INTERPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE

  The concept of interpersonal intelligence has been originated from the Howard Gardner’s book “Frames of Mind -The Theory of Multiple Intelligences” in 1983. The author is a psychologist and Professor at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education.

  According to Gardner intelligence is not just intelligence quotient as most people believe. Instead he proposed a more pluralistic view for intelligence. Gardner put forward the theory of multiple intelligence to one individual. An individuals can have 9 or more relatively autonomous intelligences such as :

·       Spatial or visual intelligence- is the ability to think in three dimensions. This may include mental imagery, spatial reasoning, image manipulation, graphic and artistic skills, and an active imagination. Sailors, pilots, sculptors, painters, and architects all have highly developed spatial intelligence. 

·       Musical intelligence- is the capacity to understand and recognize pitch, rhythm, timbre, and tone of music. This intelligence helps to recognize, create, reproduce, and reflect on music, as exhibited in composers, musicians, vocalist, and sensitive listeners. There may be great affinity and affection to music.

·       Logical or mathematical intelligence- is the ability to calculate, quantify, and do all mathematical calculations well. It also includes sequential reasoning skills; and inductive and deductive thinking patterns. Logical intelligence is well developed in mathematicians, scientists, and investigative minds.

·       Linguistic intelligence- is the ability to think and communicate effectively using words and to use language to express complex meanings. This category of intelligence is evident in poets, novelists, journalists, and effective public speakers. People with linguistic intelligence excel in writing, reading, telling stories or doing crossword puzzles.

·       Intrapersonal intelligence- is the ability to understand oneself and one’s thoughts and feelings, and to make use of this knowledge in planning and implementing in one’s life. 

·       Interpersonal intelligence- the ability to understand and interact effectively with others. It involves effective verbal and nonverbal communication and the ability to understand and behave according to the moods and temperaments of others; ability to understand and deal with multiple perspectives of people around. Politicians, teachers, negotiators, public servants all might have this intelligence to interact effectively with a group. 

·       Kinesthetic or bodily intelligence- involves a sense of timing and the perfection of skills through mind–body union. Athletes, dancers, surgeons, and crafts people have well-developed bodily kinesthetic intelligence. 

·       Naturalistic intelligence- is the  ability to discriminate among living things (plants, animals) as well as sensitivity to other features of the natural world (clouds, rock configurations). 

·       Existential intelligence- ability to tackle the questions of own existence in this world.

Interpersonal intelligence

 Interpersonal intelligence refers to the ability of a person to relate well with people and manage relationships with great understanding of the needs, moods and temperaments of the people around him or her. It enables or helps strengthen their overall influence around with effective communication and behavior.

   This type of intelligence is  very much useful in workforce as people with interpersonal intelligence can be effective communicators, mediators and negotiators. Interpersonal intelligence has crucial rule in corporate companies, politics and health care sectors to communicate effectively and enjoy participating in discussions and debates.

    Individuals with interpersonal intelligence are characterized by their sensitivity to other people’s moods, temperaments, motivations, and feelings. They can be effective counsellors, therapists and public health professionals due to the understanding of needs of others, their ability to cop up with the crowd or populations.

 Individuals possessing strong Interpersonal Intelligence have an aptitude for effectively interacting and dealing with others. They can listen carefully to others, start conversations with anybody and influence others easily.

Famous People with High Interpersonal Intelligence

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (political leader)

Oprah Winfrey (TV talk-show host)

Joan Rivers (comedian)

Nelson Mandela (President and politician)

Interpersonal intelligence & link with nervous system

Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to a set of abilities that enable us to engage in sophisticated information processing about emotions and emotion-relevant stimuli and to use this information as a guide for thinking and behavior. The prefrontal cortex (PFC), as the most recently evolved brain region  which plays a crucial role in human social-emotional behavior which includes interpersonal intelligence also. More precisely, the ventromedial PFC ( vm PFC) is hypothesized to mediate knowledge crucial to manage emotionally relevant information. Therefore, vmPFC damage results in social incompetence, problems in interpersonal interactions, and abnormal changes in mood and personality.

References

1.    The university of Tenesse health science centre

https://www.uthsc.edu/tlc/intelligence-theory.php#:~:text=Interpersonal%20intelligence%20is%20the%20ability,ability%20to%20entertain%20multiple%20perspectives.

2.    https://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/management/interpersonal-intelligence/

3.    https://www.multiplenatures.com/insight-posts/interpersonal-intelligence

4.    https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/interpersonal-intelligence

5.    https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.0912568106