What does your IQ tell you?

The perception of the general public is accepting of the idea an individual’s intelligence can be measured through an IQ test.

IQ tests are mainly mathematical and logic-based tests.

A high IQ presumes that you are a very smart person and are therefore provided with certain opportunities in life to succeed, while an individual measured as having a low IQ, usually means that restrictions are placed upon their pathway to education.

Children throughout their academic years are filtered into certain categories depending on the measure of their IQ.

Intelligence Quotience, also known as IQ, was proposed by Alfred Binet and Théodore Simon. They began testing their theory in 1905.

Binet and Simon created their IQ testing to classify who had learning difficulties through developmental issues, and those that were struggling in class because of external issues at home, or in school.

Lewis Terman: Terman translated and adapted the original Binet–Simon test for use in the United States, significantly expanding its range. This became a standard for measuring intelligence across the world, being called the Binet-Simon Revised test.

Howard Gardner, a psychology professor, suggested that IQ is okay for predicting how you manage academic subjects in school or college, however it does not gauge how an individual will succeed in life and in what capacity.

He also suggested that you cannot gauge the intelligence of Mozart or Gandhi based on an academic IQ test.

Gandhi

If a person has some difficulties in understanding, processing and answering the traditional IQ test, the outcome is not a true reflection of their ability.

To make my point, I would like to draw your attention to 3 of these ‘areas of difficulty’ where measuring individuals using the traditional IQ measurment, namely the one as set out by Binet–Simon.

The 3 types in no particular order are as follows:

Dyscalculia – is a difficulty in understanding letters and numbers.

Dysgraphia – is a condition that affects the ability to recognise and decipher written words

Dyslexia – is a common learning difficulty that mainly causes problems with reading, writing and spelling.

Now for context, the following famous people were diagnosed as being affected by one or more of the above impairments.

Agatha Christie, author of over 70 detective books – Dyslexia.

Albert Einstein, physicist and Nobel Prize winner – Dysgraphia and Dyslexia

Cher, singer and actress selling over 100 million records – Dyscalculia and Dyslexia

Steven Spielberg, filmmaker – one of the greatest in history – Dysgraphia

Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist, painter and sculptor – Dyslexia

There are many more people who have ventured into careers to become exceptional in their fields, while having to find a way to overcome their learning difficulties, similar to the 3 above.

I would suggest that it is wrong to categorize people according to their ‘scores’ in IQ tests, which have for over a hundred years been based on mathematics and logic.

My example above enables us to appreciate that intelligence comes in more forms than the criteria set in IQ testing.

Accordingly, there are multiple types of intelligence which we seek, use, and refine over our lifetime.

Howard Gardner in 1983, proposed 7 types of intelligence should be considered to create a more holistic measurement of an individuals predicted outcome.

These are as follows:

Linguistic Intelligence: The appreciation of language; learning new language and the use of such to further one’s goals. Typical professions of those with higher linguistic intelligence may be Poets, Authors, Lawyers and Politicians.

Logical Intelligence: The capacity to problem-solve using scientific analysis, and reason logically using number and deductions. Along with Linguistic Intelligence, together they are associated with typical IQ testing. Typical Professions would be Scientists, Accountants, Engineers and Analysts.

Musical Intelligence: Individuals who think in terms of musical patterns, frequency, vibration and sound. Typical professions are Musicians, Composers, Singers and Vocalists.

Visual/Spatial Intelligence: The ability to perceive items in space clearly, taking an action in your mind and having the ability to transfer this to an idea that is yet to happen. Likely professions include, Engineering, Interior/Exterior Designs, Artist, Navigator, Air Traffic Control.

Bodily/Kinesthetic Intelligence: When expressing ourselves in movement to a high standard. Complex physical movement, body language and acting skills, would be associated with a career as a Dancer, Gymnast, Athlete or Actor.

Interpersonal Intelligence: Ability to comprehend the goals, motives, and wants of others.These particlular skills focus on external relationships. Excellent in motivating people and expert communication skills. Leadership qualities. Typical professions include: Educators, Sales and Marketing, Human Resources.

Intrapersonal Intelligence: The capacity to comprehend oneself with increased awareness of our emotions and driving forces. Intrapersonal skills focus on the internal self and are driven by personal motivations to succeed. Typical professions include: Entrepreneur, Architect, Psychologist, Counsellor, Farmer.

In recent years, another 2 types of intelligence have been added for consideration. These are:

Existiential Intelligence : Questioning the meaning of life; where we came from and what our purpose is in this world. An innate inquiring mind, seeking answers to ones existence and a reason and purpose to doing things. Typical professions include: Religious representative, Philosopher, Spiritual Counsellor and Alternative Health practitioner.

Naturalistic Intelligence: This amounts to having the ability to observe, label, classify, comprehend, and categorise natural elements. These elements in question make up the living world we inhabit. The skill to adapt to our environments through understanding how living organisms behave. Typical professions include, Biologists, Conservationist, Zoologist, Nature Photographer.

To wrap this up, my point remains, where the traditional methods of using largely logical and mathematical problems as a measurement of someone’s intelligence, is an inaccurate method for assessment, and I would suggest that a review of how IQ is measured is long overdue.

To add to my point, an example of Einstein’s famous quote that is at the top of the page, “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid”. My take on this is, everyone has different and unique skills and talents, therefore we should not be judged by one skillset, to measure nor determine our intelligence.

Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I would be interested in hearing more about your experiences of measuring intelligence by way of an IQ test.

Steve

Further reading – “The aim of their scale was to identify in order to help and improve, not to label in order to limit. Some children might be innately incapable of normal achievement, but all could improve with help,” wrote biologist Stephen Jay Gould in his 1981 book, “The Mis-measure of Man.”