NATURALISTIC INTELLIGENCE: CHARACTERISTICS, EXAMPLE AND DEVELOPMENT - PSYCHOLOGY - 2026

The naturalist intelligence is one of the eight types of intelligences described in the multiple intelligences. This is related to the ability to detect patterns and specific elements in the natural world. This theory was raised for the first time in 1983 by Howard Gardner in an attempt to expand what until then had been understood by intelligence.

In the beginning, the Theory of multiple intelligences only consisted of seven types of intelligence: verbal / linguistic, logical / mathematical, spatial, musical, kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal.

However, in 1994 Professor Gardner included an eighth type of intelligence within his theory: naturalistic intelligence. According to several experts, this intelligence is the one that would have most influenced the ability of our ancestors to survive in their natural environment.

People with a high level of naturalistic intelligence tend to have a great interest in animals, plants and other elements of the natural world, which also develop from early childhood.

Main characteristics of a person with naturalistic intelligence

Despite the fact that naturalistic intelligence is normally the least known of the eight intelligences described by Gardner, there are many signs that a person may have great ability in this area.

The first thing to understand is that naturalistic intelligence is mainly related to the ability to connect elements of nature and detect patterns in them.

On the other hand, people with a high capacity in this area tend to show a very high interest in the natural world and its components.

However, this interest can occur in many fields. Thus, a person with a great naturalistic intelligence may be especially interested in:

- Human or animal behavior.

- The different species of plants and animals, and their characteristics.

- Sciences such as geology, astronomy or paleontology.

In general, these interests appear very early in a person's life, and are maintained over the years.

Thus, it is not uncommon to find individuals with great naturalistic intelligence who have known since childhood that they wanted to dedicate themselves to natural sciences. Experts describe several signs that a person might have great naturalistic intelligence.

These signs can be mainly reduced to four: greater perception of their environment, special interest in exploration, need to spend time in nature and concern for the environment.

Greater perception of the environment

Due to the ability to detect patterns in nature, people with naturalistic intelligence tend to be more aware of their environment and the changes that occur in it.

In general, this ability is related to a better perception than that of other people. In this way, people with naturalistic intelligence are able to find similarities and differences between different elements quickly.

They can also set categories more easily, and classify different objects effortlessly.

Thanks to this ability it is common to find people with a high naturalistic intelligence who show a great passion for collecting natural elements. For example, they are often very interested in rocks, fossils, feathers, or insects.

Another element that this feature is related to is a larger memory for details.

Due to their ability to detect differences, people with high naturalistic intelligence can more easily remember small elements that distinguish one object from another, such as the differences between two very similar leaves.

Interest in exploration and the natural world

Due to the greater perception of the environment, many of the people with naturalistic intelligence also feel a greater curiosity about what surrounds them.

That is why it is not unusual to find people of this type who are fond of hiking, botany or caving.

In general, children with high naturalistic intelligence prefer to be playing "getting their hands dirty" rather than sitting around learning.

They tend to spend their time exploring: they are often found observing insects and asking questions about them, and getting into puddles and rivers for fun.

On the other hand, their innate curiosity often leads them to specialize in fields of knowledge that allow them to investigate.

In general, this implies a career in the world of science, either working in a laboratory or in more field disciplines, such as environmental science or biology.

They also often create their own records about the items they observe; for example, they can make a field journal, drawings of landscapes, plants and animals, or photographs.

This characteristic also implies in general a great feeling of wonder for everything related to the natural world.

Need to be in contact with nature

When people with high intelligence of this type come into contact with nature, they often feel energized and excited.

In general, they are the type of people who most need to be surrounded by natural elements, and they tend to have several pets and have a passion for them.

For this reason, a person with a lot of naturalistic intelligence who spends a lot of time away from a natural environment tends to feel sad or apathetic.

This implies that most of them adopt hobbies such as gardening, hiking, climbing or observing animals and plants.

Due to a mixture of their enthusiasm for everything natural and their great ability to remember details, they are usually people with a great knowledge of their field of interest.

For example, they can learn a lot about mushrooms, edible plants, or species of birds.

If they cannot be in contact with nature, people with these characteristics often spend their time reading books or watching movies with stories that take place in the natural world; thus they are able to feel part of this enthusiasm indirectly.

Concern for the environment

The last outstanding characteristic of people with great naturalistic intelligence is their concern for the environment.

Of all the people, they are the most likely to dedicate their lives to trying to save nature.

That is why it is common to find people who stand out for their naturalistic intelligence in careers such as Environmental Sciences or Forest Engineering.

It is also common to find them in fields related to renewable energy, recycling or environmental law.

On the other hand, they are also often very concerned about animal rights; and it is not uncommon to see a person with great naturalistic intelligence with one or more pets.

Examples

Naturalistic intelligence can be observed in all areas in which there is direct contact with the natural world.

However, it is especially evident in fields such as science or hobbies related to nature.

A very clear example of a person with great natural intelligence would be a scientist who is dedicated to studying the differences between various species of plants or animals.

In fact, it is often considered that one of the most intelligent people of this type in history was Charles Darwin, the father of the Theory of Evolution.

In children, this intelligence can be observed in those who especially enjoy contact with animals and who show an unusual interest in learning more about the world around them.

These children are usually very active and restless, so they will tend to seek hobbies that allow them to actively express their enthusiasm.

How to develop naturalistic intelligence?

Although naturalistic intelligence usually arises in childhood, it can also be developed in adult life.

Whether you want to stimulate your children's intelligence or your own, here are several activities that will help enhance it.

Observation

Simply actively observing the natural world will help strengthen this area of ​​intelligence.

This can be done in many ways: visiting the zoo, observing animals and plants in the wild, or learning to observe the weather to predict the weather.

Classification

A step beyond simple observation is the classification of different elements of nature.

For example, this may involve learning to distinguish between different plant species, or becoming an expert on the birds that can be seen in a particular area.

Another hobby related to classification is the collection of items of the same type.

One of the most pursued hobbies in this field is collecting fossils, but it can also be rocks, mushrooms or plants.

Data collection

Instead of just observing and classifying, you can start collecting data on what you find.

The easiest way to do this is to create a field diary, a notebook in which you make notes about the species you find and describe their characteristics.

However, there are many more ways to collect data, such as through photography or drawing of elements of nature.

Work with natural elements

The last step in developing naturalistic intelligence is to start with a hobby that leads to being directly in touch with nature. One of the best examples of this type of hobby is creating a garden.

However, if you do not have the space or time to start planting, it is also possible to do activities such as hiking, mountaineering or caving, which will lead to being directly in the natural world.

References

1. "The Eighth Intelligence" in: The Second Principle. Retrieved on: February 7, 2018 from The Second Principle: thesecondprinciple.com.
2. "Naturalist Intelligence" in: Study. Retrieved on: February 7, 2018 from Study: study.com.
3. "Naturalist Intelligence" in: Thought Co. Retrieved on: February 7, 2018 from Thought Co: thoughtco.com.
4. "Naturalist Intelligence" in: Green Hearted. Retrieved on: February 7, 2018 from Green Hearted: greenhearted.org.
5. "Multiple Intelligences: Digging Deeper" in: Edutopia. Retrieved on: February 7, 2018 from Edutopia: edutopia.org.