by the American Educational Research Association. Gardner is best known in educational circles for his theory of multiple intelligences.

Gardner was Co-Director of Project Zero and served on its Steering Committee and Executive Committee. He retired as a committee member in June 2023 and is now Senior Director.

He directs The Good Project, a group of initiatives that promotes excellence, engagement, and ethics, preparing people of all ages to become good workers and good citizens who contribute to the well-being of society. For current information, please see thegoodproject.org.

With Wendy Fischman, Gardner completed a national study documenting how different constituencies of campuses think about the goals and value of higher education in the United States. Their book, The Real World of College was published in 2022.

Gardner’s intellectual memoir, A Synthesizing Mind, was published in 2020. His collected works, The Essential Howard Gardner on Education and The Essential Howard Gardner on Mind, will be published in 2024. For more information on Gardner’s activities, please visit his website at HowardGardner.com. He also maintains several blogs on MI theory, synthesizing, higher education, TheGoodProject, and other topics of interest.

Aligned Programs for the 21st Century

Beyond the Self in Higher Education

Digital dilemmas.

Resources by Howard Gardner

Related resources.

• Privacy Policy
• Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Harvard University
• Digital Accessibility Policy

Copyright 2022 President and Fellows of Harvard College | Harvard Graduate School of Education

Subscribe to Our Mailing List

Email Address

By submitting this form, you are granting: Project Zero, 13 Appian Way, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States, http://www.pz.gse.harvard.edu permission to email you. You may unsubscribe via the link found at the bottom of every email. (See our Email Privacy Policy for details.) Emails are serviced by Constant Contact.

Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Michele Marenus

Research Scientist

B.A., Psychology, Ed.M., Harvard Graduate School of Education

Michele Marenus is a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Michigan with over seven years of experience in psychology research.

Learn about our Editorial Process

Saul McLeod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MRes, PhD, University of Manchester

Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

Olivia Guy-Evans, MSc

Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

On This Page:

Howard Gardner first proposed the theory of multiple intelligences in his 1983 book “Frames of Mind”, where he broadens the definition of intelligence and outlines several distinct types of intellectual competencies.

Gardner developed a series of eight inclusion criteria while evaluating each “candidate” intelligence that was based on a variety of scientific disciplines.

He writes that we may all have these intelligences, but our profile of these intelligences may differ individually based on genetics or experience.

Gardner defines intelligence as a “biopsychological potential to process information that can be activated in a cultural setting to solve problems or create products that are of value in a culture” (Gardner, 2000, p.28).

What is Multiple Intelligences Theory?

• Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences proposes that people are not born with all of the intelligence they will ever have.
• This theory challenged the traditional notion that there is one single type of intelligence, sometimes known as “g” for general intelligence, that only focuses on cognitive abilities.
• To broaden this notion of intelligence, Gardner introduced eight different types of intelligences consisting of: Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Spatial, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Naturalist.
• Gardner notes that the linguistic and logical-mathematical modalities are most typed valued in school and society.
• Gardner also suggests that there may other “candidate” intelligences—such as spiritual intelligence, existential intelligence, and moral intelligence—but does not believe these meet his original inclusion criteria. (Gardner, 2011).

Linguistic Intelligence (word smart)

Linguistic Intelligence is a part of Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory that deals with sensitivity to the spoken and written language, ability to learn languages, and capacity to use language to accomplish certain goals.

Linguistic intelligence involves the ability to use language masterfully to express oneself rhetorically or poetically. It includes the ability to manipulate syntax, structure, semantics, and phonology of language.

People with linguistic intelligence, such as William Shakespeare and Oprah Winfrey, have the ability to analyze information and create products involving oral and written language, such as speeches, books, and memos.

Potential Career Choices

Careers you could dominate with your linguistic intelligence:

Lawyer Speaker / Host Author Journalist Curator

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence (number/reasoning smart)

Logical-mathematical intelligence refers to the capacity to analyze problems logically, carry out mathematical operations, and investigate issues scientifically.

Logical-mathematical intelligence involves the ability to use logic, abstractions, reasoning, and critical thinking to solve problems. It includes the capacity to understand the underlying principles of some kind of causal system.

People with logical-mathematical intelligence, such as Albert Einstein and Bill Gates, have an ability to develop equations and proofs, make calculations, and solve abstract problems.

Careers you could dominate with your logical-mathematical intelligence:

Mathematician Accountant Statistician Scientist Computer Analyst

Spatial Intelligence (picture smart)

Spatial intelligence involves the ability to perceive the visual-spatial world accurately. It includes the ability to transform, modify, or manipulate visual information. People with high spatial intelligence are good at visualization, drawing, sense of direction, puzzle building, and reading maps.

Spatial intelligence features the potential to recognize and manipulate the patterns of wide space (those used, for instance, by navigators and pilots) as well as the patterns of more confined areas, such as those of importance to sculptors, surgeons, chess players, graphic artists, or architects.

People with spatial intelligence, such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Amelia Earhart, have the ability to recognize and manipulate large-scale and fine-grained spatial images.

Careers you could dominate with your spatial intelligence:

Pilot Surgeon Architect Graphic Artist Interior Decorator

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence (body smart)

Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is the potential of using one’s whole body or parts of the body (like the hand or the mouth) to solve problems or to fashion products.

Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence involves using the body with finesse, grace, and skill. It includes physical coordination, balance, dexterity, strength, and flexibility. People with high bodily-kinesthetic intelligence are good at sports, dance, acting, and physical crafts.

People with bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, such as Michael Jordan and Simone Biles, can use one’s own body to create products, perform skills, or solve problems through mind–body union.

Careers you could dominate with your bodily-kinesthetic intelligence:

Dancer Athlete Surgeon Mechanic Carpenter Physical Therapist

Musical Intelligence (music smart)

Musical intelligence refers to the skill in the performance, composition, and appreciation of musical patterns.

Musical intelligence involves the ability to perceive, discriminate, create, and express musical forms. It includes sensitivity to rhythm, pitch, melody, and tone color. People with high musical intelligence are good at singing, playing instruments, and composing music.

People with musical intelligence, such as Beethoven and Ed Sheeran, have the ability to recognize and create musical pitch, rhythm, timbre, and tone.

Careers you could dominate with your musical intelligence:

Singer Composer DJ Musician

Interpersonal Intelligence (people smart)

Interpersonal intelligence is the capacity to understand the intentions, motivations, and desires of other people and, consequently, to work effectively with others.

Interpersonal intelligence involves the ability to understand and interact effectively with others. It includes sensitivity to other people’s moods, temperaments, motivations, and desires. People with high interpersonal intelligence communicate well and can build rapport.

People with interpersonal intelligence, such as Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa, have the ability to recognize and understand other people’s moods, desires, motivations, and intentions.

Careers you could dominate with your interpersonal intelligence:

Teacher Psychologist Manager Salespeople Public Relations

Intrapersonal Intelligence (self-smart)

Intrapersonal intelligence is the capacity to understand oneself, to have an effective working model of oneself, including one’s desires, fears, and capacities—and to use such information effectively in regulating one’s own life.

It includes self-awareness, personal cognizance, and the ability to refine, analyze, and articulate one’s emotional life.

People with intrapersonal intelligence, such as Aristotle and Maya Angelou, have the ability to recognize and understand his or her own moods, desires, motivations, and intentions.

This type of intelligence can help a person understand which life goals are important and how to achieve them.

Careers you could dominate with your intrapersonal intelligence:

Therapist Psychologist Counselor Entrepreneur Clergy

Naturalist intelligence (nature smart)

Naturalist intelligence involves the ability to recognize, categorize, and draw upon patterns in the natural environment. It includes sensitivity to the flora, fauna, and phenomena in nature. People with high naturalist intelligence are good at classifying natural forms.

Naturalistic intelligence involves expertise in recognizing and classifying the numerous species—the flora and fauna—of his or her environment.

People with naturalistic intelligence, such as Charles Darwin and Jane Goddall, have the ability to identify and distinguish among different types of plants, animals, and weather formations that are found in the natural world.

Careers you could dominate with your naturalist intelligence:

Botanist Biologist Astronomer Meteorologist Geologist

Critical Evaluation

Most resistance to multiple intelligences theory has come from cognitive psychologists and psychometricians. Cognitive psychologists such as Waterhouse (2006) claimed that there is no empirical evidence to the validity of the theory of multiple intelligences.

Psychometricians, or psychologists involved in testing, argue that intelligence tests support the concept for a single general intelligence, “g”, rather than the eight distinct competencies (Gottfredson, 2004). Other researchers argue that Gardner’s intelligences comes second or third to the “g” factor (Visser, Ashton, & Vernon, 2006).

Some responses to this criticism include that the multiple intelligences theory doesn’t dispute the existence of the “g” factor; it proposes that it is equal along with the other intelligences. Many critics overlook the inclusion criteria Gardner set forth.

These criteria are strongly supported by empirical evidence in psychology, biology, neuroscience, among others. Gardner admits that traditional psychologists were valid in criticizing the lack of operational definitions for the intelligences, that is, to figure out how to measure and test the various competencies (Davis et al., 2011).

Gardner was surprised to find that Multiple Intelligences theory has been used most widely in educational contexts. He developed this theory to challenge academic psychologists, and therefore, he did not present many educational suggestions. For this reason, teachers and educators were able to take the theory and apply it as they saw fit.

As it gained popularity in this field, Gardner has maintained that practitioners should determine the theory’s best use in classrooms. He has often declined opportunities to aid in curriculum development that uses multiple intelligences theory, opting to only provide feedback at most (Gardner, 2011).

Most of the criticism has come from those removed from the classroom, such as journalists and academics. Educators are not typically tied to the same standard of evidence and are less concerned with abstract inconsistencies, which has given them the freedom to apply it with their students and let the results speak for itself (Armstrong, 2019).

Shearer (2020) provides extensive empirical evidence from neuroscience research supporting MI theory.

Shearer reviewed evidence from over 500 functional neuroimaging studies that associate patterns of brain activation with the cognitive components of each intelligence.

The visual network was associated with the visual-spatial intelligence, somatomotor networks with kinesthetic intelligence, fronto-parietal networks with logical and general intelligence, auditory networks with musical intelligence, and default mode networks with intra- and interpersonal intelligences. The coherence and distinctiveness of these networks provides robust support for the neural validity of MI theory

He concludes that human intelligence is best characterized as being multiple rather than singular, with each person possessing unique neural potentials aligned with specific intelligences.

Implications for Learning

The most important educational implications of the theory of multiple intelligences can be summed up through individuation and pluralization. Individuation posits that because each person differs from other another there is no logical reason to teach and assess students identically.

Individualized education has typically been reserved for the wealthy and others who could afford to hire tutors to address individual student’s needs.

Technology has now made it possible for more people to access a variety of teachings and assessments depending on their needs. Pluralization, the idea that topics and skills should be taught in more than one way, activates an individual’s multiple intelligences.

Presenting a variety of activities and approaches to learning helps reach all students and encourages them to be able to think about the subjects from various perspectives, deepening their knowledge of that topic (Gardner, 2011b).

A common misconception about the theory of multiple intelligences is that it is synonymous with learning styles. Gardner states that learning styles refer to the way an individual is most comfortable approaching a range of tasks and materials.

Multiple intelligences theory states that everyone has all eight intelligences at varying degrees of proficiency and an individual’s learning style is unrelated to the areas in which they are the most intelligent.

For example, someone with linguistic intelligence may not necessarily learn best through writing and reading. Classifying students by their learning styles or intelligences alone may limit their potential for learning.

Research shows that students are more engaged and learn best when they are given various ways to demonstrate their knowledge and skills, which also helps teachers more accurately assess student learning (Darling-Hammond, 2010).

Therapeutic Benefits of Incorporating Multiple Intelligences Within Therapy

Pearson et al. (2015) investigated the experiences of 8 counselors who introduced multiple intelligences (MI) theory and activities into therapy sessions with adult clients. The counselors participated in a 1-day MI training intervention and were interviewed 3 months later about their experiences using MI in practice.

The major themes that emerged from qualitative analysis of the interviews were:

• MI helped enhance therapeutic alliances. Counselors felt incorporating MI strengthened their connections with clients, increased counselor and client comfort, and reduced client suspicion/resistance.
• MI led to more effective professional work. Counselors felt MI provided more tools and flexibility in responding to clients. This matches findings from education research on the benefits of MI.
• Clients responded positively to identifying strengths through MI. The MI survey helped clients recognize talents/abilities, which counselors saw as identity-building. This aligns with the literature on strength-based approaches.
• Clients appreciated the MI preference survey. It provided conversation starters, increased self-reflection, and was sometimes a catalyst for using music therapeutically.
• Counselors felt comfortable with MI. They experienced increased confidence and professional comfort. Counselor confidence contributes to alliance building (Ackerman & Hilsenroth, 2003).
• Music use stood out as impactful. In-session and extratherapeutic music use improved client well-being after identifying musicality through the MI survey. This matches the established benefits of music therapy (Koelsch, 2009).
• MI training opened up therapeutic possibilities. Counselors valued the experiential MI training. MI appeared to expand their skills and activities.

The authors conclude that MI may enhance alliances, effectiveness, and counselor confidence. They recommend further research on long-term impacts and optimal training approaches. Counselor education could teach MI theory, assessment, and tailored interventions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can understanding the theory of multiple intelligences contribute to self-awareness and personal growth.

Understanding the theory of multiple intelligences can contribute to self-awareness and personal growth by providing a framework for recognizing and valuing different strengths and abilities.

By identifying their own unique mix of intelligences, individuals can gain a greater understanding of their own strengths and limitations and develop a more well-rounded sense of self.

Additionally, recognizing and valuing the diverse strengths and abilities of others can promote empathy , respect, and cooperation in personal and professional relationships.

Why is multiple intelligence theory important?

Understanding multiple intelligences is important because it helps individuals recognize that intelligence is not just about academic achievement or IQ scores, but also includes a range of different abilities and strengths.

By identifying their own unique mix of intelligences, individuals can develop a greater sense of self-awareness and self-esteem, as well as pursue career paths that align with their strengths and interests.

Additionally, understanding multiple intelligences can promote more inclusive and personalized approaches to education and learning that recognize and value the diverse strengths and abilities of all students.

Are certain types of intelligence more valued or prioritized in society than others?

Yes, certain types of intelligence, such as linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligence, are often prioritized in traditional education and assessment methods.

However, the theory of multiple intelligences challenges this narrow definition of intelligence and recognizes the value of a diverse range of strengths and abilities.

By promoting a more inclusive and personalized approach to education and learning, the theory of multiple intelligences can help individuals recognize and develop their unique mix of intelligences, regardless of whether they align with traditional societal expectations.

What is the difference between multiple intelligences and learning styles?

The theory of multiple intelligences proposes that individuals possess a range of different types of intelligence. In contrast, learning styles refer to an individual’s preferred way of processing information, such as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic.

While both theories emphasize the importance of recognizing and valuing individual differences in learning and development, multiple intelligence theory proposes a broader and more diverse range of intelligences beyond traditional academic abilities, while learning styles are focused on preferences for processing information.

Armstrong, T. (2009). Multiple intelligences in the classroom . Ascd.

Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). Performance Counts: Assessment Systems That Support High-Quality Learning . Council of Chief State School Officers .

Davis, K., Christodoulou, J., Seider, S., & Gardner, H. E. (2011). The theory of multiple intelligences.  Davis, K., Christodoulou, J., Seider, S., & Gardner, H.(2011). The theory of multiple intelligences . In RJ Sternberg & SB Kaufman (Eds.), Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence , 485-503.

Edutopia. (2013, March 8). Multiple Intelligences: What Does the Research Say? https://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-research

Gardner, H. E. (2000). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century . Hachette UK.

Gardner, H. (2011a). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences . Hachette Uk.

Gardner, H. (2011b). The theory of multiple intelligences: As psychology, as education, as social science. Address delivered at José Cela University on October, 29, 2011.

Gottfredson, L. S. (2004). Schools and the g factor . The Wilson Quarterly (1976-), 28 (3), 35-45.

Pearson, M., O’Brien, P., & Bulsara, C. (2015). A multiple intelligences approach to counseling: Enhancing alliances with a focus on strengths.  Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 25 (2), 128–142

Shearer, C. B. (2020). A resting state functional connectivity analysis of human intelligence: Broad theoretical and practical implications for multiple intelligences theory.  Psychology & Neuroscience, 13 (2), 127–148.

Visser, B. A., Ashton, M. C., & Vernon, P. A. (2006). Beyond g: Putting multiple intelligences theory to the test . Intelligence, 34 (5), 487-502.

Waterhouse, L. (2006). Inadequate evidence for multiple intelligences, Mozart effect, and emotional intelligence theories . Educational Psychologist, 41 (4), 247-255.

Further Information

• Multiple Intelligences Criticisms
• The Theory of Multiple Intelligences
• Multiple Intelligences FAQ
• “In a Nutshell,” the first chapter of Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons
• Multiple Intelligences After Twenty Years”
• Intelligence: Definition, Theories and Testing
• Fluid vs Crystallized Intelligence

• The Big Think Interview
• Your Brain on Money
• Explore the Library
• The Universe. A History.
• The Progress Issue
• A Brief History Of Quantum Mechanics
• 6 Flaws In Our Understanding Of The Universe
• Michio Kaku
• Neil deGrasse Tyson
• Michelle Thaller
• Steven Pinker
• Ray Kurzweil
• Cornel West
• Helen Fisher
• Smart Skills
• High Culture
• The Present
• Hard Science
• Special Issues
• Starts With A Bang
• Everyday Philosophy
• The Learning Curve
• The Long Game
• Perception Box
• Strange Maps
• Free Newsletters
• Memberships

Howard Gardner

Howard Gardner is a developmental psychologist and the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He holds positions as Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and Senior Director of Harvard Project Zero.

Among numerous honors, Gardner received a MacArthur Prize Fellowship in 1981. In 1990, he was the first American to receive the University of Louisville's Grawemeyer Award in Education and in 2000 he received a Fellowship from the John S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. In 2005 and again in 2008 he was selected by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines as one of 100 most influential public intellectuals in the world. He has received honorary degrees from twenty-two colleges and universities, including institutions in Ireland, Italy, Israel, and Chile.

The author of over twenty books translated into twenty-seven languages, and several hundred articles, Gardner is best known in educational circles for his theory of multiple intelligences, a critique of the notion that there exists but a single human intelligence that can be assessed by standard psychometric instruments. During the past twenty five years, he and colleagues at Project Zero have been working on the design of performance-based assessments, education for understanding, and the use of multiple intelligences to achieve more personalized curriculum, instruction, and assessment. In the middle 1990s, Gardner and his colleagues launched The GoodWork Project. "GoodWork" is work that is excellent in quality, personally engaging, and exhibits a sense of responsibility with respect to implications and applications. Researchers have examined how individuals who wish to carry out good work succeed in doing so during a time when conditions are changing very quickly, market forces are very powerful, and our sense of time and space is being radically altered by technologies, such as the web. Gardner and colleagues have also studied curricula. Gardner's books have been translated into twenty-seven languages. Among his books are The Disciplined Mind: Beyond Facts and Standardized Tests , The K-12 Education that Every Child Deserves (Penguin Putnam, 2000) Intelligence Reframed (Basic Books, 2000), Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet (Basic Books, 2001), Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and Other People's Minds ( Harvard Business School Press, 2004), and Making Good: How Young People Cope with Moral Dilemmas at Work (Harvard University Press, 2004; with Wendy Fischman, Becca Solomon, and Deborah Greenspan). These books are available through the Project Zero eBookstore.

Currently Gardner continues to direct the GoodWork project, which is concentrating on issues of ethics with secondary and college students. In addition, he co-directs the GoodPlay and Trust projects; a major current interest is the way in which ethics are being affected by the new digital media.

In 2006 Gardner published Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons, The Development and Education of the Mind , and Howard Gardner Under Fire . In Howard Gardner Under Fire,  Gardner's work is examined critically; the book includes a lengthy autobiography and a complete biography. In the spring of 2007, Five Minds for the Future was published by Harvard Business School Press. Responsibility at Work , which Gardner edited, was published in the summer of 2007.

To arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves.

Howard Gardner

HOWARD GARDNER is the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is also an adjunct professor of psychology at Harvard University and senior director of Harvard Project Zero. Among numerous honors, Gardner received a MacArthur Prize Fellowship and a Fellowship from the John S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation in 1981 and 2000, respectively. In 1990, he was the first American to receive the University of Louisville’s Grawemeyer Award in Education. In recognition of his contributions to both academic theory and public policy, he has received honorary degrees from thirty-one colleges and universities. He has been elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Education, and the London-based Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce. He serves on a number of boards, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art and the American Philosophical Society.

His newest research undertaking is a large-scale national study documenting how different groups think about the goals of college and the value of a course of study emphasizing liberal arts and sciences. The study seeks to understand how the chief constituencies of campuses—incoming students, graduating students, faculty, senior administrators, parents, alumni/ae, trustees and job recruiters—think about these changes and how they may impact the college experience in our time. Ultimately, the study aims to provide valuable suggestions of how best to provide quality, non-professional higher education in the 21st century.

His numerous books include Truth, Beauty, and Goodness Reframed ;  Leading Minds; Frames of Mind; The Mind's New Science: A History of the Cognitive Revolution; To Open Minds; Multiple Intelligences ;  Extraordinary Minds: Portraits of Four Exceptional Individuals ;  Changing Minds: The Art and Science of Changing Our Own and other People's Minds ; and A Synthesizing Mind: A Memoir from the Creator of Multiple Intelligences Theory.

Responses to Annual Question

Conversations at edge, contributions to the conversation, beyond edge.

Gardner, Howard

• Reference work entry
• Cite this reference work entry

• Jacob Webber 2  

342 Accesses

Gardner, Howard (1943–) is a leading theorist in cognitive development, an activist in education, and is best known for his Multiple Intelligence Theory.

Biographical Information

Howard Gardner was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1943, to his mother and father who had managed to flee Germany in 1938 at the heart of World War II. Howard was the second of two children, but his older brother Eric, was killed just prior to Howard’s birth. Gardner personally expressed that as he grew up and came to terms with his brother’s death, and his family’s Jewish traditional values and faith, he had a hard time relating to his parents and peers (Smith 2008).

Gardner grew up in a house where education was praised and something sought after. His parents encouraged him to attend Philips Andover, a superior and highly noted private school in Massachusetts. However, Gardner chose to attend a prep school closer to home in Kingston, Pennsylvania. He excelled in his academics, and was stimulated by...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save.

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime
• Available as PDF
• Read on any device
• Instant download
• Own it forever
• Available as EPUB and PDF
• Durable hardcover edition
• Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
• Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Gardner, H. (1993). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences . New York: Basic. Print.

Google Scholar  

Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the twenty-first century . New York: Basic. Print.

Smith, M. K. (2008). Howard Gardner, multiple intelligences and education. Contents @ the informal education homepage. http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm . Accessed 13 Dec 2010.

Winner, E. (2010). Howard Gardner biography. Howard Gardner. Harvard graduate school of education. http://www.howardgardner.com/bio/bio.html . Accessed 13 Dec 2010.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Marymount Manhattan College, 411 E. 70th Street, New York, NY, 10021, USA

Jacob Webber

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jacob Webber .

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Department of Psychology, Fordham University, New York, NY, USA

Robert W. Rieber

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this entry

Cite this entry.

Webber, J. (2012). Gardner, Howard. In: Rieber, R.W. (eds) Encyclopedia of the History of Psychological Theories. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0463-8_210

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-0463-8_210

Publisher Name : Springer, New York, NY

Print ISBN : 978-1-4419-0425-6

Online ISBN : 978-1-4419-0463-8

eBook Packages : Behavioral Science Reference Module Humanities and Social Sciences Reference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Share this entry

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Quick Links:

• Support the AAPSS
• Subscribe for Updates
• 2024 Fellows
• 2024 Moynihan Prize Winner
• Open Search Window

Howard Gardner

2004 Mahatma M.K. Gandhi Fellow

About Howard Gardner

Howard Gardner is the John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education and Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Harvard University. He is also senior director of Project Zero, an educational research group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education dedicated to understanding and enhancing learning and thinking. Dr. Gardner is best known for his theory of multiple intelligences, a critique of the notion that a single human intelligence exists that can be assessed by standard psychometric instruments, which he outlined in his breakthrough book,  Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983). During the past three decades, Dr. Gardner has been heavily involved in school reform efforts in the United States. He and colleagues at Project Zero have been working on the design of performance-based assessments, education for understanding, and the use of multiple intelligences to achieve more personalized curricula, instruction, and assessment. Over the years, Project Zero has maintained a strong research commitment in the arts while gradually expanding its concerns to include education across all disciplines—not just for the individual, but for whole classrooms, schools, and other educational and cultural organizations. Much of his work takes place in American public schools, particularly those that serve disadvantaged populations.

In the mid-1990s, Dr. Gardner began conducting intensive case studies of exemplary creators and leaders. With psychologists Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and William Damon, he launched The Good Project, a group of initiatives that promote excellence, engagement, and ethics in education. Through research-based concepts, frameworks, and resources, the project helps students to reflect on the ethical dilemmas that arise in everyday life and gives them the tools to make thoughtful decisions, preparing them to be good citizens who contribute to the overall well-being of society. Dr. Gardner’s research with The Good Project has also focused on pre-college education in an era of globalization, and on the nature of interdisciplinary study and teaching.

Most recently, working with Project Zero, Dr. Gardner has undertaken a national study at ten institutions of higher learning, looking at how various campus constituencies—incoming and graduating students, faculty, administrators, parents, alumni, trustees, and job recruiters—think about the goals of college and the value of liberal arts study. The study aims to understand how these views may impact the college experience and ultimately seeks to provide suggestions of how best to deliver quality higher education in the twenty-first century.

Dr. Gardner is the author of dozens of books. His most recent books include The App Generation: How Today’s Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy, and Imagination in the Digital World , co-authored with Katie Davis (2013), and Multiple Intelligences around the World,  edited with Jie-Qi Chen and Seana Moran (2009). Others include  Five Minds for the Future (2006),  Changing Minds (2004),  Making Good  (with W. Fischman, B. Solomon, and D. Greenspan, 2004), Good Work: When Excellence and Ethics Meet  (with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and William Damon, 2001),  Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century  (1999), and The Disciplined Mind: What All Students Should Understand (1999), as well as several hundred articles. A festschrift entitled Mind, Work, and Life was edited in 2014 by Mindy L. Kornhaber and Ellen Winner in honor of Dr. Gardner’s 70th birthday.

Dr. Gardner received his PhD from Harvard University. He is winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship (2000); the Grawemeyer Award in Education (1990); and a MacArthur Prize Fellowship (1981). He has received honorary degrees from twenty-nine colleges and universities, including institutions in Ireland, Italy, Israel, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, and Hong Kong. In 2004 he was named an Honorary Professor at East China Normal University in Shanghai. In 2005 and 2008 he was selected by  Foreign Policy  and  Prospect  magazines as one of 100 most influential public intellectuals in the world. In 2008, Dr. Gardner was selected by the  Wall Street Journal  as one of the five most sought-after thinkers in business and was named as one of the most influential people in business ethics by  Ethisphere Magazine . He was listed as one of the top 30 leaders in business by the American Management Association in 2014.

The American Academy of Political and Social Science

220 South 40th Street, Suite 201-E Philadelphia, PA 19104-3543 (215) 746-6500

• The Moynihan Prize
• Fellows of the Academy
• Join Our Mailing List
• Share Your News
• Donate to the Academy
• Moynihan Prize Fund

Knowledge that informs society. Research for stronger policy.