A study of the relationship between multiple intelligences and achievement as measured by Delaware Student Testing Program (DSTP) scores in reading, mathematics, and writing

Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences has broadened our understanding of the multidimensional nature of intelligence. In contrast to the unitary view of intelligence as expressed in Spearman's g, the theory of MI posits the existence of eight distinct intelligences: linguistic, logical mathematical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, spatial, and naturalist. According to MI theory, we possess each intelligence to varying degrees with at least one intelligence being dominant. In his recent work, Gardner has explored the existence of these intelligences in combination, suggesting that characteristic profiles of intelligence may enhance the opportunity for achievement in a domain.; This present study was an attempt to validate the use of intelligence profiles as a means of predicting success on standardized tests. In Delaware, as in many states, standardized, performance style assessments are used to determine promotion and diploma status. Gardner's viewpoint is that standardized testing favors students with dominant linguistic and logical-mathematical intelligences. This study was undertaken to explore if intelligences in combination play a role in achievement.; A population of 132 high school sophomores completed both the Multiple Intelligences Developmental Assessment Survey (MIDAS)—a self reporting survey of MI—and state tests in reading, writing, and mathematics in the spring of 2000. A backward removal stepwise multiple regression analysis was completed on the data using the MI variables from MIDAS as the predictor variables and each state test score (reading, writing, and mathematics) as criterion measures. The results substantiate the existence of distinct profiles of intelligence in relationship to state test scores thus allowing for the rejection of the null hypothesis. For reading scale score, linguistic and interpersonal intelligences emerged as the key profile intelligences. For mathematics scale score, logical-mathematical, linguistic and interpersonal are the profile variables. For writing raw score, linguistic and interpersonal are the profile variables. However, the percentage of the explained variance is low, suggested that the relationship between MI and standardized test achievement is present but weak, at least as defined within the parameters of this study. The results of the study thus suggest that the usefulness of MI profiles as predictors of achievement on standardized tests is limited.