1. A person's intelligence is a function of both their genetics and the environment. Genetics tend to be the larger factor (roughly 2:1 split).
2. The best IQ tests are those that have a high g loading. The g-factor is defined as general intelligence and is essentially a function of your brain's ability to process information.
3. IQ tests should measure mathematical skill, verbal fluency and comprehension, memory, visual spatial ability and the ability to apply the fundamentals of reasoning and logic.
4. The average IQ score for men and women in the West is roughly the same and is defined as 100. Distribution of IQ and Standard deviation has been known to differ for the sexes.
5. IQ tests performed before age 16 may show considerable variation that is consistent with brain development. Scores after age 16 tend to settle down although they can vary on a day by day basis based on the mood of the taker.
6. The Gold Standard for IQ Tests is the Weschler Test that can be administered for both adults and children. It is comprised of 11 sub-tests that provide both a Verbal and a Non-Verbal Score. It is administered on a one-by-one basis. Other Tests used are the Stanford-Binet and Cattell (in the UK). Many school boards use IQ tests that have been developed on a national or local level.
7. IQ scores are meaningless unless the Standard Deviation for the Bell Shaped (Gaussian DistributionI is given). Weschler uses a Standard Deviation of 15 so that a score of just over 130 places a person in the top 2% of the population (this is both the cutoff for most school gifted programs and MENSA).
8. Taking Internet IQ tests are a waste of time as there is no consistent methodology inherent in the norming of these tests.
9. The Average IQ of a University student in the US is about 113. IQ scores for students attending more demanding programs are considerably higher than those in less challenging programs.Differences can vary by 20 points.
10. Old versions of the SAT correlated well with IQ scores but today's version of the SAT is no longer seen as an adequate reflection of IQ.
11. There is a correlation between work occupation and average IQ score that reflects the degree of cognitive challenge inherent in the job.
12. IQ scores have been increasing over time. This is known as the Flynn Effect. There are various explanations for this. The most common one is that student's are becoming more comfortable with this type of test.
13. There is a general positive correlation between High IQ and success at school/university.The correlation is a bit less positive when looking at High IQ and material success in life.
14. IQ tests should not be treated as a number that defines you for the rest of your life. A one off poor performance can be a function of many factors including Test Anxiety and should not write off expectations. One should use great care when reporting IQ information.
15. IQ tests are much better at testing convergent thinking (thinking towards one right answer) and don't assess for the most part one's imaginative ability or propensity to philosophize (divergent thinking).
16. Models of Multiple Intelligence have been proposed by individuals such as Howard Gardiner but these have often been criticized for not being scientifically rigorous.The same is true of Robert Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Intelligence.
17. The Earliest IQ Test was developed by Alfred Binet in France in 1904. Its primary function was to screen for low performing students.
18. IQ scores predictably follow a Bell curve for a large population sample Scores of above 150 (SD =15) corresponding to 1 person in a thousand are extremely rare.
19. People have a tendency to inflate their IQ scores for obvious reasons.
20. We do not know the vast majority of Famous people as most either lived before the test was invented or indeed never took the Test in the First Place. Nobody knows Albert Einstein's IQ as it is believed that he didn't even take such a test.
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