This is more to be considered a group of
intelligences or
learning styles than a single 'intelligence'. It refers to the
brain's ability to notice and process (and possibly imagine)
observations of different kinds. It stems from
cognitive science and the sorting of learners into
visual,
audio,
tactile and
kinesthetic learners. Many other sortings according to intelligences exist, but this one is probably the most common one.
Naturally, the above four indicate the ability to apply
senses, in this case
eyes,
ears,
touch and
body movement. Thus, a visual learner would apply mainly
vision in learning, using
tools such as
text and
pictures. A
kinesthetic learner would prosper in fields using
movement, often
sports.
The
idea of sensory intelligence expands upon this (and upon other
theories within cognitive science not mentioned here). It states, that any sense can be considered to have an intelligence of its own, whether it be vision, touch,
taste, even slightly exotic ones like
temperature and
time, the latter being a vital
component, along with audio, in
rythm.
While much theoretical
debate exists as to what is and isn't
eligible as an intelligence, practical uses of the idea exist. Most involve
identifying and subsequently
training any intelligence, which may be holding a learner back in his field of
study. Most senses can be trained through increasingly challenging observation
tests, such as asking the individual to describe a
sound or detect motion or a
smell. The problem is to determine which sensory intelligence causes difficulties. In some fields, training a single sensory intelligence to extremes can be beneficial. Others seek to apply
profiles of a person's sensory intelligences in order to create optimized training or learning
programs, using strong sensory intelligences as the main tool.