The theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) attracts controversy for want of empirical evidence. With the advances in developmental and cognitive Psychology, the MI is viewed purely as a tool to improve one's obvious and inherent abilities. This article emphasizes that intelligence cannot the judged as a single cognitive profile but multiple in nature.

The `guru' or `father' of MI, Howard Gardner is a developmental and cognitive psychologist who propounded the theory and concept way back in the early 1980s. To pen down in one sentence what one can perceive of Gardner's concept of MI is that it defines intelligence as not merely being the capacity to solve problems (which is the traditional approach to what intelligence is), but intelligence cannot be judged as a single cognitive profile restricted to scholastic achievements and needs to encompass other intelligences that a person might have and hence intelligence is not single but multiple in nature. Further, according to Gardner, not only are there different intelligences in a person but these intelligences are also demonstrated differently. Multiple Intelligences was introduced in Gardner's book Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. The Exhibit1 indicates what intelligence means traditionally and how different it is from Gardner's theory of MI.

Prior to Gardner's theory of MI, there was meager opposition to the existing paradigm of Intelligence Quotient (IQ). The term IQ meant intelligence was thought of as a single concept known as `g' and based on scholastic achievements. The yardstick used to judge IQ was the narrow perspective of solving tests. Gardner transformed this perception with his theory of MI by stating that there are several forms of intelligences in an individual, which are sometimes seen in activities that are not traditionally considered academic. Basically, MI is that each one of us as individuals has unique `cognitive profiles' with varying degrees of different intelligences. This is the crux of the definition of MI. Gardner's theory of MI is based on his definition of intelligence. According to Gardner, intelligence is "a bio-psychological potential to process information in certain ways, in order to solve problems that are valued in a culture or community" Exhibit II graphically indicates the different MI as described by Gardner.

HRM Review Magazine, Multiple Intelligences, Intelligence Quotient, IQ, Interpersonal Activities, Cultural Contexts, Mathematical Intelligence, Autonomous Processing Methodology, Genetics and Neurosciences, Human Intelligences, Traditional Intelligence, Multiple Intelligence Theory.