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Chapter 3: It's All in the Mind

The Theory of Multiple Intelligences

In 1983, Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner published a groundbreaking work entitled Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences that refuted the idea that intelligence is just one thing, or that it results from a single factor, or that it can be measured definitively by an IQ test. Instead, Gardner offered a new definition with room for multiple intelligences. His initial list of seven intelligences included the following:
Linguistic intelligence. People with strong linguistic intelligence are sensitive to spoken and written language. They are adept at learning and using language to accomplish goals.
Logical-mathematical intelligence. Those who embody this form of intelligence have the capacity to analyze problems logically, to carry out mathematical operations, and to investigate issues scientifically. They will be able to detect patterns, reason deductively, and think logically.
Musical intelligence. People who possess musical intelligence are skilled at performance and/or composition, appreciate musical patterns, and are able to recognize and compose pitches, tones, and rhythms.
Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence. People who are strong in this kind of intelligence will be able to use the whole body or parts of the body to solve problems. Athletes, craftspeople, dancers, and builders typically rank high in this intelligence.
Visual/Spatial intelligence. This intelligence is characterized by the ability to think in images and pictures and to excel in the creation and use of graphs, maps, charts, mazes, illustrations, art models, puzzles, and costumes.
Interpersonal intelligence. People who possess high levels of this intelligence are exceptionally aware of the intentions, motivations, and desires of other people. This intelligence, which allows for productive collaboration with others, is typically found in educators, salespeople, politicians, religious leaders, and counselors.
Intrapersonal intelligence. This intelligence is marked by an exceptional awareness of one's own feelings and values and a strongly intuitive orientation. Since the initial publication of Frames of Mind, Gardner and his colleagues have considered adding other types of intelligence to the list, including: Naturalist (environmental) intelligence, Existential (asking the "big" questions) intelligence, and Moral (sensitive to the rules that govern the sanctity of life) intelligence. Schools are becoming increasingly sensitive to the fact that different people learn in different ways-not in good, better, or best ways.

Reflections on Multiple Intelligences

In which type of intelligence do you rate yourself most highly?
Why do you feel this way?

What Type of Learner Are You?

Visual
Do class lectures bore you to tears, but you seem to be able to get everything you need from your books? Visual learners work best with graphics, pictures, and reading. Flash cards or note cards may be a big help to this group.

Auditory
Do you hate to take notes, but can usually listen and easily remember the main points of class lectures? Auditory learners are very careful listeners. They learn well by discussing their interests as well. If you know people who may just listen in lecture and not take notes, chances are they are auditory learners.

Kinesthetic
Do you love lab classes or rewriting notes to help the lecture sink in? Kinesthetic learners get to know their information by doing. Some type of physical manifestation of the subject (like lab classes), or otherwise physically engaging activity, helps this type of student learn better.

The PrOACT Approach to Problem Solving

The acronym PrOACT stands for: Problem, Objectives, Alternatives, Consequences, and Trade-offs. It serves as a reminder that the best attitude toward problem solving is being proactive.
In the PrOACT approach, you break a problem into the five PrOACT elements and think about each one separately. Then you put your thoughts back together and make a smart choice.

Problem. First you have to figure out just what the problem is. Your ability to solve a problem depends on how you define it. For example is your problem deciding whether or not to buy a car, or deciding which car to buy?
Objectives. Solving a problem or making a decision should bring you closer to achieving your goals. In a problem-solving situation, therefore, you need to know what your objectives are. For example, your objectives could be to buy a vehicle that has room for your family of six, is reasonably priced, and gets good gas mileage.
Alternatives. What different courses of action can you think of? What solutions are there to your problem? Think of as many possible alternatives as you can.
Consequences. For each reasonable alternative you come up with, think through the possible consequences, or results. Which alternatives have consequences that match your objectives?
Trade-offs. Whatever solution you choose, there will be pros and cons. You need to evaluate the pros and cons and decide what trade-offs are acceptable. There is no perfect solution to a problem-even the best alternative has drawbacks.

From Reaching Your Potential: Personal and Professional Development, 3rd edition by Robert K. Throop and Marion B. Castellucci. Copyright © 2004 Thomson Delmar Learning, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.

Memory: How it Works

Essentially, memory comes in three forms:
Sensory Memory. With sensory memory, we perceive a sensation-we hear, smell, taste, or feel something-and that sensation becomes something we store in our minds. Obviously, we could not hope to store all the sensory memories we process. We do store many significant sensory memories, however. The taste of Grandma's apple pie; the time we stepped on a rusty nail; the sound of rain on the tin roof of the tree house we loved as a child.
Short-term Memory. Some portion of our sensory memories makes its way into the short-term memory. In the short-term memory, we store information that we associate with our sensory memories. The short-term memory is a kind of holding tank, and not a very large one at that. It can only accommodate a handful of memories at any one time. If we want to keep something in our short-term memory for a while longer, we may need to use repetition-take a right at Forrest Street, take a right at Forrest Street-or use some other kind of mind trick.
Long-term Memory. Some of our short-term memories make their way into the long-term memory. The long-term memory is almost limitless in its storage capacity. People hang on to so much in their long-term memories, from the state capital of Idaho (Boise) to the numerical equivalency of pi (3.14) to the opening lyrics of "Heartbreak Hotel" (Well, since my baby left me, I found a new place to dwell, It's down at the end of a lonely street…).

Memory Boosters

Even if you feel that you have a poor memory, don't despair. There are many clever and easy ways to improve your memory without difficulty.

Repetition
You've been using this memory booster all your life, haven't you? If you've ever taken French, for instance, you've spent a good deal of time repeating over and over and over again the conjugation of the verb to have. You went through it hundreds of times-J'ai, tu as, vous avez, il a, elle a, nous avons-until you got it down, second nature. You did the same thing in elementary school when you learned the multiplication tables. Repetition works but, then again, not everything lends itself to repetition. Some material is too complex for such an approach.

Organization
Miscellaneous information is more likely to stick in the mind if we organize it clearly and consistently through some system of categorization. Let's imagine, for instance, that you have an enormous extended family and you're trying to remember the names of your 50 first cousins. You'll have a better chance of accomplishing this task if you think in terms of "Uncle Sid and Aunt Joyce's kids" and "Uncle Phil and Aunt Lil's kids." Or perhaps you'll want to go from oldest to youngest, or geographically, or some other method you devise that works for you. The other way that you can use organization to remember things is to make lists, even it they're just on the back of envelopes.

Mnemonics
Mnemonics are mind enhancers that help people to remember things. For instance, if you're trying to remember the names of the Great Lakes, you might rely on HOMES, that trusty old mnemonic device wherein H stands for Lake Huron, O for Ontario, M for Michigan, E for Erie, and S for Superior. Making up a song or a rhyme can help, too (Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492). Another mnemonic device that some people appreciate is called the journey method. With this, you create a little narrative in your mind that moves you down memory lane.

Food for Thought (Literally!): Mnemonics
Try one of the mnemonic methods to remember your groceries next time you go to the store.

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