Logical-mathematical intelligence: what is it and how can we improve it?

Skills related to logic and numbers can be developed over time.

Our ability to solve mathematical problems has long been considered to be the clearest expression of our own the clearest form of expression of our own intelligence. intelligence.

It used to be measured by the time it took to detect mathematical patterns in series, solve a mental arithmetic operation or answer geometry exercises. Today, this ability is still very important when it comes to assessing the cognitive capacities of human beings, but our conception of what intelligence is (or can be) has become broader.

That is why proposals such as the Theory of Multiple Intelligences have emerged, one of whose components is the Logical-mathematical intelligence formulated by psychologist Howard Gardner.

• To learn more: "The 12 types of intelligence: which one do you possess?"

A definition of Logical-mathematical intelligence.

This type of intelligence can be defined as our capacity for formal reasoning to solve problems related to numbers and the relationships that can be established between themas well as to think according to the rules of logic.

In logical-mathematical intelligence, mathematics and logic go hand in hand because thinking through both of them requires following the rules of a formal systemOne plus one equals two, whatever the units we are working with, just as something that is cannot not be, regardless of what it is. In short, being endowed to a greater or lesser extent with logical-mathematical intelligence allows us to recognize and predict the causal connections between things that happen in our lives. (if I add 3 units to these 5, I will get 8 because I have added them, etc.).

The implications of the above for our way of thinking and acting are clear. Thanks to this intelligence we are able to think more or less coherently, detect regularities in the relationships between things and reason logically.

It could be said that, beyond our unique way of seeing things and using language in our own way to define the things that happen in the world, logical-mathematical intelligence allows us to embrace logical rules that enable our thinking to connect with that of others..

Cognitive skills beyond language

It is important to note that this type of intelligence does not directly explain our way of thinking in general, nor our use of language or our interpretation of our own reality. These factors depend largely on our ideology and the use of language that characterizes us.

Logical-mathematical intelligence does not help us to question whether we are adding the kind of units we should be adding, for example, just as logic does not tell us what aspects of a problem we should prioritize and solve first, nor what our objectives should be. However, once certain rules have been set, what remains can be evaluated as logical-mathematical intelligence.

An example: when a mathematical problem is proposed to us, we can choose whether to solve it or not and, once we have accepted the rules of the statement, we can solve it well or poorly.. But we can also refuse to solve that problem because doing so would not be useful for our purposes, for whatever reason, or we can deliberately answer wrong because we do not accept the rules imposed from the beginning.

How to improve in logical-mathematical intelligence?

You've probably guessed it, because it's almost self-evident: facing tasks that force you to use this type of intelligence.. At first, this can be very tedious for some people, but the progress that can be made is spectacular and very useful for day-to-day life, especially those related to the mental arithmetic.

You can start with notebooks to learn mathematics at your own pace or attend specialized academies (although most of them have a university focus). You also have the option of start practically from scratch on free training sites such as the highly recommended such as the highly recommended Khan Academy, where you can measure your progress and choose the branches of learning to your liking.

One of the keys: logical thinking

As for the part that refers to logical thinking, you may find it more enjoyable at the beginning, since the best way to develop it is to dialogue and discuss through arguments, and to be careful not to fall into fallacies.

Something that is typical, for example, of any bar night or Christmas dinner with the family, but that can be generalized to many other moments of your life. To get your hands on how logic works, you can look for books of your choice that deal with logic and logical fallacies.

Bibliographical references:

• Gardner, Howard. (1998). A Reply to Perry D. Klein's 'Multiplying the problems of intelligence by eight'. Canadian Journal of Education 23 (1): 96-102. doi:10.2307/1585968. JSTOR 1585790.
• Operskalski, O. T., Paul, E. J., Colom, R., Barbey, A. K., Grafman, J. (2015). Lesion Mapping the Four-Factor Structure of Emotional Intelligence. Front. Hum. Neurosci.
• Triglia, Adrian; Regader, Bertrand; and Garcia-Allen, Jonathan .(2018). "What is intelligence? From IQ to multiple intelligences." EMSE Publishing.