3. What is Intelligence and What is IQ
Definition of Intelligence and IQ
Definition of Intelligence: Intelligence can be defined as a property of the mind that
encompasses many related abilities such as the capacities to reason, to plan, to solve
problems, to think abstractly, to comprehend ideas, to use language, and to learn.
It is important to note that intelligence is not about how much knowledge or expertise a
person has; rather it is about how fast a person is able to acquire knowledge and expertise as
well as how well a person is able to perform tasks at which he or she has no expertise.
Definition of IQ: The IQ is a measurement of intelligence. IQ presumes that there are
differences in intelligence among people of a population and expresses, with one score, how
intelligent a person is in relation to the rest of the population.
4. Value of Intelligence and Value of IQ Tests
Many contend that intelligence does not relate to cognitive abilities, and many criticize IQ
tests for not measuring intelligence.
This criticism is not completely unfounded. It is true that intelligence is not clearly defined
nor is it easily measured. By contrast, other human dimensions (height, weight, muscular
strength) are self-defining and can be measured objectively.
However, we can make certain indisputable statements about IQ and intelligence as stated
in the book, The Bell Curve:
There is a general cognitive ability on which human beings differ.
All standardized tests of academic aptitude measure this cognitive ability to some degree,
but IQ tests, expressly designed for that purpose, measure it most accurately.
IQ scores match well to what people mean when they use the word intelligent.
Properly designed and administered IQ tests are not demonstrably biased against social,
economic, ethnic, or racial groups.
5. IQ as Predictor of Success
The criticism against IQ tests can be countered by the successful use of IQ as a predictor
of success in various domains.
Although IQ is not a perfect predictor of academic or work success, even critics recognize
that there is a strong correlation between IQ and success.
IQ → Academic Success
The IQ test was originally designed as a predictor of the academic success of school
children. Only later in the 20th century was its use extended to the work place.
While it is true that there are many other factors that determine success at school, IQ
repeatedly is shown to have a high correlation with academic success.
6. IQ → Professional Success
The IQ can predict success at work. Measuring the job candidates' IQ and considering IQ in
the recruitment decision is a useful tool. However, the use of IQ test in the work setting is
even more controversial than in the academic setting.
Fewer than 50% of employers worldwide use IQ tests as a means of evaluating job
candidates. There is a wide variation among countries. These are some examples:
55% → China and Spain
30% → India and France
3% → U.S and Germany
Scientific research suggests that while an IQ test is not a perfect predictor of the future
success of a job applicant and while many other factors are relevant to work success, IQ
should be considered. This is because the IQ of a candidate correlates highly with future
success at work. Recently, researchers compared the effectiveness of various methods of
selecting employees: IQ tests, unstructured interviews, personality tests and biographical
questionnaire. The result was unambiguous: the single best predictor of work success is IQ.
7. IQ → Wealth
As the IQ predictor is a good correlator to success at work, it also correlates with
income and wealth. In essence, the higher your IQ, the more likely you are to have a
higher income, accumulate more wealth and attain a greater social status.
The IQ of the world's self-made millionaires is estimated to be around 115. The IQ of
the world's self-made billionaires is estimated to be around 120.
8.
9. What do we know about Intelligence
There are many definitions of intelligence.
The American Psychological Association defines it as follows:
Individuals differ from one another in their ability to understand complex ideas, to adapt
effectively to the environment, to learn from experience, to engage in various forms of reasoning,
to overcome obstacles by taking thought. Although these individual differences can be substantial,
they are never entirely consistent: a given person’s intellectual performance will vary on different
occasions, in different domains, as judged by different criteria.
Concepts of "intelligence" are attempts to clarify and organize this complex set of phenomena.
Although considerable clarity has been achieved in some areas, no such conceptualization has yet
answered all the important questions and none commands universal assent. Indeed, when two
dozen prominent theorists were recently asked to define intelligence, they gave two dozen
somewhat different definitions.
A second definition of intelligence comes from "Mainstream Science on Intelligence", which was signed
by 52 intelligence researchers in 1994:
A very general mental capability that, among other things, involves the ability to reason, plan, solve
problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experience. It is not
merely book learning, a narrow academic skill, or test-taking smarts. Rather, it reflects a broader and
deeper capability for comprehending our surroundings—"catching on", "making sense" of things, or
"figuring out" what to do.
10. There are many rumours about intelligence and many falsities and half-truth written about it. To end this, in 1994
prominent researchers on intelligence came together and published the factual knowledge about intelligence. The
following are their conclusions about scientific knowledge about intelligence.
The Meaning and Measurement of Intelligence
Intelligence is a very general mental capability that, among other things, involves the ability to reason, plan, solve
problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experience. It is not merely book
learning, a narrow academic skill, or test-taking smarts. Rather, it reflects a broader and deeper capability for
comprehending our surroundings--"catching on," "making sense" of things, or "figuring out" what to do.
Intelligence, can be measured, and intelligence tests measure it well. They are among the most accurate (in technical
terms, reliable and valid) of all psychological tests and assessments.
While there are different types of intelligence tests, they all measure the same intelligence. Some use words or numbers
and require specific cultural knowledge, while others do not, instead they use shapes or designs and require knowledge
of only simple, universal concepts.
The spread of people along the IQ continuum, from low to high, can be represented well by the bell curve. Most people
cluster around the average (IQ 100). Few are either very bright or very dull: about 3% of Americans score above IQ 130
and about the same percentage below IQ 70.
11. IQ Group Differences
Members of all racial-ethnic groups can be found at every IQ level. The bell curves of
different groups overlap considerably, but groups often differ in where their members
tend to cluster along the IQ line. The bell curves for some groups (Jews and East Asians)
are centered somewhat higher than for Whites in general. Other groups (Blacks and
Hispanics) are centered somewhat lower than Whites.
The bell curve for Whites is centered roughly around IQ 100; the bell curve for American
Blacks roughly around 85; and those for Hispanics roughly midway between those for
Whites and Blacks. The evidence is less definitive for exactly where above IQ 100 the bell
curves for Jews and Asians are centered.
12. Practical Importance of IQ
IQ is strongly related, probably more so than any other single measurable human trait, to many important educational,
occupational, economic, and social outcomes. Its relation to the welfare and performance of individuals is very strong in
some arenas in life (education, military training), moderate but robust in others (social competence), and modest but
consistent in others (law-abidingness). Whatever IQ tests measure, it is of great practical and social importance.
A high IQ is an advantage in life because virtually all activities require some reasoning and decision-making. Of course, a
high IQ no more guarantees success than a low IQ guarantees failure in life. There are many exceptions, but the odds for
success in our society greatly favor individuals with higher IQ.
The practical advantages of having a higher IQ increase as life settings become more complex (novel, ambiguous,
changing, unpredictable, or multifaceted). For example, a high IQ is generally necessary to perform well in highly
complex or fluid jobs (white-collar professions, management): it is a considerable advantage in moderately complex jobs
(crafts, clerical and police work); but it provides less advantage in settings that require only routine decision making or
simple problem solving (unskilled work).
Differences in intelligence certainly are not the only factor affecting performance in education, training, and highly
complex jobs, but intelligence is often the most important.
Certain personality traits, special talents, aptitudes, physical capabilities, experience, and the like are important for
successful performance in many jobs, but they have narrower applicability or "transferability" across tasks and settings
compared with general intelligence.
13. Source and Stability of Within-Group Differences
Individuals differ in intelligence due to differences in both their environments and genetic
heritage. Heritability estimates range from 0.4 to 0.8 (on a scale from 0 to 1), indicating that
genetics plays a bigger role than does environment in creating IQ differences among
individuals.
Members of the same family also tend to differ substantially in intelligence for both genetic
and environmental reasons. They differ genetically because biological brothers and sisters
share exactly half their genes with each parent and, on the average, only half with each
other. They also differ in IQ because they experience different environments within the
same family.
That IQ may be highly heritable does not mean that it is not affected by the environment.
Individuals are not born with fixed, unchangeable levels of intelligence. IQs do gradually
stabilize during childhood, however, and generally change little thereafter.
