Being emotionally intelligent…
Stating that intelligence is 30-40 percent determinant as an innate capacity, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that “It can be developed by 60-70 percent through education. Faster progress can be made with mental investment, effort, and endeavor, and these individuals become more advantageous.”
Drawing attention to the importance of being emotionally intelligent, Tarhan evaluated the relationship between types of intelligence. Tarhan stated that “Actually, the ideal is to be able to use all types of intelligence appropriately and at the right time. You can be very successful in some types of intelligence, but real leaders and opinion leaders are individuals who can use different types of intelligence in a balanced way.”
President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, evaluated the topic of multiple intelligences on the TRT RADIO 1 Ailece program.
Multiple intelligences theory was proposed in 1983
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the multiple intelligences theory was a thesis proposed in 1983 by Prof. Howard Gardner from Harvard University, and that Gardner, as an educational psychologist, argued that limiting children's intelligence solely to mathematical intelligence was insufficient, saying, “He expressed that measuring only mathematical intelligence to understand a child and evaluating them with tests like Stanford-Binet did an injustice to many children. In the movie Forrest Gump, we see a child who, despite being talented, achieves tremendous success after being excluded because his intelligence level was not considered sufficient. Gardner, based on such examples, argued that intelligence is not a single structure but is plural and has a developable structure, and in this direction, he developed the multiple intelligences theory.”
Verbal intelligence and logical intelligence are two types of intelligence measurable in tests…
Stating that Gardner defined seven different types of intelligence at that time, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that “Verbal intelligence and logical intelligence are two types of intelligence generally known classically and measurable in tests. It may be more difficult to measure other types of intelligence, but these types have specific characteristics. For example, musical intelligence. People with musical intelligence can create rhythm and dance even from a door creak in their childhood. This is also known as ear intelligence. These individuals, who can understand melodies and rhythms without knowing musical notation, are quite talented in terms of musical intelligence. Another type of intelligence is visual intelligence. Individuals with high visual intelligence are particularly successful in areas such as map reading, design, and creating mental images. Painters, architects, illustrators, and pilots can be cited as examples of people with this type of intelligence. They can easily draw or design something they have seen. Additionally, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is also an important type of intelligence. People with bodily-kinesthetic intelligence can perceive and coordinate their bodily sensations very well. Skills such as coordination, balance, speed, and physical endurance are the most prominent features of this type of intelligence. For example, athletes, dancers, surgeons... They have many fine motor skills,” he spoke.
Intelligence can be developed by 60-70 percent through education
Stating that intelligence is 30-40 percent determinant as an innate capacity, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan said that “It can be developed by 60-70 percent through education. Faster progress can be made with mental investment, effort, and endeavor, and these individuals become more advantageous. There is also social intelligence. For example, these are important among educators, leaders, therapists, and psychologists. They read the emotions of the other party. Another type of intelligence is intrapersonal intelligence. Intrapersonal intelligence also knows, analyzes, and reads oneself. Philosophers, clergy, and psychologists are also individuals with intrapersonal intelligence, who are self-confident, self-disciplined, and can develop themselves. There is also naturalistic intelligence. These people are very environmentally conscious. They recognize flora, plants, flowers, and trees very well.”
Is there a universal moral intelligence?
Noting that existential intelligence is also among the defined intelligences, Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated, “The person with this multiple intelligence questions existence: They are individuals who ask existential questions like ‘Why do I exist? What is death? Why do we die? Why do we fall in love with other people? How and why did the world come to be?’ Another is expressed as moral intelligence.” Also stating that Gardner could not reach a decision on a universal moral intelligence, Prof. Tarhan said that “We invited Gardner to the Positive Psychology Congress we organized. Despite being 90 years old, he participated in our event online. I asked a question, ‘Technology is developing, computers are increasing rapidly, and developments related to artificial intelligence have begun. What will be the future of humanity?’ He said; ‘Material prosperity will increase, and it will increase even more. Technology will also increase, but I have many concerns about whether human values will increase.’ Indeed, we see the evils.”
I had defined the concept of ‘conscientious intelligence’…
Expressing that evils in Turkey and the world are increasing instead of decreasing as material prosperity increases, Prof. Tarhan said that “This situation is considered an indicator of social decay. In the book Positive Psychology published in 2010, I had defined the concept of ‘conscientious intelligence.’ Saying ‘conscientious intelligence’ instead of ‘moral intelligence’ made this concept more measurable and definable. After the book was published, a team contacted me. They conducted a study saying, ‘We want to turn the concepts you defined in the book into a test and scale,’ and they developed the ‘Conscientious Intelligence Scale.’”
A guide for parents and teachers including types of intelligence
Noting that he shared a 10-question scale defining the content of intelligence types in his book The Psychology of Emotions, Prof. Tarhan said that “Thus, parents and educators can easily determine which type of intelligence is dominant by asking their children these questions. Mothers, fathers, or guidance counselors analyze children by conducting these measurements on primary school-level children. Since the classroom teacher knows the child well, they can also do talent scouting.”
Real leaders use different types of intelligence in a balanced way
Also touching upon the relationships between intelligence types, Prof.. Tarhan said that, “Actually, the ideal is to be able to use all types of intelligence appropriately and at the right time. You can be very successful in some types of intelligence, but real leaders and opinion leaders are individuals who can use different types of intelligence in a balanced way. These people contribute to society and guide other people. Therefore, every individual needs to develop their skills related to all types of intelligence. No one can progress with a single type of intelligence, because various types of intelligence are needed in different areas of life. For example, both social intelligence and intrapersonal intelligence are important. You may not be the best in one area, but it is necessary to reach a minimum level in all types of intelligence.”
One with high logical intelligence may have low emotional intelligence…
Stating that some people can speak several languages very well but may have difficulty conversing with someone, Prof. Tarhan concluded his words as follows: “This situation shows that their logical intelligence is high, but their emotional intelligence is low. For example, Einstein was extremely brilliant; he played chess, played the violin, and made extraordinary discoveries. However, his emotional and social intelligence was not developed. In the 10th year of his marriage, he told his wife, ‘If you want to stay married to me, prepare my three meals a day and do not expect attention from me.’ Upon this, his wife decided to end the marriage. In his elementary school years, his teachers had told him, ‘This child will not study, he will not amount to anything.’ Einstein was extremely successful in his own field, but he had neglected other types of intelligence. This situation can be likened to the balanced growth of the human body. If our eye is abnormally large, the natural harmony of our face is disrupted. Similarly, types of intelligence should also develop within a balanced psychological integrity. Of course, one type of intelligence may be more dominant than others, but it is necessary not to neglect the others. It is very important for educators to provide guidance to ensure this balance. A child with high musical intelligence does not necessarily have to become a music artist. However, this child can learn more easily by listening to music while studying.”
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)