IQ

[dyqik]

A quick google for "IQ mental illness" keeps bringing up the same study https://www.scientificamerican.com/arti ... telligent/ which showed that Mensa members are more prone to mental disorders than the general population. However, I'm not convinced that their IQ is necessarily the most parsimonious explanation for that. https://www.scientificamerican.com/arti ... telligent/

People, even within the IQ range that makes you eligible for Mensa membership, are not randomly assigned to become members.

FWIW, the few people I've met who made their Mensa membership public knowledge have all been insufferable a..eholes. Apologies to any members here --- I'm sure you're one of the lovely ones.

I've known three people who disclosed their Mensa membership to me. Two of them had joined for identical reasons - there were insufferable a..eholes in the office going on about having joined, and the best way to shut them up was to take the test and get a higher score. The third was a bit of an a..eh.le.

I joined when I was 16, as I didn't know better. I stopped paying for it once I was at uni, and didn't do anything except get the magazine.

(took an invigilated home test and scored about the maximum for that method of testing, thanks. But as I recall it, I'd say that it tested for about 5-8 specific problem solving styles, at most)

[Tessa K]

If anyone starts going on about their IQ I just say 'I have a f.cking PhD, I don't care what mine is'. That usually shuts them up. And proves that swearing is not a sign of low intelligence as my mother was fond of saying. I am big and I am clever.

[Gentleman Jim]

If anyone starts going on about their IQ I just say 'I have a f.cking PhD, I don't care what mine is'. That usually shuts them up. And proves that swearing is not a sign of low intelligence as my mother was fond of saying. I am big and I am clever.

I josh my brother by telling him his PhD is inferior to my MSc as he only covered one subject

[bjn]

For shiggles I started to have a go at this supposed MENSA test, this test. Talk about ambiguous answers (e.g. question 4). Couldn't be arsed to proceed beyond the first page.

[JQH]

If anyone starts going on about their IQ I just say 'I have a f.cking PhD, I don't care what mine is'. That usually shuts them up. And proves that swearing is not a sign of low intelligence as my mother was fond of saying. I am big and I am clever.

Post of the day.

[rockdoctor]

I joined MENSA as a kid. Then I met the other members.
Never mentioned it again

[Fishnut]

For shiggles I started to have a go at this supposed MENSA test, this test. Talk about ambiguous answers (e.g. question 4). Couldn't be arsed to proceed beyond the first page.

I'm not feeling hugely well today so thought I'd give it a go. I got to the end (what a dull, repetitive test) and was confronted with this

Screen Shot 2020-02-25 at 16.49.26.png (150.8 KiB) Viewed 3560 times

I don't know if you get sent your results for free or if paying for all the extras is the only way. One thing that really dispels the idea that it's testing something innate rather than learned is the line "tips to help you solve questions quicker". And why would you need practice tests unless you can improve your score with practice? And if you can do that then doesn't that just show that the score isn't fixed according to how "intelligent" you are but can be manipulated based on experience?

[murmur]

That's the MENSA test; IQ figures derived from testing such as WISC-R (wot I mentioned earlier) are a lot less prone to that sort of "revising" and are externally judged, by a qualified psychologist, according to normed criteria.

Ooops, we're on to WISC-V since I jacked it in.

[dyqik]

That's the MENSA test; IQ figures derived from testing such as WISC-R (wot I mentioned earlier) are a lot less prone to that sort of "revising" and are externally judged, by a qualified psychologist, according to normed criteria.

Ooops, we're on to WISC-V since I jacked it in.

A snarky thought based on the expansion of WISC - IQ is definitely a test for overgrown children.

[Martin Y]

I'm not feeling hugely well today so thought I'd give it a go. I got to the end (what a dull, repetitive test) and was confronted with this
Screen Shot 2020-02-25 at 16.49.26.png

I don't know if you get sent your results for free or if paying for all the extras is the only way. One thing that really dispels the idea that it's testing something innate rather than learned is the line "tips to help you solve questions quicker". And why would you need practice tests unless you can improve your score with practice? And if you can do that then doesn't that just show that the score isn't fixed according to how "intelligent" you are but can be manipulated based on experience?

I did the same and discovered I was smart enough to choose not to send them money to get their opinion of my performance. It is, as you say, rather telling that performance in a test which supposedly measures intelligence can be improved by "tips" and practice.

[bjn]

Sorry to have posted a link to a scammy test. I didn’t get far enough to notice.

[murmur]

That's the MENSA test; IQ figures derived from testing such as WISC-R (wot I mentioned earlier) are a lot less prone to that sort of "revising" and are externally judged, by a qualified psychologist, according to normed criteria.

Ooops, we're on to WISC-V since I jacked it in.

A snarky thought based on the expansion of WISC - IQ is definitely a test for overgrown children.

As if I'd ever think or write anything snarky...

[Bird on a Fire]

I joined MENSA as a kid. Then I met the other members.
Never mentioned it again

Yeah I went to a "young Mensa" day once when I was a kid. Once.

I was in all sorts of clubs with all sorts of people as a littlun, but something about those IQ-obsessives made me feel uncomfortable.

[AMS]

For shiggles I started to have a go at this supposed MENSA test, this test. Talk about ambiguous answers (e.g. question 4). Couldn't be arsed to proceed beyond the first page.

I'm not feeling hugely well today so thought I'd give it a go. I got to the end (what a dull, repetitive test) and was confronted with this
Screen Shot 2020-02-25 at 16.49.26.png

I don't know if you get sent your results for free or if paying for all the extras is the only way. One thing that really dispels the idea that it's testing something innate rather than learned is the line "tips to help you solve questions quicker". And why would you need practice tests unless you can improve your score with practice? And if you can do that then doesn't that just show that the score isn't fixed according to how "intelligent" you are but can be manipulated based on experience?

The questions in the test are all irrelevant. That big shiny "buy now" button is the actual intelligence test.

[jimbob]

I joined MENSA as a kid. Then I met the other members.
Never mentioned it again

Yeah I went to a "young Mensa" day once when I was a kid. Once.

I was in all sorts of clubs with all sorts of people as a littlun, but something about those IQ-obsessives made me feel uncomfortable.

Because a club of, say bird watchers, are presumably doing something they enjoy with like-minded people, whilst a club of IQ obsessives is presumably people doing something they enjoy with like-minded people, which is feeling superior to others (presumably also others in that club)?

[dyqik]

I joined MENSA as a kid. Then I met the other members.
Never mentioned it again

Yeah I went to a "young Mensa" day once when I was a kid. Once.

I was in all sorts of clubs with all sorts of people as a littlun, but something about those IQ-obsessives made me feel uncomfortable.

Because a club of, say bird watchers, are presumably doing something they enjoy with like-minded people, whilst a club of IQ obsessives is presumably people doing something they enjoy with like-minded people, which is feeling superior to others (presumably also others in that club)?

Now now, they might also enjoy talking about themselves and how clever they are.

[Tessa K]

I joined MENSA as a kid. Then I met the other members.
Never mentioned it again

Yeah I went to a "young Mensa" day once when I was a kid. Once.

I was in all sorts of clubs with all sorts of people as a littlun, but something about those IQ-obsessives made me feel uncomfortable.

Because a club of, say bird watchers, are presumably doing something they enjoy with like-minded people, whilst a club of IQ obsessives is presumably people doing something they enjoy with like-minded people, which is feeling superior to others (presumably also others in that club)?

People who want intelligent conversation among like-minded others should come to Skeptics in the Pub. Most of the people there are pretty bright. Plus we have beer.

Maybe Mensa was set up to encourage intelligent people to meet up and breed?

[Gentleman Jim]

Yeah I went to a "young Mensa" day once when I was a kid. Once.

I was in all sorts of clubs with all sorts of people as a littlun, but something about those IQ-obsessives made me feel uncomfortable.

Because a club of, say bird watchers, are presumably doing something they enjoy with like-minded people, whilst a club of IQ obsessives is presumably people doing something they enjoy with like-minded people, which is feeling superior to others (presumably also others in that club)?

People who want intelligent conversation among like-minded others should come to Skeptics in the Pub. Most of the people there are pretty bright. Plus we have beer.

Maybe Mensa was set up to encourage intelligent people to meet up and breed?

Does that happen at the pub too?
I must get to one of the meetings

[cvb]

For shiggles I started to have a go at this supposed MENSA test, this test. Talk about ambiguous answers (e.g. question 4). Couldn't be arsed to proceed beyond the first page.

I'm not feeling hugely well today so thought I'd give it a go. I got to the end (what a dull, repetitive test) and was confronted with this
Screen Shot 2020-02-25 at 16.49.26.png

I don't know if you get sent your results for free or if paying for all the extras is the only way. One thing that really dispels the idea that it's testing something innate rather than learned is the line "tips to help you solve questions quicker". And why would you need practice tests unless you can improve your score with practice? And if you can do that then doesn't that just show that the score isn't fixed according to how "intelligent" you are but can be manipulated based on experience?

That's definitely not an official mensa site though. It's just site trying make money out of people who think it is.

Practice will increase you scores in all Intelligence/IQ type tests, even just by familiarity with the format of questions with help you be more efficient.

Most, if not all, of these sites will not give you the results for free. After all you have put some time, maybe a fair bit, into taking the test and they are relying on you being invested enough to pay out even a small ammount of money to get them.

[PeteB]

I remember Sheldrake posthing this

How much is a child’s future success determined by innate intelligence? Economist James Heckman says it’s not what people think. He likes to ask educated non-scientists — especially politicians and policy makers — how much of the difference between people’s incomes can be tied to IQ. Most guess around 25 percent, even 50 percent, he says. But the data suggest a much smaller influence: about 1 or 2 percent.

[Bird on a Fire]

I remember Sheldrake posthing this

How much is a child’s future success determined by innate intelligence? Economist James Heckman says it’s not what people think. He likes to ask educated non-scientists — especially politicians and policy makers — how much of the difference between people’s incomes can be tied to IQ. Most guess around 25 percent, even 50 percent, he says. But the data suggest a much smaller influence: about 1 or 2 percent.

Income isn't necessarily the measure of "success" most intelligent people I know are trying to maximise, though.

[Tessa K]

I remember Sheldrake posthing this

How much is a child’s future success determined by innate intelligence? Economist James Heckman says it’s not what people think. He likes to ask educated non-scientists — especially politicians and policy makers — how much of the difference between people’s incomes can be tied to IQ. Most guess around 25 percent, even 50 percent, he says. But the data suggest a much smaller influence: about 1 or 2 percent.

Income isn't necessarily the measure of "success" most intelligent people I know are trying to maximise, though.

Certainly not if they're academics or in many branches of science.

[Woodchopper]

I remember Sheldrake posthing this

How much is a child’s future success determined by innate intelligence? Economist James Heckman says it’s not what people think. He likes to ask educated non-scientists — especially politicians and policy makers — how much of the difference between people’s incomes can be tied to IQ. Most guess around 25 percent, even 50 percent, he says. But the data suggest a much smaller influence: about 1 or 2 percent.

As discussed with Sheldrake, that is the effect of intelligence alone. Income appears to be a the result of an interaction between several factors - eg intelligence, education, aspects of character like perseverance, and home and neighborhood environment.

[bjn]

I remember Sheldrake posthing this

How much is a child’s future success determined by innate intelligence? Economist James Heckman says it’s not what people think. He likes to ask educated non-scientists — especially politicians and policy makers — how much of the difference between people’s incomes can be tied to IQ. Most guess around 25 percent, even 50 percent, he says. But the data suggest a much smaller influence: about 1 or 2 percent.

As discussed with Sheldrake, that is the effect of intelligence alone. Income appears to be a the result of an interaction between several factors - eg intelligence, education, aspects of character like perseverance, and home and neighborhood environment.

And inheriting a few million from yer parents.

[Gentleman Jim]

Interesting discussion on the "Jeremy Vine Show" today with Prof Steve Jones.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live:bbc_radio_two

Interview starts at about 13.07