Howard Gardner

(July 11, 1943 - )

American Psychologist and Educator

Influences

Student of:
Influenced by: Piaget, L. Thurstone
Students:
Influenced:
Time Period: Current Efforts

Education

Harvard University (A.B. in social relations, 1965)

London School of Economics (reading in philosophy and sociology, 1965-1966)
Harvard University (Ph.D. in social psychology/developmental psychology, 1971)
Harvard Medical School and Boston University Aphasia Research Center (Postdoctoral
fellow, 1971-1972)

Career

Piano teacher (1958-1969)

Elementary School Teacher (Newton, MA, 1969)
Research Associate, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center (1972-1974)
Research Associate in Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine (1972-1975)
Lecturer in Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education (1974-1986)
Associate Professor of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine (1979-1984)
Professor of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine (1984-1987)
Research Affiliate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1982-1986)
Research Psychologist, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center (1978-1991)
Consulting Psychologist, Boston Veterans Administration Medical Center (1991-1993)
Professor of Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education (1986-1998)
Chair, Project Zero Steering Committee (1995-present); Co-director, Project Zero (19722000); Senior Director, 2000-present)
John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education, Harvard Graduate
School of Education (1998-present)
Numerous awards, including: MacArthur Prize Fellowship (1981); National Psychology
Award for Excellence in the Media of the American Psychological Association (APA)
(1984); William James Award, APA (1987); Educational Press of America,
Distinguished Achievement Award (1989); Guggenheim Fellowship (2000);
approximately 15 honorary doctorates

Definition of Intelligence
"An intelligence is the ability to solve problems, or to create products, that are valued within one
or more cultural settings ( Gardner, 1983/2003, p. x)"
Major Contributions

Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Ideas & Interests

Howard Gardner has established himself as one of the world's foremost authorities on the topics
of intelligence, creativity, leadership, professional responsibility, and the arts. He is the author of
hundreds of research articles, and his 23 books have been translated into more than 20 languages.
He is also a recognizable figure in the popular media, having served as producer and consultant
for several television programs. He has also been profiled countless times both on television and
in print.
Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences (1983) proposes that intelligent behavior
does not arise from a single unitary quality of the mind, as the g -based theories profiled on this
Web site suggest, but rather that different kinds of intelligence are generated from separate
metaphorical pools of mental energy. Each of these pools enables the individual "to solve
problems, or to create products, that are valued within one or more cultural settings (Gardner,
1983/2003)." Gardner derived this conceptualization of intelligence in part from his experiences
working with members extreme populations, in which certain cognitive abilities are preserved
(often to a remarkable degree) even in the absence of other, very basic abilities. For example,
some autistic savants display extraordinary musical or mathematical abilities despite severely
impaired language development and social awareness. Likewise, individuals with localized brain
damage often demonstrate severe deficits that are circumscribed to a single cognitive domain
(Gardner, 1983/2003).
The seven intelligences proposed by Gardner are linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, bodilykinesthetic, musical, interpersonal and intrapersonal. Linguistic intelligence enables individuals
to read, write and speak well. Logical-mathematical intelligence encompasses logical thinking
(as might be used in chess or deductive reasoning, for example) as well as mathematical and
scientific problem-solving. Spatial intelligence makes its appearance when an individual
navigates an unfamiliar set of streets, or when an architect visualizes her plans for a building.
Musical intelligence generates the set of skills that allow musicians to play a tune by ear, or to
execute a phrase with sensitivity and grace. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is necessary for
problem-solving that requires the individual to use his or her physical body, as would be
necessary for performing a complex surgical procedure, executing a series of dance steps or
catching a fly ball. Interpersonal intelligence drives social skills and things like empathy and
intuition about what motivates other people-a type of understanding that is necessary for
salespersons, teachers and clergy, for example. Intrapersonal intelligence involves a similar set
of abilities, but these are turned toward the self; individuals who have high intrapersonal
intelligence have an accurate self-understanding, and can use this to their advantage in problem-

solving. Gardner asserts that logical-mathematical and linguistic intelligences are

overemphasized in traditional models of human intelligence, but that this is a cultural artifact; in
different life circumstances, different intelligences would gain higher priority ( Gardner, 1993).
Dr. Gardner is the Senior Director of Harvard University 's Project Zero, an educational research
group dedicated to understanding and enhancing "learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, as
well as humanistic and scientific disciplines, at the individual and institutional levels (retrieved
from http://pzweb.harvard.edu/index.htm.)" Several of Project Zero's projects involve the design
and implementation of alternatives to traditional intelligence testing.
Selected Publications
Gardner, H. (1991). The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think and How Schools Should
Teach. New York: BasicBooks.
Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. New York: BasicBooks.
Gardner, H. (1983/2003). Frames of mind. The theory of multiple intelligences. New York:
BasicBooks.
Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed. New York: Basic Books
Gardner, H. (2000). The Disciplined Mind: Beyond Facts And Standardized Tests, The K-12
Education That Every Child Deserves. New York: Penguin Putnam.
References
Gardner, H. (1983/2003). Frames of mind. The theory of multiple intelligences. New York:
BasicBooks.
Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: The theory in practice. New York: BasicBooks.
Howard Gardner's Personal Website
Project Zero Website