Interpersonal Intelligence: What is it? and How to develop it?

Nowadays we often hear the importance of having interpersonal skills and developing our interpersonal intelligence. However, its meaning is not explained nor why its development really is important throughout our lives.

Interpersonal intelligence is a concept developed by Harvard University psychologist and educator Howard Gardner. In his book Frames of Mind, published in 1983, he first presented the term and its definition. Interpersonal intelligence is one of the eight components of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences developed by Gardner.

Gardner defines intelligence as “the ability to solve problems or develop products, which are important in a cultural context or in a given community.”

In his theory, Gardner indicates there is not a single type of intelligence, but eight. According to the theory, every human being has them all eight, with a capacity for development. These intelligences work together, but at the same time, they are independent. Among these eight intelligences, we can find interpersonal intelligence.

Interpersonal intelligence is related to the ability to perceive and distinguish the moods, intentions, motives, desires and, feelings of other people through their facial expressions, voice, and gestures. Interpersonal intelligence does not depend on language but on the ability to identify the feelings and situations of others.

Interpersonal intelligence is based on one of the pillars of human adaptation: social interactions.

Some characteristics that people with developed interpersonal intelligence have are the following:

Share ideas with others

People tend to share their interests and ideas with others. They think the more people know their interests, the more opportunity they will have to develop them. They believe in the help of others and in group work.

Lead and organize groups

They are excellent leaders with great power of conviction and oratory. They inspire confidence for other people to join their groups. They love to participate in activities that relate to community support and social assistance organizations.

Conflict mediators

They are able to be objective and differentiate the feelings, emotions, postures, and needs of other people. So, mediation is a role they are given very well.

They love to attend parties and talk to people

People with developed interpersonal intelligence love to socialize and attend events where many people attend. In these spaces, they perform with their touch and communication skills. They tend to develop conversations with strangers and influence others.

Teamwork

They are very empathetic and develop good relationships with others. Teamwork is the basis of every project they carry out because they believe that the strength is in the union. They like to listen to the ideas of others and compliment them with their thoughts.

Some strategies and materials used by people with developed interpersonal intelligence are the following:

Cooperative learning

Through collaboration with colleagues, they carry out tasks or solve problems.

Debates

Discuss, present ideas or defend their positions related to a specific topic.

Table games

Through different board games, they relate by participating, taking turns, and understanding the reactions or feelings of others.

Simulations or “role play”

Through “role play” they are able to put themselves in the place of others. So they use their senses to identify the thoughts, feelings, strengths, and weaknesses of others. This allows them to understand other people’s behaviors.

Activities you can do to develop your interpersonal intelligence:

Do not criticize, condemn or complain.

Maintaining a positive attitude makes people want to interact with you. By avoiding constant criticism and accusations to others you will get people to trust you.

Appreciate other people with honesty.

Avoid taking the actions of others for granted. Avoid getting used to the gratitude of others. Thank and appreciate the people around you. Remind them that you appreciate their presence, their help, and their friendship. It offers sincerity and honesty in return. This will help develop lasting and true relationships.

Be genuinely interested in other people.

Think of other people and have empathy about their situations. Offer your help and availability genuinely. Try to understand people, their actions and their motives without judging them. When you are interested in other people you develop a bond of trust and security.

Smile.

Show your sympathy and kindness to others. This will not only build trust, but people will feel comfortable at your side. We never know when someone is going through a bad time and by smiling we can give a little encouragement.

Make other people feel important.

It allows people to dialogue, listen while they speak and do not interrupt while they speak. With this, you will not only show interest but respect. When you listen to someone you give importance to their words and as a result, your relationship will become more personal and more trustworthy.

Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.

Knowing people allows us to understand them better. That is why it is important to ask and talk about the interests and tastes of others so they can feel comfortable when carrying out a task. It is better to reach agreements than to impose orders.

If you want to know how is your interpersonal intelligence CLICK HERE to obtain your free copy of our Multiple Intelligences Test.

The development of interpersonal intelligence is of the utmost importance in the human being formation since his childhood. Nowadays our society invites group work, empathy and, social relationships. These skills can be developed in childhood. The more we expose ourselves to socialization and social education, the better we will be able to solve problems and be empathic. When you have the development of this intelligence, you have the ability to communicate better and, therefore, to develop good relationships with others in the environment in which the person is surrounded.

We invite you to take the course Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. In it, you can learn about the use and application of the theory of multiple intelligences in the classroom, its benefits, and the importance of achieving meaningful learning.

To learn about activities related to the use of Multiple Intelligences in the classroom, we recommend: 48 Multiple Intelligences Classroom Activities.

We recommend: Intrapersonal Intelligence: What Is It? How to Develop It? And What Is It for In Everyday Life?

References

Armstrong, T. (1993). 7 Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing Your Many Intelligences. Plume.

Armstrong, T. (2006). Inteligencias múltiples en el aula. Barcelona: Paidós.

Bartolomei-Torres, P. (2018). Inteligencias múltiples en el aula, un recurso para el aprendizaje significativo en la Enseñanza de una Lengua Extranjera (Ph.D.). Universidad de Granada. Recuperado de http://hdl.handle.net/10481/52430

Carnegie, D. (1994). How to win Friends and Influence People. Pocket Books.

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind. New York: Basic Books.

Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple inteligences. New York: Basic Books.