Award for The Eight Types of Intelligence

The American psychologist and professor Howard Gardner, Harvard University (Scranton, USA, 1943) has been awarded today with the Prince of Asturias Prize for Social Sciences 2011.Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Harvard University in 1971. At present, currently holds the chair of Cognition and Education John H. & Elisabeth A. Hobbs School of Education at the university, where he also serves as adjunct professor of psychology. In addition, since 1972, is co-director and chairman of the steering committee of Project Zero, a research group at Harvard University who studies the learning processes of children and adults.

His field of research has been directed to the analysis of the cognitive abilities of humans, where he developed his theory of multiple intelligences, which marks a significant change in the educational model. Gardner argues that there is no single intelligence, but each individual has at least eight cognitive skills: linguistic intelligence, logical-mathematical, bodily-kinetic, musical, spatial, naturalist, interpersonal and intrapersonal. Consider further that these intelligences have no intrinsic value and that the behavior of each individual in society, using his intelligence, is a fundamental moral issue.

Project Zero, launched in 1967 by the philosopher Nelson Goodman in order to study and improve arts learning has addressed the design of performance-based assessments, education for understanding in the use of multiple intelligences to achieve a more personalized education and quality of interdisciplinary efforts in education. One of his most important contributions is the model of “smart schools” based on learning as a result of the act of thinking and deep understanding of learning as involving active and flexible use of knowledge. Most of this work has been implemented in U.S. public schools. In recent years, Gardner is also involved in Goodwork Project, aimed at improving the quality and professional self-esteem, with reference to the factors of excellence and ethics.

Gardner is the author of 25 books, translated into 28 languages, and about 450 articles. His latest publication is Five Minds for the Future (2009).