The distribution of IQ among humans is described by the normal distribution having a mean of 100 and standard deviation of 15. In this description, the percentage of people with IQ less than 10 is virtually zero. At levels below 50, and above 150, IQ doesn’t have much meaning. Someone with an IQ below 50 …
In the 1940’s, psychologist Raymond B. Cattell attempted to create “culture-free” tests of intelligence. Believing that IQ tests contain implicit biases in favor of particular cultures, he sought to apply factor analysis to partition the g factor of intelligence (as measured by IQ) into two components–fluid and crystallized. He described fluid intelligence, as “a capacity …
Comparing average IQ’s across college majors can be misleading because the variation in IQ’s within a major is much greater than the variation across majors. That is, there is a very wide difference in the IQ’s of students in any particular major, so the person with the highest IQ in a major like education may …
I know of no research showing a correlation between IQ and the use of profanity. However, I would conjecture that there is a modest correlation between those two variables. Why? People usually resort to profanities when they are frustrated and are having trouble coping. This is much more likely to happen among those of low …
Do people who use a lot of swear words have a low IQ score? Read More »
The efficacy of IQ tests in predicting job performance is well established in the research. Linda Gottfredson, one of the leading researchers in the implications of general intelligence, g, (as measured by IQ tests) states: (Gottfredson, Linda S. “Why g Matters: The Complexity of Everyday Life.” 1997. Intellignce 24 (1) pp. 79-132.) Personnel selection research …
What is the correlation between IQ and job performance? Read More »
A person with an IQ of 106 is in the 65.5 th percentile. This means that a person registering an IQ of 106 has achieved a higher score than 65% of those taking the IQ test. Scores on the standard Weschler IQ test are distributed in accordance with the normal distribution (bell curve) having a …
Intelligence for sentient beings has been defined as the ability to perceive or infer information, and to retain it as knowledge to be applied towards adaptive behaviors within an environment or context. For example, monkeys have learned how to use rocks to crack the shells of nuts to feed themselves. Corvids (including crows and ravens) …
We can use a sports analogy to get a perspective on the Mensa test. In ancient times, the Greeks attempted to measure athleticism by introducing the pentathlon into their Olympic Games. This was a set of 5 events: the sprint, long jump, discus throw, javelin throw, and a wrestling match, designed to measure speed, agility, …
Does the Mensa test really reflect our intelligence? Read More »
No, they measure different things. The Myers-Briggs Type indicator (MBTI) attempts to classify an individual’s personality according to four variables: introvert or extravert, sensing or intuitive, thinking or feeling, and judging or perceiving. Since there are four categories, each with two choices, there are 24 or 16 possible personality types in this rubric. If the …
Is intuition in MBTI synonymous with fluid intelligence? Read More »
I know of no data comparing the IQ’s of psychologists and mathematicians, so what I am about to say is pure conjecture and opinion based on my work in both subject areas. (I have doctorates in pure mathematics and in education, so I have a “skin in both games” and can make the claim that …
Do psychologists fare better in IQ tests than mathematicians? Read More »
