Inside Asian Gaming

MARCH 2018 INSIDE ASIAN GAMING 39 COLUMNISTS This intelligence comes into play when figuring out maps and taking part in any type of construction or engineering projects. EXEMPLARS IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY Armed with an understanding of the nine types of intelligence, I set out to find exemplars for each type of intelligence within the gaming industry. The exemplars were senior executives or gaming scholars from the recent past or the present. In choosing particular people, my self-stipulation was that the individual should have a high level of name recognition within the industry. Having identified an exemplar with a certain type of intelligence does not mean that the individual lacks or does not use other types of intelligences. The intent here was to choose a known person who exhibited a particular type of intelligence to a high degree. I first carried out a quick memory scan to come up with exemplars for the nine categories. This resulted in people I knew and people I knew of. The people I knew were comprised largely of individuals whom I have known for decades. I would consider a majority of these individuals as friends, though the list did include a person or two that I would not trust to look after my kitten! The list of people I knew of was comprised of people I had worked with in a professional capacity but did not know very well, or of individuals about whom a lot has been written in the popular press, enough to get a decent understanding of their primary intelligence. Having created my list of exemplars for each of the nine intelligences, I then sent my categorization along with descriptors of each type of intelligence to three veteran executives from within the industry, people I have known for a long time and whose judgment I totally trust. I also asked each of the three executives to suggest additional names for each type of intelligence. After hearing the thoughts of the three adjudicators, I created my final list of exemplars which appears in the below table. If your name appears on this list and you happen to read this article, let me know if you agree with my assessment, providing a rationale for your agreement or disagreement. If your name does not appear on the list, let me know what you think is your strongest intelligence. The intent of this article is not to slot people into iron-clad categories, but to appreciate the diversity of gifts among the industry’s leaders. Given the abnormal turbulence we all sense right now, I thought this light-hearted article would provide a pleasant distraction for many. While Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (MI) Theory has been severely criticized on conceptual grounds (such as assumed independent “modular” nature of intelligences) and for lacking empirical support (Klein 1997; Waterhouse 2006), this fun article is not about the reliability and validity of MI. We will leave that topic for scholars in psychology and psychometry to duke out with Gardner. In my opinion, MI provides a convenient framework for educated laypersons to discuss multiple abilities; whether these abilities constitute intelligences or not is a moot point from our perspective. Exemplars for the nine intelligences INTELLIGENCE EXEMPLAR Naturalist Linda Chen Musical Nigel Morrison Logical-Mathematical Andrew MacDonald Existential Bill Eadington Interpersonal Ciaran Carruthers Bodily-Kinesthetic Walt Power Linguistic Grant Bowie Intrapersonal Tan Tee Heck Spatial Steve Wynn