Story
The concept of intelligence quotient was introduced by the German scientist W. Stern in 1912. He drew attention to serious deficiencies in mental age as an indicator in the Binet scales. Stern proposed using the quotient of mental age divided by chronological age as an indicator of intelligence. IQ was first used in the 1916 Stanford-Binet intelligence scale.
Nowadays, interest in IQ tests has increased many times over, resulting in the emergence of many different unfounded scales. Therefore, it is very difficult to compare the results of different tests and the IQ number itself has lost its informative value.
Tests
Each test consists of many different tasks of increasing difficulty. Among them are test tasks for logical and spatial thinking, as well as tasks of other types. Based on the test results, IQ is calculated. It has been noticed that the more test options a subject takes, the better results he shows. The best known test is the Eysenck test. More accurate are the tests of D. Wexler, J. Raven, R. Amthauer, R. B. Cattell. There is currently no single standard for IQ tests.
The tests are divided by age group and show the development of a person corresponding to his age. That is, a 10-year-old child and a university graduate can have the same IQ, because the development of each of them corresponds to its age group. The Eysenck test is designed for the age group of 18 years and older, and provides a maximum IQ level of 180 points.
It is important to note that most of the tests that can be found on the Internet that claim to measure IQ are developed by incompetent organizations and individuals and usually significantly inflate the results. All studies showing the connection between IQ and intelligence, general problem-solving ability, academic and professional potential and other social consequences refer to the results of professional IQ tests, such as the Wechsler Test, etc.
What affects IQ
Heredity
The role of genetics and environment in predicting IQ is discussed in Plomin et al.(2001, 2003) . Until recently, heredity was mainly studied in children. Various studies have shown heritability to be between 0.4 and 0.8 in the US, meaning, depending on the study, that between slightly less than half and well over half of the difference in IQ among children observed was due to their genes. The rest depended on the child’s living conditions and measurement error. Heritability between 0.4 and 0.8 suggests that IQ is “significantly” heritable.
Search for hereditary causes of IQ
Research has begun to explore the genetic differences between people with high and low IQs. Thus, the Beijing Genomics Institute is beginning massive GWAS studies of the genomes of people with high mental abilities. . The discovery of genetic causes may allow the invention of means to increase IQ. Nations that gain access to such technologies will be able to advance even further in economic, scientific and technological development.
Environment
The environment influences brain development. In particular, an unhealthy, restricted diet can reduce the brain's ability to process information. Research 25,446 people Danish National Birth Cohort led to the conclusion that eating fish during pregnancy and breastfeeding an infant increases its IQ.
Also, a study of more than 13 thousand children showed that breastfeeding can increase a child’s intelligence by 7 points.
Health and IQ
Adequate nutrition during childhood is critical for mental development; poor nutrition can reduce IQ. For example, iodine deficiency leads to a decrease in IQ by an average of 12 points. People with higher IQs generally have lower mortality rates and are less likely to suffer from disease.
Age and IQ
Although IQ itself signifies the rarity of intellectual ability in one's age group, mental ability generally peaks at age 26, followed by a slow decline.
The IQ of adults is determined to a much greater extent by genetics, compared to the environment, than the IQ of children. Some children are initially ahead of their peers in IQ, but then their IQ levels out relative to their peers.
Social consequences
Relationship to other tests and exams
There is a study that found a correlation of 0.82 between the general intelligence factor and the SAT score (the Russian equivalent of the exam - the Unified State Exam).
School performance
The American Psychological Association, in its report Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns (1995), notes that across all studies, children with high scores on IQ tests tend to learn more school material than their peers with lower scores. The correlation between IQ scores and grades is about 0.5. IQ tests are one way to select gifted children and create individual (accelerated) educational plans for them.
Labor productivity
According to Frank Schmidt and John Hunter, when hiring applicants without relevant experience, the most successful predictor of future performance is general intellectual ability. In predicting job performance, IQ has some effectiveness for all jobs studied to date, but this effectiveness varies depending on the type of job. Although IQ is more closely related to thinking abilities rather than motor skills, scores on IQ tests predict performance in all occupations. Given this, for the most skilled occupations (research, management), low IQ is more likely to be a barrier to sufficient performance, while for the least skilled occupations, athletic strength (arm strength, speed, endurance and coordination) is more likely to predict performance . Basically, the predictive power of IQ is associated with faster acquisition of relevant knowledge and skills in the workplace.
The American Psychological Association, in its report “Intelligence: Known and Unknown,” notes that since IQ explains only 29% of the variance in job performance, other personality characteristics such as interpersonal skills, personality traits, etc. are likely to do the same or great importance, but at the moment there are no tools as reliable for measuring them as IQ tests.
Income
Some studies have shown that intellectual ability and job performance are linearly related, such that higher IQ leads to higher job performance. Charles Murray, co-author of The Bell Curve, found that IQ has a significant impact on a person's income, regardless of the family and social class in which a person grew up.
The American Psychological Association, in its report Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns (1995), notes that IQ scores explain about one-quarter of the differences in social status and one-sixth of the differences in income.
Achievements in real life
The average IQ of population groups is associated with achievements in real life:
- PhD 125
- People with higher education 114
- Incomplete higher education 105-110
- Office workers and sales workers 100-105
- High school graduates, skilled workers (for example, electricians) 100
- Students who attended high school but did not graduate 95
- Semi-skilled workers (e.g. tractor drivers, factory workers) 90-95
- Completed school without senior classes (8 years) 90
- Those who have not completed 8 years of school 80-85
- Having a 50% chance of enrolling in high school 75
Average IQ of different professional groups:
- Professional and technical workers 112
- Managers and administrators 104
- Office workers, sales workers, skilled workers, foremen and foremen 101
- Semi-skilled workers (machine operators, service workers, including domestic workers; farmers) 92
- Unskilled workers 87
Type of tasks that can be performed:
- Adults who can master simple work skills 70
- Adults who can harvest crops, repair furniture 60
- Adults who can do housework, simple carpentry 50
- Adults who can mow lawns, do laundry 40
There are significant differences within and overlap between these categories. People with high IQs are found at all levels of education and occupational groups. The greatest differences occur for individuals with low IQs, who rarely graduate from universities or become professionals (IQ less than 90).
IQ and crime
The American Psychological Association, in its report “Intelligence: Known and Unknown,” notes that the correlation between IQ and crime is −0.2 (inverse relationship). A correlation of 0.20 means that the explained variance in crime is less than 4%. It is important to understand that the causal relationships between IQ test scores and social outcomes may be indirect. Children with poor school performance may feel alienated and, therefore, they are more likely to commit delinquency compared to children who perform well academically.
In The g Factor (Arthur Jensen, 1998), Arthur Jensen cites data showing that people with IQs between 70 and 90, regardless of race, are more likely to commit crimes than people with IQs below or above that range. with crime peaking at 80-90.
Other IQ effects
The average IQ of a country's population is related to GDP (see) and government efficiency.
Group differences
Floor
Most researchers believe that, in general, the average development of intelligence is approximately the same in men and women. At the same time, there is more variation among men: among them there are more both very smart and very stupid; that is, among people with very high or very low intelligence there are more men. There is also some difference in the severity of various aspects of intelligence between men and women. Until the age of five, these differences do not exist. From the age of five, boys begin to surpass girls in the field of spatial intelligence and manipulation, and girls begin to surpass boys in the field of verbal abilities. Among men, people with high mathematical abilities are much more common. According to the American researcher K. Benbow, among especially gifted people in mathematics, there is only one woman for every 13 men.
Race
Studies among US residents have shown a statistically significant gap between the average IQ of different racial groups.
According to The Bell Curve (1994), the average IQ of African Americans is 85, Hispanics are 89, Whites (European descent) are 103, Asians (Chinese, Japanese and Korean descent) are 106, and Jews are 113.
This gap can be used as a justification for the so-called. “scientific racism”, but according to some studies (Race_and_intelligence#cite_note-Dickens_.26_Flynn_2006-50) it is gradually declining.
In addition, the average IQ measured by older tests has been increasing over time. As a result of the Flynn effect, the average IQ of African Americans in 1995 matches the average IQ of whites in 1945 (Race_and_intelligence#cite_note-56). Such significant changes that have occurred over several decades cannot be explained by genetic factors.
The influence of social factors on IQ is confirmed by studies of orphans. In the United States, children of African descent raised by white adoptive parents have ~10% higher IQs than non-white adoptive parents. In the UK, black boarding school students have higher IQs than whites. (Race_and_intelligence#Uniform_rearing_conditions)
Country
Differences in average IQ between countries have been found. A number of studies have found links between a country's average IQ and its economic development, GDP (see, for example, IQ and the Wealth of Nations), democracy, crime, fertility and atheism. In developing countries, environmental factors such as poor nutrition and disease are likely to lower the average national IQ.
IQ and success in science
Some studies have found that dedication and originality play a higher role in achieving success. However, Dr. Eysenck provides a review of IQ measurements (Roe, 1953) of eminent scientists, a level below Nobel laureates. Their average IQ was 166, although some scored 177, the maximum test score. Their average spatial IQ was 137, although it might have been higher at younger ages. Their average math IQ was 154 (range 128 to 194).
Criticism of IQ
IQ tests have been repeatedly criticized by scientists. Thus, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V. A. Vasiliev discovered that in Eysenck’s IQ tests, a significant part of the problems were composed incorrectly or the author’s solutions were incorrect. Here are Vasiliev’s statements on this matter:
I...decided to study the tests without haste, especially since their answers systematically did not coincide with mine in problems from my professional areas: logic and geometry. And I discovered that most of the test author’s decisions were incorrect. And in some cases, the test subject can only guess the answer - it makes no sense to rely on logic.
To this end, it can be noted that IQ test tasks assess not only the abilities of logical, deductive thinking, but also inductive thinking. The rules for performing some IQ tests warn in advance that in some tasks the answers do not follow unambiguously from the task, and you need to choose the most reasonable or simple answer. This corresponds to many real life situations in which there is no clear answer.
If a person answered the same way as Eysenck, then he thereby only demonstrates the standardization of his thinking, a quick and predictable reaction to a simple stimulus. A slightly less flat person will think a hundred times before answering... There are a myriad of possible solutions to each such problem. The smarter you are, the more likely it is that your decision will not coincide with the author's.
The practical meaning here is only one: the one who gives the “correct” answer on the test will find it easier to fit into the average education system and communicate with people who think the same way as him. In general, Eysenck tests for ideal averageness.
Without the goal of criticizing IQ tests, the Soviet psychologist Lev Semyonovich Vygotsky, however, showed in his works that the current IQ of a child says little about the prospects for his further education and mental development. In this regard, he introduced the concept of “zone of proximal development”.
See also
- Marilyn vos Savant is the woman who, according to the Guinness Book of Records, has the highest IQ in the world
Notes
- Moreover, according to the results of some studies, Germans on average have a higher IQ than citizens of other countries (unavailable link)
- Plomin et al. (2001, 2003)
- R. Plomin, N. L. Pedersen, P. Lichtenstein and G. E. McClearn (05 1994). “Variability and stability in cognitive abilities are largely genetic later in life.” Behavior Genetics 24 (3): 207. DOI:10.1007/BF01067188. Retrieved 2006-08-06.
- Neisser et al." Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns. Board of Scientific Affairs of the American Psychological Association (August 7, ). Archived from the original on June 1, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2006.
- Bouchard TJ, Lykken DT, McGue M, Segal NL, Tellegen A (Oct 1990). " ". Science (journal) 250 (4978): 223–8. PMID 2218526.
- World Intelligence Network. IQ and genetics
- Gosso, M. F. (2006). "The SNAP-25 gene is associated with cognitive ability: evidence from a family-based study in two independent Dutch cohorts." Molecular Psychiatry 11 (9): 878-886. DOI:10.1038/sj.mp.4001868.
- Gosso MF, de Geus EJ, van Belzen MJ, Polderman TJ, Heutink P, Boomsma DI, Posthuma D. The SNAP-25 gene is associated with cognitive ability: evidence from a family-based study in two independent Dutch cohorts
- http://www.genomics.cn/en/index.php
- Information Processing: BGI visit
- Information Processing: Supercomputers and the mystery of IQ
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 88, No. 3, 789-796, September 2008 Associations of maternal fish intake during pregnancy and breastfeeding duration with achievement of developmental milestones in early childhood: a study from the Danish National Birth Cohort Emily Oken, Marie Louise Østerdal, Matthew W Gillman, Vibeke K Knudsen, Thorhallur I Halldorsson, Marin Strøm, David C Bellinger, Mijna Hadders-Algra, Kim Fleischer Michaelsen and Sjurdur F Olsen
- Breastfeeding and child cognitive development: new… - PubMed result
- Svetlana KUZINA. “Intelligence tests are made with errors! "
- Vygotsky L.S. “Dynamics of mental development of a schoolchild in connection with learning.”
Links
- Mensa's free IQ test - Raven's Test of Fluid Intelligence. One of the highest quality free tests (Mensa) (English)
- World Intelligence Network
- Gabumba test center (English)
- Free visual IQ test
- Mega Society
The highest IQ level is for an Australian mathematician, the author of the Green-Tao theorem, his name is Terence Tao. Getting results above 200 points is a very rare occurrence, because most of the inhabitants of our planet barely score 100 points. People with extremely high IQs (over 150) can be found among Nobel laureates. It is these people who move science forward and make discoveries in various professional fields. Among them are the American writer Marilyn vos Savant, astrophysicist Christopher Hirata, phenomenal reader Kim Pik, who can read a page of text in a few seconds, Briton Daniel Tammet, who memorizes thousands of numbers, Kim Ung-Yong, who already studied at the university at the age of 3, and other famous personalities with amazing abilities.
How is a person's IQ formed?
IQ level is influenced by several factors, including heredity, environment (family, school, social status of a person). The test result is also significantly influenced by the age of the test taker. At the age of 26, as a rule, a person’s intelligence reaches its peak, and then only declines.
It is worth noting that some people with exceptionally high IQs found themselves completely helpless in everyday life. For example, Kim Pik could not fasten the buttons on his clothes. Moreover, not everyone had such talent from birth. Daniel Tammet gained his ability to memorize huge numbers of numbers after a terrible attack of epilepsy as a child.
IQ level above 140
People with IQ scores over 140 are owners of excellent creative abilities who have achieved success in various scientific fields. Famous people with IQ scores of 140 or higher include Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking. Such geniuses of their era are known for their outstanding abilities; they make an incredibly high contribution to the development of knowledge and science, creating new inventions and theories. Such people make up only 0.2% of the entire population.
IQ level from 131 to 140
Only three percent of the population has high IQ scores. Famous people with similar test results include Nicole Kidman and Arnold Schwarzenegger. These are successful people with high mental abilities; they can reach heights in various fields of activity, science and creativity. Want to see who is smarter - you or Schwarzenegger?
IQ level from 121 to 130
Only 6% of the population has an above average intellectual level. Such people are visible in universities, since they are usually excellent students in all disciplines, successfully graduate from universities, realize themselves in a variety of professions and achieve high results.
IQ level from 111 to 120
If you think that the average IQ level is around 110, then you are wrong. This indicator refers to above average intelligence. People with test scores between 111 and 120 are usually hard workers and strive for knowledge throughout their lives. There are about 12% of such people among the population.
IQ level from 101 to 110
IQ level from 91 to 100
If you took the test and the result was less than 100 points, do not be upset, because this is the average for a quarter of the population. People with such intelligence indicators do well in school and universities, they get jobs in middle management and other professions that do not require significant mental effort.
IQ level from 81 to 90
A tenth of the population has a below average intelligence level. Their IQ test scores range from 81 to 90. These people usually do well in school, but most often do not go on to higher education. They can work in the field of physical labor, in industries that do not require the use of intellectual abilities.
IQ level from 71 to 80
Another tenth of the population has an IQ level from 71 to 80, this is already a sign of mental retardation of a lesser degree. People with this result mainly attend special schools, but can also graduate from regular primary school with average grades.
IQ level from 51 to 70
About 7% of people have a mild form of mental retardation and an IQ level from 51 to 70. They study in special institutions, but are able to take care of themselves and are relatively full-fledged members of society.
IQ level from 21 to 50
About 2% of people on Earth have an intellectual development level of 21 to 50 points; they suffer from dementia, moderate mental retardation. Such people cannot learn, but are able to take care of themselves, but most often have guardians.
IQ level up to 20
People with severe mental retardation are not amenable to training and education, and have an intellectual development level of up to 20 points. They are under the care of other people because they cannot take care of themselves, and live in their own world. There are 0.2% of such people in the world.
Every person is familiar with the term " IQ" and the abbreviation IQ. Many also know that IQ is assessed using special tests.
The founder of the development of special test programs, currently known as the IQ Test, was the French psychologist Alfred Binet. The test very quickly gained popularity in different countries. It began to be used to determine the IQ level not only in children, but also in military personnel. More than 2 million people have been tested. Later, IQ levels began to be determined among students and employees of private companies.
IQ level allows you to determine the speed of thinking processes, and not a person’s ability to think. In this regard, the use of tests has lost relevance today.
To solve problems, you need a well-developed ability to concentrate attention, the ability to highlight the main thing, developed memory, a large vocabulary and fluency in spoken language, logical thinking, the ability to manipulate objects, the ability to perform mathematical operations and perseverance. As you can see, these are more psychological characteristics of the individual than mental abilities.
What is an IQ test used for?
Currently, the test is the only way to determine a person's intelligence level.
There are two options for defining mental abilities. The first is intended for children 10-12 years old, with the help of the second the development of children from 12 years old and adults is assessed. They differ in the level of complexity, but the principle of use is the same.
Each test includes different tasks. To earn 100-120 points, which constitute the average IQ, you do not need to strive to complete all tasks. Half of the proposed tasks are sufficient. You are given 30 minutes to complete the task. The most reliable result for a person is 100-130 points.
IQ level of a normal person - what is considered good?
An intelligence level of 100-120 points is considered the norm, which is half of correctly completed tasks. The person who completes all tasks receives 200 points.
This test also helps determine a number of psychological characteristics: attention, thinking, memory. By identifying deficiencies in abilities, you can help in their development and increase your IQ index.
What does IQ level depend on?
Psychologists are trying to establish the dependence of the level of intelligence on heredity, physiological data, gender or race. Several areas of research are being developed.
In the 19th century, scientists conducted a number of experiments to establish the dependence of the level of intelligence on physiological data and gender. They showed no connection. Other scientists have repeatedly stated that intelligence directly depends on a person's race. These studies also found no relationship.
A number of researchers link mental abilities with musical preferences. Music affects the emotional sphere. British scientists have found that the IQ is higher in people who prefer classical music, hard rock and metal. In their opinion, fans of hip-hop and R'N'B have the minimum IQ level.
What to do to increase your IQ ratio
Increasing your IQ requires constant training and brain development. Logical tasks and intellectual games, chess, crosswords and poker are considered one of the effective ways. They help improve memory and increase concentration. Studying the exact sciences develops analytical thinking. Mental development is influenced by reading fiction and learning foreign languages.
How much IQ does a normal person have?
The average level of intellectual development is 100-120 points. However, scientists have long proposed to determine IQ level taking into account chronological age. The test does not show the degree of erudition of an individual, but evaluates general indicators. The tests are designed to distribute results around the average. The test indicates the direction in which a person should develop. An IQ level of 90-120 is considered good. However, it should be remembered that the results of the initial testing will be the most accurate; further data will be distorted.
Human intelligence is very difficult to define and almost impossible to measure. The accumulation of knowledge, abilities and skills occurs throughout a person’s life.
The basis of intelligence is made up of several determining factors; genetics, environment, and environment are important. Scientists have established a direct dependence of mental development on genes. The percentage of influence can range from 40 to 80 percent.
The level of intelligence and the IQ index are influenced by the development of the brain. The more developed a person’s frontal lobes, which are responsible for thought processes, the higher the IQ level.
Scientists pay special attention to the development of children in the first years of life and upbringing. The level of mental development was associated with the order of birth of children in the family. For a long time it was believed that first-born children have a higher level of IQ. Compared to younger children. Recent studies have shown that the birth order of children determines the developmental potential, ability to reason and think, and as a result determine the level of intellectual development. On average, first-born children test within the norm for their age, but score a few points higher than their younger siblings.
The development of mental abilities is influenced by health status. It is normal for a person to follow good habits and lead a healthy lifestyle. This allows you to maintain brain activity in good shape. Scientists have proven that among people with a high level of intelligence, there are fewer patients with chronic diseases and their life expectancy is higher.
Aikyu scale level table by points
If the IQ test results are:
- 1-24 - profound mental retardation;
- 25-39 - severe mental retardation;
- 40-54 - moderate mental retardation;
- 55-69 - mild mental retardation;
- 70-84 - borderline mental retardation;
- 85-114 - average;
- 115-129 - above average;
- 130-144 - moderately gifted;
- 145-159 - gifted;
- 160-179 - exceptionally gifted;
- 180 and above - deeply gifted.
Criticism of IQ tests
Determining the level of intelligence using the proposed tests cannot be taken as a basis, since the units of measurement are average indicators that change over time, which means they are not a standard.
A person’s intelligence depends on many factors, ranging from the time of day to the state of health.
You can’t take gender as a basis: among men and women there are people with both high and low IQ levels.
It has been statistically proven that IQ changes with age. It reaches its peak by age 25. It is generally accepted throughout the world that an IQ of 100 is average. The IQ of a five-year-old reaches 50-75 points, at 10 years old it ranges from 70 to 80 points, at 15-20 years old it can reach the average value for an adult of 100 points. In many countries of the world (for example, the USA and Japan), gifted people are selected based on IQ tests, and they are then trained according to an enhanced and accelerated system. This is due to the fact that children with high IQs for their age tend to learn much better and faster than their peers.
Race
As strange as it may seem, IQ varies from race to race. For example, the average IQ for African Americans is 86, for European whites it is 103, and for Jews it is 113. All this speaks in favor of supporters of scientific racism. However, this gap is narrowing from year to year.Floor
Women and men do not differ from each other in intelligence, but, according to statistics, IQ between them varies depending on age. Boys under the age of 5 are somewhat smarter than their peers, but starting from the age of 10-12 years, girls are ahead of boys in development. This gap disappears by the age of 18-20.Normal IQ
The IQ of an adult depends on many factors - genetics, upbringing, environment, race, etc. Although the average IQ is about 100 points, it varies from 80 points to 180. This limiting IQ level is set in the classic IQ test, developed by the English psychologist Hans Eysenck in 1994. In order to obtain adequate data on this test, it must be taken once in a lifetime in adulthood. Repeated playthrough distorts and inflates the results.If the IQ is below 80 points, then this indicates physical and mental deviations of the person. If the IQ exceeds 180 points, then this indicates the genius of the owner of such points. But these dependencies are very conditional. For example, the great physicist Albert Einstein was the laggard in his class in terms of academic performance, which did not prevent him from developing the theory of relativity in the future. And on the other hand, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the highest IQ of 228 points was recorded in 1989 by ten-year-old American Marilyn Waugh Sawan. This is where her personal achievements end.
Hans Jurgen EysenckEysenck created an IQ test for the Nazis
The German professor Eysenck has always been a scandalous personality, and not only, by the way, thanks to his test, created to test a person’s intellectual abilities. He was accused of racism, the details of his long-lasting conflict with Sigmund Freud were savored by journalists and representatives of the scientific world, and for his stern disposition and impeccable calm, coupled with stunning pragmatism, Eysenck was dubbed the “enfant terrible of the 70s” (that is, a terrible child, although the professor was over 60 at that time). The title was firmly attached to the professor and remained with him until his death on September 4, 1997. However, Eysenck was without a doubt the outstanding scientist of his time. And not only his own - his test, which is used today by every more or less educated person, is still popular today. True, it is worth recognizing that since the last century it has undergone some changes, which is not surprising.
The fact is that initially Eysenck, despite persistently denying his connections with the Nazis, created his test specifically for them. The first versions of the “intelligence test” were created by a professor as part of a Nazi project to create a race of superhumans - the most beautiful, the most intelligent and genetically flawless. Thus, according to his research, Eysenck was able to prove that the IQ level of the colored population of the planet is much lower than that of whites. By the way, Eysenck’s relationship with fascist ideology was quite complicated. On the one hand, he publicly renounced fascist views and once got into a fight over these accusations. On the other hand, at one time he was in very close relations with the top of the Third Reich.
In the USA, Eysenck's works on intelligence were under an unspoken ban.
Such developments by Eysenck could not go unnoticed in the most democratic part of our planet - in America. Much after the appearance of the first tests, the scientist published several articles and books, all of which were unofficially banned in the United States. Even though professors were gladly invited to a “free” country to give lectures at local universities, it was practically impossible to acquire his works. Bookstore owners simply did not dare to purchase printed publications where Eysenck’s name was mentioned, fearing an aggressive reaction from the black population. Booksellers and publishing houses received threats from all sides, which, alas, in some way confirms the German’s scientific findings.
Mutual hostility with blacks is not the only trouble that befalls the smart professor. So, for example, at one of the lectures in Europe, Eysenck was thrown with rotten eggs, and in the cultural capital of the world, that is, in Paris, during the researcher’s speech at the Sorbonne, two radical students even tried to beat him up. Eysenck remained, but was indifferent to this fact.
Beautiful people have higher IQs
A high IQ and beauty go hand in hand, despite the huge number of jokes about fair-haired beauties. Attractive men and women have higher IQ levels. Research at the London School of Economics contributed to these conclusions. Scientists explained their findings by the fact that smart and attractive people, as a rule, are attracted to each other, which allows them to give birth to “successful offspring.”
If you take IQ tests in a bad mood, your score will be lower.
Before you get upset at a low result and become convinced of your incapacity, you need to distinguish between real intelligence and IQ test scores. A fact proven by scientists: the abilities assessed by an intelligence test can vary depending on mood, well-being and even self-esteem.
A high score does not guarantee success
In fact, in the preface to one of the popular editions of the IQ test, Eysenck wrote that to achieve success in life, high intelligence scores must be accompanied by perseverance and high motivation. A person with high intelligence, but lacking perseverance, risks spending his entire life waiting for “his time.” A person who is persistent in learning, but unmotivated by any goals, risks never getting off the couch.
However, we think you know this very well yourself. Many of us, successful people in our careers, have probably never taken the above test, and if we tried, we had every chance of failing. The fact is that, despite the fact that the test is supposedly intended for people of both a mathematical and humanitarian mindset, in fact it will be much easier for “technicians” to defeat intricate questions. Consequently, a person who has outstanding imaginative thinking and, say, very poor logical thinking, the final result of the IQ test will be so-so.
Over the past 50 years, the average IQ of the world's inhabitants has increased by 12 points.
New Zealand scientist James Flynn, who at one time continued the noble work of Eysenck, proposed to the public a theory according to which each subsequent generation becomes smarter than the previous one. At least he performs tasks included in psychological tests faster and better. There are several theories trying to explain the Flynn effect, but none of them are generally accepted.
An interesting fact: the same Flynn managed to prove that the IQ level of each person depends not so much on his genes, but on his environment. That is, simply put, if you are surrounded by not the smartest people, you have every chance of degenerating soon.
IQ scores may decline in summer
One of the IQ phenomena can be described as follows: “I became stupid over the summer.” Judging by the latest research, the human brain is in a more relaxed state in summer than in winter. Although we, thanks to winter’s permanent lack of sleep and fatigue, are accustomed to thinking differently. Meanwhile, if you don’t subject your brain to constant training during the warm season, you can forget everything that you managed to learn over the past season, even the books you’ve read will disappear from your mind.
IQ is developed by sports, music and meditation
Official science around the world recognizes only three ways to develop your intelligence. And strangely enough, this is not reading books or studying applied mathematics, but sports, music and meditation. A number of experiments prove that physical exercise directly affects mental performance. Secondly, playing music and learning to play musical instruments develops IQ. But meditation (though only true meditation, with complete detachment from reality and focusing on one’s own harmony) is considered one of the best ways to bring your cognitive abilities to an ideal state, improve attentiveness and concentration, and expand the volume of working memory.
IQ level depends on genes by 40-80%
It has already been proven that the environment affects IQ, but heredity affects the overall level of human intelligence much more strongly. Yes, of course, ecology, the environment, the society in which you are forced to be for one reason or another, all this cannot but leave its mark, and, nevertheless: you will not receive more than what your parents will inherit to you. you can from any source.
High IQ helps you communicate
We are accustomed to thinking that people who are too smart by nature have a hard time making contact with others. Just remember the quiet excellent students from your childhood. Or maybe you were like that yourself? However, this is only a period. A mature personality who has a high level of IQ has every chance of acquiring a large number of friends and just good buddies. Society has an undoubted sympathy for smart, and even well-educated people. The main thing is not to suffer from star fever.
Low IQ pushes you to suicide
Swedish scientists discovered a connection between IQ level and suicidal tendencies, although it would seem that the dumber a person is, the fewer psychological problems he should have, and in general, life in the absence of a brain seems like paradise: no reflection, no feeling of the futility of existence. However, according to research, people with low IQ do not solve the tasks assigned to them well, so it is more difficult for them to cope with stress in crisis circumstances, as a result - the only sure salvation from an impending disaster may be to go out the window.
Holders of the highest odds
Surprise: according to world research, women's IQ exceeds men's. For example, one of the highest IQ levels was demonstrated by Marilyn Much Vos Savant from Missouri, who at the age of ten already had the average IQ for a 23-year-old. She managed to pass the most difficult test for entry into the privileged Mega Society, which includes only about three dozen people with such a high IQ, which is found in only 1 person in a million! There are legends about actress Sharon Stone, whose IQ is considered one of the highest among celebrities. The legend, however, still remains a legend, devoid of any documentary evidence.
Who has the lowest IQ
History is tactfully silent about the lowest IQ level, but it is reliably known that, for example, among American presidents, the lowest IQ level belongs to George Bush - it is only 91 points (which, judging by his speeches, is obvious without any testing, by the way). According to scientists, Bush is inferior in intelligence to the average US citizen: the normal IQ of an ordinary American is about one hundred points. Before George W. Bush, only one United States president was below this level - the father of the former head of government, George H. W. Bush.
But among the stars of the world screen, Sylvester Stallone was least fortunate. His IQ was 54 points, which allowed him to surpass even the main blonde on the planet - Paris Hilton. By the way, she is in second to last place among Hollywood stars in terms of intelligence.
