A study on different forms of intelligence in Indian school-going children

INTRODUCTION: Most definitions of intelligence focus on capabilities that are relevant to scholastic performances. However, there are seven forms of intelligences. There is a lack of data on multiple intelligences in Indian children. Hence, this study was conducted to assess different forms of intelligences in students and compared these diverse intelligences with intelligence quotient (IQ) scores. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional observational study, we recruited 1065 school children between the age of 12 and 16 years from two government and 13 private schools in five towns, six cities, and two villages across India. All the children were administered multiple intelligences questionnaire by Armstrong, consisting of thirty true/false types of questions to assess the intelligences of a child in seven domains including linguistic skills, logical/mathematical abilities, musical skills, spatial intelligence, bodily-kinesthetic skills, intrapersonal intelligence, and interpersonal intelligence. IQ scores were assessed by Ravens Standard Progressive Matrices. RESULTS: We found that different students possessed different forms of intelligences and most students had more than one forms of intelligence. Of seven forms of intelligence, only three forms of intelligence such as logical/mathematical, musical, and spatial were positively correlated with the IQ score. CONCLUSIONS: Even in the children with low IQ, many students had other forms of intelligences. The IQ scores correlated with only logical/mathematical, spatial, and musical intelligence. Hence, tapping the intelligences of students can help enhance their learning process. Our curriculum should have an amalgamation of teaching for all kinds of intelligences for maximum productivity.