IQ

Fundamental questions remain: Is intelligence one general ability or several independent systems of abilities? Is intelligence a property of the brain, a characteristic of behavior, or a set of knowledge and skills? This is from a site about IQ testing and they just want your money after taking a kooky test so I don’t want to link them BUT they have a good point. What is intelligence? How is it measured and what value is there in the measurement of it. Simplistically I can think of two scenarios where knowing it would be harmful. The first example would be when you take a test and know that it is high there for you live your life with a certain level of entitlement and perhaps may not try as hard or look down on colleagues or family and friends feeling superior to them and above it all. Conversely you could get a low score and also feel as though you should not try to achieve due to the reminder that you did not test well and the test revealed to you that you are average or below. This stigma would penalize you subconsciously for the rest of your life…don’t you think? Where as a high score could give you a false sense of who you are and what you could accomplish.

“In recent years, a number of theorists have argued that standard intelligence tests measure only a portion of the human abilities that could be considered aspects of intelligence. Other scholars believe that such tests accurately measure intelligence and that the lack of agreement on a definition of intelligence does not invalidate its measurement. In their view, intelligence is much like many scientific concepts that are accurately measured well before scientists understand what the measurement actually means. Gravity, temperature, and radiation are all examples of concepts that were measured before they were understood.”

—“Intelligence,” Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2003

“IQ tests do not measure all meanings of “intelligence”, such as creativity. IQ scores are relative (like placement in a race), not absolute (like the measurement of a ruler)” –wikipedia. IQ seems to be flexible and continuous dependent upon as many factors as the universe is random and complex. Humans are not one dimensional creatures and each of us excels in certain areas of expertise. I am a fabulous cook and have a great sense of time with out the aid of a watch or clock. NOW, that really can get ya somewhere in life, but I digress….

I have always thought that IQ was a measurement of potential and possible ability not actual smarts or the predicted outcome as there are many other factors involved.  “Environmental factors play a major role in determining IQ in extreme situations. Proper childhood nutrition appears critical for cognitive development; malnutrition can lower IQ. Other research indicates environmental factors such as prenatal exposure to toxins, duration of breastfeeding, and micronutrient deficiency can affect IQ. In the developed world, there are some family effects on the IQ of children, accounting for up to a quarter of the variance. However, by adulthood, this correlation disappears, so that the IQ of adults living in the prevailing conditions of the developed world may be more heritable.” –wikipedia. There have been many twin studies of adopted twins who were placed in different families and they show that genetics also play a strong role but a more stimulating environment can increase the previous low score in children. “A study of French children adopted between the ages of 4 and 6 shows the continuing interplay of nature and nurture. The children came from poor backgrounds with I.Q.’s that initially averaged 77, putting them near retardation. Nine years later after adoption, they retook the I.Q. tests, and all of them did better. The amount they improved was directly related to the adopting family’s status. “Children adopted by farmers and laborers had average I.Q. scores of 85.5; those placed with middle-class families had average scores of 92. The average I.Q. scores of youngsters placed in well-to-do homes climbed more than 20 points, to 98.” This study suggests that IQ is not stable over the course of ones lifetime and that, even in later childhood, a change in environment can have a significant effect on IQ.” –wikipedia. This study is very interesting to me as I am in constant fear that I am not doing enough to make my child brilliant. I was an early reader and was reading alone at 4 years old. My son, who seems to me at least to be pretty bright is not reading yet at 5 1/2 and seems to struggle with many concepts although he does sight read many words and gets the whole “sound it out” idea behind phonics.

How important is intelligence? Would it be better to be really smart and have no creativity or empathy and understanding? Could you be a great artist and not be able to do math or read very well? Can you compare them as equals or is it something separate–creativity and intelligence? And if they are not connected or correlated, then why the fuss? Is it not just a matter of difference versus a lacking in something if you excel in one area but not in another?

“Whenever scientists are asked to define intelligence in terms of what causes it or what it actually is, almost every scientist comes up with a different definition. For example, in 1921 an academic journal asked 14 prominent psychologists and educators to define intelligence. The journal received 14 different definitions, although many experts emphasized the ability to learn from experience and the ability to adapt to one’s environment. In 1986 researchers repeated the experiment by asking 25 experts for their definition of intelligence. The researchers received many different definitions: general adaptability to new problems in life; ability to engage in abstract thinking; adjustment to the environment; capacity for knowledge and knowledge possessed; general capacity for independence, originality, and productiveness in thinking; capacity to acquire capacity; apprehension of relevant relationships; ability to judge, to understand, and to reason; deduction of relationships; and innate, general cognitive ability.”–more wikipedia.
The most interesting thing I read during this very brief foray into what IQ is…I found this quote , also in wikipedia (because I am lazy and my daughter keeps waking up and I am distracted…) “Several studies have investigated the relationship between intelligence and the degree of religious belief (excluding humanism), with most showing that intelligence averages decrease significantly with the “importance of religion” an IQ testee rates as apt. But most studies chiefly show that people with religious beliefs have lower IQs and tend to be less educated”. Doesn’t that rock your world? It explains so much about our current governmental situation. I take this to mean that if  you believe in god, he does the thinkin for ya. How convenient. Seriously. That gives the whole, what would Jesus do question a whole new meaning for me. This seems further proof that religion in general and in principal is harmful more often than it is helpful. Religion seeks to take away so there is less and fills you up with blanket explanations and proclamations so you don’t actually have to think  for yourself…you can just have faith.

While this is not about religion I think it is an interesting correlation. What value is there in a measurement of intelligence except for the person who took the test? What does that do for your fellow man? The world? Isn’t it just another helping of some self serving bullshit meant to distane you smarties from the rest of us? hmmm.