Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that intelligence, as an innate capacity, determines 30-40 percent, adding, “It can be developed by education by 60-70 percent. Faster progress can be made with mental investment, effort, and endeavor, and these individuals become more advantageous.”
Emphasizing the importance of being emotionally intelligent, Tarhan evaluated the relationship between intelligence types. Tarhan stated, “Actually, the ideal is to be able to use all types of intelligence appropriately and timely. You may be very successful in some types of intelligence, but true leaders and opinion leaders are individuals who can use different types of intelligence in a balanced way.”
Uskudar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, evaluated the topic of multiple intelligences on TRT RADIO 1's Ailece program.
Multiple intelligence theory was put forward in 1983
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that the multiple intelligence theory was a thesis put forward in 1983 by Prof. Dr. Howard Gardner from Harvard University. 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 and evaluating with tests like Stanford-Binet to get to know a child was unfair to many children. In the movie Forrest Gump, we see a child who achieves tremendous success despite being talented but excluded because his intelligence level was deemed insufficient. Gardner, based on such examples, argued that intelligence is not a single structure but plural and has a developable structure, and developed the multiple intelligence theory accordingly.”
Verbal intelligence and logical intelligence are two types of intelligence that can be measured in tests…
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that Gardner defined seven different types of intelligence at that time, saying, “Verbal intelligence and logical intelligence are generally the two classically known types of intelligence that can be measured in tests. Measuring other types of intelligence may be more difficult, but these types have specific characteristics. For example, musical intelligence. Individuals with musical intelligence can create rhythm and dance even from a squeaky door in their childhood. This is also known as ear intelligence. These individuals, who can understand melodies and rhythms without knowledge of notes, are quite talented in terms of musical intelligence. Another type of intelligence is visual intelligence. Individuals with high visual intelligence are successful especially in areas such as map reading, design, and creating mental images. Painters, architects, illustrators, and pilots can be given as examples of people with this type of intelligence. They can easily draw or design something they see. In addition, bodily-kinesthetic intelligence is also an important type of intelligence. Individuals with bodily-kinesthetic intelligence perceive and coordinate body 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.”
Intelligence can be developed by education by 60-70 percent
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan stated that intelligence, as an innate capacity, determines 30-40 percent, adding, “It can be developed by education by 60-70 percent. 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 understands oneself. Philosophers, clerics, and psychologists are also self-confident, self-disciplined individuals who can develop themselves with intrapersonal intelligence. There is also naturalistic intelligence. These individuals are very environmentally conscious. They know flora, plants, flowers, and trees very well.”
Is there a universal moral intelligence?
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan also noted that among the defined intelligences, there is existential intelligence, stating, “The person with this multiple intelligence questions existence: ‘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 about?’ These are individuals who ask such existential questions. Another is expressed as moral intelligence.”
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also said that Gardner could not reach a conclusion on universal moral intelligence, adding, “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 rapidly increasing, and breakthroughs 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 human values increasing’. Indeed, we see evil.”
I had defined the concept of ‘conscientious intelligence’…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that while evils in Turkey and the world were expected to decrease as material prosperity increased, they have, on the contrary, shown an increase, adding, “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’. Using ‘conscientious intelligence’ instead of ‘moral intelligence’ made this concept more measurable and definable. After the book was published, a team contacted me. They said, ‘We want to turn the concepts you defined in the book into a test and scale,’ and they did a study and developed the ‘Conscientious Intelligence Scale’.”
A guide for parents and teachers containing intelligence types
Prof. Dr. Tarhan noted that he shared a 10-question scale defining the content of intelligence types in his book The Psychology of Emotions, stating, “Thus, parents and educators can easily determine which type of intelligence is dominant by asking these questions to their children. Parents or guidance counselors analyze children by performing these measurements for primary school-aged children. Since the classroom teacher knows the child well, they can also engage in talent scouting.”
True leaders use different types of intelligence in a balanced way
Prof. Dr. Tarhan also touched upon the relationship between intelligence types, stating, “Actually, the ideal is to be able to use all types of intelligence appropriately and timely. You may be very successful in some types of intelligence, but true leaders and opinion leaders are individuals who can use different types of intelligence in a balanced way. These people contribute to society and guide others. 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.”
Someone with high logical intelligence may have low emotional intelligence…
Prof. Dr. Tarhan concluded his words by saying that some people can speak several languages very well but may find it difficult to converse with someone:
“This situation shows that their logical intelligence is high, but their emotional intelligence is low. For example, Einstein was an extreme genius; he played chess, played the violin, and made extraordinary discoveries. However, his emotional and social intelligence were 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 and don't expect attention from me.’ Thereupon, his wife decided to end the marriage. In his primary school years, his teachers told him, ‘This child will not study, he will not amount to anything.’ Einstein was extremely successful in his own field, but he neglected other types of intelligence. This situation can be likened to the balanced growth of the human body. If our eye becomes abnormally large, the natural harmony of our face is disturbed. Similarly, types of intelligence should 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.”