Spatial intelligence: what is it and how can it be improved?

The spatial intelligence is a concept derived from the Theory of multiple intelligences proposed by psychologist Howard Gardner. This type of intelligence can be defined as the set of mental abilities directly related to the navigation and rotation of objects in our mind (that is, your imaginary viewing from different angles). Therefore, spatial intelligence is so named because it is involved in solving spatial problems, whether real or imagined.

Our level of spatial intelligence will depend on our success in tasks such as driving and parking a car, building a model, orienting yourself, give instructions to another person who sees things from another angle or handle more or less complex tools.

Other less frequent activities in which spatial intelligence is strongly involved are, For example, those in which a shape must be sculpted in a material or a plane must be made of a structure. Thus, both architects and sculptors tend to show a good level of this type of intelligence.

Spatial intelligence and vision

Something that we must take into account when understanding the concept of spatial intelligence is that, as such, does not depend on our ability to see through the eyes. The determining factor in spatial intelligence is being able to imagine a three-dimensional space that remain consistent over time regardless of the angle from which it is viewed mentally.

Of course, sight is one of the most important senses when it comes to learning what our environment is like, but people who are born Blind people can also use spatial intelligence thanks to information from the environment that comes to them through hearing, touch, etc.

Can you improve on spatial intelligence?

As often happens when dealing with the subject of intelligence, quite a few people tend to think that these types of mental abilities are innate and are determined by genetic inheritance. In the case of spatial intelligence, in addition, there is the fact that several investigations seem suggest that men have somewhat superior spatial abilities when compared to sex contrary.

However, spatial intelligence can be improved with some training, as with the intelligence in general.

It has been shown that practicing exercises similar to those used to assess the level of spatial intelligence is practical to improve this dimension of cognitive abilities. These exercises consist, for example, of spatial rotation tasks, comparison of two objects placed in different position that can be the same or only similar, spatial attention to various stimuli, etc.

Then... How to improve it?

Specific exercises that have been shown to be effective in improving spatial intelligence are difficult to access from home, and belong in any case to training programs directed by specialists. However, that does not mean that we can include in our day to day some tasks that emulate the logic used in these laboratory tests. For it you just have to take into account what spatial intelligence is and take itcreativity.

For example, driving a car regularly (and safely) can help, since in it we have to take into account the situation of all parts of its surface. Learning to plan the placement of figures in drawings created by us also involves the challenge of distributing objects that, although two-dimensional, occupy space. The same goes for somewhat more demanding (and expensive) tasks, such as carving a figure out of a block of wood. Any of these activities reinforces our cognitive abilities related to spatial and visual intelligence.

Similarly, there are games whose mechanics are directly related to the testing of spatial skills and, by extension, spatial intelligence. Among the traditional games we could name, for example, the tangrams and the rubik's cubes. On the other hand, some examples of video games that pose a special challenge for our spatial intelligence could be Portal, Antichamber or Q.U.B.E., although classic three-dimensional platformers such as Super mario galaxy They can also go well, since you have to take into account the position of the camera, that of the character and the location where you want to land in each jump.

Let it not be said that exercising intelligence is boring!

Bibliographic references:

• Gardner, H. (2006). Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons In Theory And Practice.
• Tzuriel, D. and Egozi, G (2010). Gender Differences in Spatial Ability of Young Children: The Effects of Training and Processing Strategies. Child Development. 81(5): 1417 - 1430.