This paper explains Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) and discusses questions raised about MI theory in regard to validity, assessment, and implications for instructional activities. MI theory asserts that human cognitive competence is best described in terms of a set of abilities, talents, and mental skills that each child…

Howard Gardner's multiple intelligence (MI) theory is an alternative to the unitary concept of general intelligence, but it lacks a practical, reliable, and valid method of assessment. The Hillside Assessment of Perceived Intelligences (HAPI) is an attempt to measure the seven constructs of MI theory with an objective, psychometrically sound…