A person good in math appears as an erudite to all. It is a common notion. So, asking whether the math skills in a person imply that he/she is intelligent, is a valid question. Math skills or being good at math do imply being logically and analytically sound.
But, a math genius may be lacking in certain other skills such as speaking, writing, etc., and these skills, too, are the determiners of intelligence level in any person. Hence, the answer to the question, ‘is being good at math a sign of intelligence?’ is – Partly yes.
Let’s dig this notion a bit deeper in this post and try to find:
- Types of intelligence the goodness in math implies
- Where can a math genius lack
- How wisdom is important to extract the best benefits of math skills
Here we go!
Goodness in math implies…
When you do math, you display your comfort with counting, doing arithmetic operations and finding values, and making various analysis-based decisions. A person good in math can gauge height and distance like parameters correctly and make well-informed choices. He/She may also be good in analyzing the existing patterns of shapes, sizes, values, pictures, etc., and create his own too. Thus, intelligence in math infers the excellence in other skills, such as:
1. Sound analytical abilities
Math problems become easier to solve if you have sound analytical thinking ability. The ability to break data and derive information helps draw meaningful conclusions. It is also needed to solve math problems. Analytical thinking serves the need at various steps in problem-solving. The students can check their answers, draw inferences from numbers and also make decisions that can boost mathematical thinking in return. Thus, sound analytical ability is both the need and the outcome of goodness in math. A research[1] on relationship between analytical thinking and math problem-solving skills confirms that a person with robust math ability uses analytical powers to accomplish various steps involved in the process.
2. Appropriate logic building skill
A person can attain ease with math only if he has sound logical thinking. Logic is a summation of ideas arranged in a sequential manner that helps arrive at a conclusion or decide a course of action. The process of building math skills is entirely dependent on how logically you can derive information from the data provided. So, if a person is good at math, he can be presumed safely to be a person with logical intelligence, as per Gartner’s study on types of intelligence.
3. Fluency in computation
Number processing ability is a sign of an intelligent brain. It indicates that the quantity processing region of the brain is well-pronounced and fully contributing to making various mathematical calculations possible. Since the math fluency is needed to pass IQ tests, and those exams that confirm level-appropriate competence, this characteristic is a good determiner of intelligence in a person. According to a study[2] on reading and arithmetic fluency, the researchers found this aspect to be crucial in developing cognition skills too. Hence, a computation fluent person is perceived as an intelligent being and looked upon as a role model often.
4. Estimation intelligence
While the mathematical computations impart semantic fluency in solving problems, the analytical-logical skills help apply the knowledge to derive conclusions or make estimations. A person good at math can estimate quantities, distances, or heights. He may also estimate time and speed depending upon the data available and past experiences. Normally, the reflective thinking approach helps build estimation skills; a mathematically fluent person does reflect on the concepts and guesses the ensuing outcomes from any event. The ability to predict and that coming out to be correct does define intelligence and serves as its strong indicator.
5. Comfort with doing various real-life activities such as cooking, driving, etc.
Will you call a person intelligent who spills liquids while pouring into the container or hits a tree or an obstacle while driving? The ability to steer clear of all the mishappenings is one of the finest boons bestowed by the goodness in mathematics. An intelligent person is most likely to use a proportionate amount of ingredients while cooking, or may select the correct cooking time. He may certainly follow driving instructions and maneuver vehicles safely while on road. All these abilities emerge from math skills.
So, does this mean that a person good at math is completely intelligent? Well, there is a catch!
Where can a math genius lack?
Only being good in math and lacking in reading and writing skills cannot be called complete intelligence. If we go by Gardener’s explanation of intelligence, it is the sum total of mathematical-logical intelligence, visual-spatial, verbal-linguistic, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal-intrapersonal, and other types. So, to be branded as completely intelligent, a person should have expertise in other kinds of judgments too.
A mathematically skilled person may have reading or writing difficulties, or poor social skills. These are needed for proper communication which is another sign of intelligence. It is a well-established story now that Einstein who is popular for having the highest IQ could not keep up with schooling due to reading and writing difficulties. So, he did show a sign of intelligence but was not competent in expressing ideas through words. On several intelligence-measuring parameters, he might just not succeed.
How wisdom is important to extract the best benefits of math skills
A person may be called math fluent or good at math when he arrives upon the answer to a problem most quickly, or analyses things as needed. But, the lack of wisdom in applying the skill can pull the person a few steps down from being called intelligent. Wisdom, interpersonal skills, the ability to adjust to surroundings, spatial understanding are some of the other virtues sought after in an intelligent person. Thus, a person good in math can be called skillful, but not completely intelligent. To be instrumental in making the world around a better place, the knowledge of when, how, and with whom to use skills is necessary. This is what wisdom is all about. And so, the people who are mathematically intelligent need not be cognitive or socially skilled. It is where a math genius may lack and may need a complementing partner to carry out the activities of life.
Study[3] on cognitive and neural correlations and math giftedness also point to the fact that fluidity in math can be the result of practice and strategy choice. When exposed to verbal impetuses instead of digital ones, they may show signs of little understanding or poor working memory. Hence, if asked questions of real-world problems like, ‘How we can solve the hunger problem or how much effort will be required to make country a robust economy?’ a mathematical genius may not provide a satisfactory answer.
Wrapping up,
Being good in math is one of the signs of intelligence. But, it is not the complete picture. Social, cognitive, comfort with verbal cues, and proper responses to other impetuses are also needed to gain all-around competence. A person has to excel in various other parameters or intelligence to be branded as a complete intelligent. So, fluency in math skills may be a determiner of intelligence, however, that will be a partial one.
References:
- Qolfathiriyus Firdaus, Ahmad & Sujadi, Imam & Indriati, D. (2019). Characteristic profile of analytical thinking in mathematics problem solving. Journal of Physics: Conference Series. 1157. 032123. 10.1088/1742-6596/1157/3/032123.
- Balhinez, R., & Shaul, S. (2019). The Relationship Between Reading Fluency and Arithmetic Fact Fluency and Their Shared Cognitive Skills: A Developmental Perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01281
- Myers, T., Carey, E., & Szűcs, D. (2017). Cognitive and Neural Correlates of Mathematical Giftedness in Adults and Children: A Review.Frontiers in psychology,8, 1646. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01646
Pratiksha Bhatt
I am Pratiksha Bhatt, Bachelor of Life Science, and Masters in Management Studies. I have done certification courses in early education counseling. I am a writer, a mother of a child with spelling difficulties which drove me to alternative resources of education like manipulatives and participatory activities. My areas of expertise are learning difficulties, alternative learning methods, and activity-based learning.
