Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Hydra_70 t1_iubql8b wrote

>All it really tests is your ability to take IQ tests.

That's oversimplifying it. It clearly measures something. Childhood IQ tests correlate too strongly to all sorts of life outcomes to be as meaningless as just measuring your ability to take an IQ test.

1

OtisTetraxReigns t1_iubwe5r wrote

Oh sure. I was being a little deliberately obtuse. They can be used to demonstrate that a person has certain cognitive abilities that we in the West have deemed are indicators of intelligence - logic puzzles, pattern recognition, mathematics, grammar and syntax tests. But not every culture values these things the same. And someone who doesn’t score highly on such a test doesn’t necessarily lack intelligence. Anyone can improve their IQ score simply by taking repeated tests and learning how they work.

If you’re from a culture where such tests are fairly common, you’ve got more chance of getting a high score. Even within one geographical area, chances are, if you go to a decent school, you’ll be better prepared than someone who doesn’t.

1