Question

1. Do you think "multiple intelligences" is a valid construct? In other words, do multiple intelligences exist? (Be sure to include connections to the textbook/research when building your argument.)
2. Do you think that the test you took in Module 5 gave a valid picture of your intellectual abilities? In other words, do you think that test accurately measured what it is supposed to measure?

3. Provide at least one recommendation about how the developers of this multiple intelligences test could demonstrate evidence for the validity of the test. Your recommendation should focus on one of the types of validity described in the textbook [i.e., content-related validity, predictive validity, concurrent validity, or construct validity (using convergent or discriminant evidence)].

4. Finally, make a Biblical argument either for or against the existence of multiple intelligences. Whichever stance you take, be sure to back it up with meaningful and relevant scripture references.

Answer 1

1. The idea behind the concept of multiple intelligences is that human intelligence can take different "modalities," as opposed to being dominated by a single general ability. I think this is a valid construct, as it approaches the concept of "intelligence" from various different angles, not always considered when discussing intelligence in other contexts.

2. As we do not have access to this text, we are not able to answer this section of the question.

3. One way in which the developers of a test of multiple intelligences could demonstrate the validity of the test using evidence would be by also researching the behaviour of the people who took the test out in the real world. They could compare these results to the results of the test. In this way, they would be more likely to find out whether the intelligences mentioned in the test are indeed exercised in real life.

4. A passage from the Bible that could support this idea would be the following:

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 – "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many."

In this passage, the idea of many parts within a single body is presented. However, it is also stated that the many parts of the body in fact end up forming a single entity. This is similar to the multiple intelligences that combine to give a single personality capable of certain things.