IQ

Opinions from contributors:

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It is NOT the numerical score of the IQ test that indicates that a person may have superior intelligence (high above the statistical average). It is the percentile (above the 98th percentile) or the standard deviation (2 standard deviations above the norm) that matters. This is due to the fact that different official IQ scales are not equivalent. Only the median score of approximately 100 is the same across these scales.

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For example, an IQ score of 132 on the Cattell Culture Fair IQ Scale (an official scale) is only equal to a score of 120 on the Wechsler IQ Scale (also an official scale). Unlike IQ tests for adults (over the age of 16), IQ tests given to children (such as the Otis-Lennon) are contingent upon the age that the child was tested. Tests taken before the age of 16 are not reliable for this reason.

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The consensus in the field of psychology is that IQ scales are not useful for measuring intelligence above 2 standard deviations from the norm. Such assessments require the analysis of specialists in the field of psychometric measurement (a branch of psychology). Individuals seriously considered to have IQs above the conventional ceiling of IQ tests (such as Marilyn vos Savant) have undergone such assessments.

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Many famous historical figures renown for their intelligence never took IQ tests. The IQ scores that are attributed to these historical figures are made up by authors (though sometimes based on good evidence). The philosopher, Goethe, never took an IQ test in his life, nor did the composer, Mozart.

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IQ tests are not without flaws. These intelligence scales are slightly academically loaded; so individuals from environments with less access to academic resources will have artificially low scores that are inconsistent with what their abstract problem solving abilities actually are. Factors such as nutrition, lack of sleep, and distress also slightly distort these scores (usually by around ten points). There are also people who score highly on IQ tests simply because they are familiar with them; some affluent children are coached by their parents.

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Finally, the term "Genius" is subjective. IQ tests are not magical genius detection devices. If one scores as high on an IQ test as Stephen Hawking, that does not mean one is as intelligent as Stephen Hawking. They are simply a tool (of many tools) based on normalized statistics that have limited use for assessing academic and vocational potential. Some people who are undoubtedly geniuses do not score highly on IQ tests due to learning disabilities or simply due to an aversion to test taking in general. An obvious limitation of IQ scales is that they are not regarded as an effective means to gauge artistic or musical ability (which do require intellectual giftedness of a certain nature).

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Individuals with high IQ scores are not any more or less likely to be mentally ill than the rest of the population, though some studies have shown a positive association between high IQ and depression.

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Opinion:

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Statistically, someone who has an I.Q. of 132 is genius. However, most psychologists and psychiatrists agree that I.Q.s are not definite, or even valid in some cases. (This is not necessarily accurate, see explanation above).

Opinion:

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NO way! I got 133 IQ when I was NINE!!!! I am 145 now, you must be joking. Plus I am 11. By the way, Albert Einstein was an estimated 161 so you can think from that. Wolfgang Mozart was 165, the highest is Wolfgang Goethe from Germany, 210. (2hello2) Opinion: I've got 150 at the age of thirteen. It's really not all that great. At the most, I can understand things others can't. Then again, they can comprehend things that I can't, like regular social interaction.

Opinion:

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Actually you can think of it this way, 100 is the IQ of an Average person. So for a genius, I would say that an IQ of 140 would qualify. The person with the highest IQ was actually Marilyn vos Savant who has an IQ of 228. Most people think it's Steven Hawking who has a IQ of just over 200. For the record, my mom and I both took IQ tests and she got 138 and I got 129 Also, Anyone who has an IQ of 160+ is almost always insane, I don't see how this Marilyn girl can live with that much knowledge, it's too much for her own good... (Mariylin vos Savant is over 65 years old and there is no record that she suffers from a major mental illness).

~ciao~