- Written By: Jacob Queen
- Edited By: Lauren Fritsky
- Last Modified Date: 27 January 2012
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2003-2012 Conjecture Corporation
Intelligence quotient (IQ) is a measurement of how well people learn or solve problems and, according to most tests, a high IQ would be anything above about 110. Most experts consider anything above 120 to be a very high IQ, and most consider anything above 140 to be in the genius range. IQs between 90 and 110 are usually considered average under most metrics. There are many different kinds of tests used to measure IQ, and they may yield slightly different results with different people because they focus more heavily on different aspects of the thinking process.
According to experts, many people have the wrong idea about what IQ really represents. For example, some people think that anybody who knows many facts and is extremely knowledgeable would have a high IQ rating. Sometimes this can be true, but not always. IQ simply measures a person's ability to solve problems, deal with new situations, and learn things quickly. Some people become experts in their fields with only an average ability in these areas by applying themselves more thoroughly, and some people with very high IQs never really use them for anything that greatly benefits their lives.
IQ tests often challenge people in very different ways, and this can make them produce different results. For example, some IQ tests are timed while others aren't, and someone who scores very high on a test without a time limit might do somewhat worse on the timed test. There are also IQ tests with slightly different focuses; some may focus more on abstract thinking, for example, while others may test mathematical calculation abilities more rigorously. Someone who has a learning disability with math might do very well on every other aspect of an IQ test, and will generally measure much higher on tests with less of a math focus.
Studies have suggested that a high IQ can be a pretty good predictor for success in life, but it is not generally considered the best indicator. Some tests have been developed that measure a person's aptitude for self-discipline, and these have generally shown that discipline may be much more important. Most of the studies on this have been performed on school children, so there is some uncertainty about how well it translates to adult life. There is also some question about whether or not IQ tests fully measure all the important thinking abilities, and some think they fail to capture many important factors of intelligence, such as imagination.
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anon243360
Post 5 |
So a person in a third-world country with little or no education would not do well in an IQ test? With all these gifted children. where are the gifted adults? |
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anon243359
Post 4 |
A high IQ is really not half so important as life. I tested in high genius as a child and teen. I won scholarships from both grade school and high school, but we were a poor family of 12 kids. Dad died when I was 11 and I became the second mother. Mom refused to sign for scholarship as I was only 16 and needed at home. I spent many years as an intellectual hippie running and traveling. My IQ was wasted. But more importantly, I never had a work quotient. I prefer books to people. I have no ambition. All a high IQ does is allow you to see info and patterns but it does not tell you how to succeed. Most people in mensa are clerks. To this day I have no tv but thousands of books. I am a social recluse and I prefer it that way. |
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Bhutan
Post 3 |
@BrickBack - I wanted to add that my friend had her daughter tested for a gifted program and she scored above average but not in the gifted range. The little girl was only five at the time so I wonder if she would have scored higher now that she is ten.
They say that it depends on the child’s environment, but I don’t know. My friend said that her daughter spent an hour doing various puzzles and in some areas she did very well but her IQ score fell a little short of the gifted range of 130.
I know that my friend’s daughter is bright and I think that my friend was trying to push her daughter into a gifted program.
I told her that things happen for a reason and she should be happy that she has a very bright little girl. I told her that the IQ scale is only one measurement and it does not tell child’s entire story.
For example, there are many children that are artistically gifted. How do you measure that on an IQ test? |
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BrickBack
Post 2 |
@SauteePan - I know what you mean it is a delicate balance. There are gifted programs in many public schools and I believe that the qualifying number is 130.
I have a friend whose son was a few points shy of the qualifying gifted score but was able to do math about two grade levels above his current grade, so they let him in.
I sometimes think that the IQ test should be one measurement but the academic ability of the child should also be measured because they say that IQ test for children under nine years of age may not be as accurate. |
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SauteePan
Post 1 |
I just wanted to add that IQ scores don’t always measure how successful someone will be. I had a cousin who had an IQ score of 135 and was considered gifted.
His teacher spoke with my aunt and suggested that he be promoted to the next grade because he was not going to be challenged in his current grade. She decided against it because she felt that the social aspects of him being with his friends would benefit him more.
Well as a result, my cousin became an average student and never went to college because he made the connection that learning was boring and not challenging.
It was really a shame because he was so bright and could have done anything with his life. I think that there is always a challenge raising gifted children because intellectually they are so advanced but socially many are not.
It is not easy because sometimes parents don't know what to do. |
