Spatial intelligence (psychology) facts for kids

Spatial intelligence is a special kind of smartness that helps you understand and use space. It's about how well your mind can see and work with shapes, pictures, and directions. Imagine being able to picture things in your head, like how to get somewhere new or how different parts of a toy fit together. This is what spatial intelligence helps you do!

Howard Gardner, a famous thinker, said that spatial intelligence is a human skill that helps us solve problems related to space. This includes finding your way around, seeing objects from different angles, recognizing faces or places, and noticing small details. Gardner also found that even people who can't see can have strong spatial intelligence. They might use touch and other senses to build a mental picture of shapes and distances.

Spatial intelligence is one of nine different types of intelligence in Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. Each type of intelligence is a way our brain works to solve problems or create things that are important in our world. These intelligences come from a mix of our natural abilities and what we learn from our culture. For example, people with strong spatial intelligence might be good at jobs like designing buildings (architects), flying planes (pilots), or even driving taxis!

Different ways to think about spatial intelligence

Newcombe and Frick's ideas

Nora Newcombe and Andrea Frick looked at how spatial intelligence is important for learning, especially for kids. They had a few key ideas:

• Spatial intelligence has always been important for survival. Any animal that moves needs to know how to get around to find food and stay safe. Humans also used it to make tools.
• Thinking about space is a main way we think, just like thinking with words.
• Spatial thinking can help us understand things that don't seem spatial at first. For example, we can use diagrams to understand how things are ranked or how different groups are connected.
• It's super important for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Think about how Watson and Crick figured out the shape of DNA. They used spatial thinking to fit flat images into a 3D model. Engineers use it to imagine how buildings will stand up, and doctors use it to see parts of the brain.
• Spatial intelligence helps us imagine turning objects in our minds (like rotating a puzzle piece) or imagining how things look if we move around them. This "mental rotation" skill is very helpful for learning in STEM subjects.

Ness, Farenga, and Garofalo's views

Daniel Ness, Stephen Farenga, and Salvatore Garofalo believe that spatial intelligence is just as important as being good with words or numbers. However, they point out that many school tests don't often check for spatial intelligence. This can be a problem because some smart kids who are great at spatial tasks might not show their full potential on these tests. They also think that playing with certain toys can help. Simple blocks, for example, might help kids develop spatial skills more than complex LEGO sets that only fit together in one way.

Van Schaik and architecture

The architect Leon van Schaik talks about how spatial intelligence is used in architecture and design. He believes that our ability to organize ourselves in space is how architecture began. It's based on our own ideas about space, our past experiences in space, and how we all think about space together.

Van Schaik explains that our understanding of the world around us comes from tiny "calculating" cells all over our body, not just in our brain. He calls this "distributed intelligence."

• Think about a football player. They quickly figure out the exact angle and power needed to kick a goal. That's spatial intelligence in action!
• Another example is Australian Aboriginal Art. Their dot paintings show the landscape with amazing accuracy. They show rivers, animal homes, and where plants grow. They learned this by constantly exploring their world.

Van Schaik believes that spatial intelligence helps designers create amazing spaces that connect with people. He thinks that architects need to use their spatial intelligence and work with communities to create buildings that truly serve them.

Komninos and smart cities

Nicos Komninos applies the idea of spatial intelligence to cities. He says it's about how a community uses its smart people, organizations, and buildings to solve problems and face challenges. This "city intelligence" comes from:

• The cleverness and ideas of the people living in the city.
• The combined smarts of the city's groups and social connections.
• The "artificial intelligence" from smart city systems, like virtual maps and smart devices.

When a city uses all these types of intelligence together, it can adapt to changes, plan for the future, and help its citizens live well.

Gopnik and sports

Adam Gopnik says spatial intelligence is the ability to quickly understand a changing situation and guess what will happen next. It's about making fast decisions and seeing how everything connects in a quickly moving scene. He says this skill is perfectly shown in hockey.

Gopnik explains that hockey players, especially amazing ones like Wayne Gretzky, have incredible spatial and situational intelligence. Gretzky seemed to know what was going to happen in the next few seconds. He could see patterns instantly and guess what other players and the goalie would do, all in a quick glance. He was an extreme example of a skill all hockey players need!

Rendell and Rawes on imagination

Jane Rendell and Peg Rawes studied how our imagination helps us understand and experience environments. They found that how we feel about a space is partly shaped by our own imagination. This means that a designer's imagination, along with the user's, helps create and understand the cultural and historical value of buildings and spaces.

See also

• Aptitude
• Outline of human intelligence
• Intelligence quotient
• Spatial ability