If a person has the skill of understanding the motives, feelings and behaviour of other people, he/she is said to have :
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Interpersonal intelligence
Option (1) Interpersonal intelligence — Correct. In Gardner’s theory, interpersonal intelligence is the ability to understand the motives, feelings and behaviours of other people so as to bond into a comfortable relationship with them. Psychologists, counsellors, politicians and social workers are likely to be high on it.
Option (2) Intrapersonal intelligence — Incorrect. Intrapersonal intelligence is the knowledge of one’s own internal strengths and limitations, one’s own feelings, motives and desires. It looks inward, at oneself, not at other people.
Option (3) Linguistic intelligence — Incorrect. Linguistic intelligence is the capacity to use language fluently and flexibly to express one’s thinking and understand others; such people are ‘word-smart’.
Option (4) Social intelligence — Incorrect. Social intelligence is a broad, older idea: the ability to understand people and to get along and act wisely in social situations. It is not one of Gardner’s eight intelligences, and the exact description in the question, understanding others’ motives, feelings and behaviour, is Gardner’s definition of interpersonal intelligence.
Note: The concept in Option (4), ‘social intelligence’, is not in the pre-rationalised NCERT, which NTA followed in 2023, nor in the NCERT book (2025-26); it is explained here for the benefit of the students.
NCERT (2025-26): “…Interpersonal (an ability to understand to subtle aspects of others’ behaviours) : This is the ability to understand the motives, feelings and behaviours of other people so as to bond into a comfortable relationship with others. Psychologists, counsellors, politicians, social workers, and religious leaders are likely to possess high interpersonal intelligence. Intrapersonal (an ability to understand of one’s own feelings, motives, and desires): This refers to the knowledge of one’s internal strengths and limitations and using that knowledge to effectively relate to others.…” “Theory of Multiple Intelligences … Linguistic (an ability to produce and use language) : It is the capacity to use language fluently and flexibly to express one’s thinking and understand others.…” |