Intelligence (2 of 6)

Summary

This script delves into the concept of IQ, highlighting that 68% of people have an average IQ between 85 and 115. It emphasizes the role of higher education in favoring those with higher IQs and introduces conscientiousness as a key personality trait compensating for lower intelligence. The script discusses the predictive power of IQ on success in various domains, including academic achievement and career, while also noting its limitations, such as its weak correlation with happiness and life satisfaction. It touches on historical geniuses' estimated IQs and the importance of considering confounding variables like socioeconomic status in IQ testing.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Average IQ is between 85 and 115, with 68% of people falling within this range.
• 🎓 Higher education institutions tend to favor individuals with higher IQs, making it more challenging for those with lower IQs to excel.
• 💡 Conscientiousness, or a strong work ethic, can compensate for lower IQ to some extent and is a significant predictor of success.
• 🔢 An IQ of 130 or above is often considered 'exceptional', while 70 or below may indicate intellectual disability.
• 📚 IQ is a strong predictor of academic achievement, with a high correlation coefficient.
• 🏆 IQ also predicts various forms of professional success, including prizes, awards, patents, and publications.
• 💼 Career success and income have a moderate correlation with IQ.
• 🚓 Intelligence is negatively correlated with crime and corruption, suggesting smarter individuals are less likely to engage in such activities.
• 💊 Some confounding variables like socioeconomic status (SES) and race can affect IQ test results.
• 🤔 There is virtually no correlation between IQ and happiness or life satisfaction, indicating that intelligence does not equate to a better or happier life.
• 🌐 IQ tests are one of the most studied constructs in psychology, despite the need to consider confounding variables.

Q & A

What is the average IQ range for most people in the world?

The average IQ range for most people is between 85 and 115.

Why might individuals in higher education potentially have slightly above average intelligence?

Higher education institutions were created in many ways to exclude people with lower IQs and benefit those with higher IQs, making it harder for those with lower IQs to excel in higher education.

What personality trait can help make up for lower IQ in educational settings?

Conscientiousness, which refers to a strong work ethic, can help compensate for lower IQ to a certain degree.

What is the general cutoff for exceptional IQ?

Two standard deviations above the mean, often considered as an IQ of 130 or above, is the cutoff for exceptional IQ.

What is the correlation between IQ and academic grades?

IQ has a high correlation with academic grades, with a Pearson R correlation coefficient ranging from 0.78 to 0.92.

How does IQ correlate with career success and income?

IQ has a moderately high correlation with career success and income.

What is the relationship between IQ and involvement in crime and corruption?

IQ is negatively correlated with crime and corruption, suggesting that higher intelligence is associated with a lower likelihood of engaging in such activities.

Why might there be a wide range in the correlation between IQ and criminal behavior?

The wide range in correlation could be due to the fact that some crimes require a great deal of intelligence or social intelligence to execute, but the overall trend suggests smarter individuals are less likely to be involved in crime.

What are some factors that are poorly correlated or not predictive of IQ?

Factors such as suicide, life expectancy, and happiness or life satisfaction have little to no correlation with IQ.

How does intelligence relate to the ability to process information and think abstractly?

Intelligence allows individuals to process information faster and think more abstractly, but it does not necessarily correlate with happiness or life satisfaction.

What are some confounding variables that can affect the validity of IQ tests?

Confounding variables such as race, socioeconomic status, and the social status of the area one lives in can affect the validity of IQ tests.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Understanding IQ and Its Impact on Success

This paragraph discusses the concept of exceptional IQ, noting that approximately 68% of people have an average IQ between 85 and 115. It highlights that higher education institutions tend to favor individuals with higher IQs, making it more challenging for those with lower IQs to excel in such environments. The speaker introduces the personality trait of conscientiousness as a compensatory factor for lower IQs in achieving success. The paragraph also touches on the predictive value of IQ, mentioning that while it is a strong predictor of success in various domains, it is not the sole determinant. Historical geniuses like Charles Darwin, Mozart, and Isaac Newton are cited as examples of individuals with high IQs, and the paragraph concludes by emphasizing that IQ does not define one's overall worth or happiness.

05:02

🔍 IQ's Predictive Power and Its Limitations

The second paragraph delves into the predictive capabilities of IQ, showing strong correlations with academic grades and achievements such as prizes, awards, patents, and publications. It also discusses the moderate correlation between IQ and career success and income, and the negative correlation with crime and corruption, suggesting that higher intelligence may lead to lower involvement in such activities. The speaker points out that while intelligence can process information faster and think abstractly, it does not necessarily correlate with happiness or life satisfaction. The paragraph concludes by acknowledging potential confounding variables such as race and socioeconomic status that may affect IQ testing, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of IQ's role in predicting life outcomes.

Keywords

💡IQ

IQ, or Intelligence Quotient, is a measure of a person's cognitive abilities relative to their age group. In the video, it is discussed as a predictor of success in various domains, with an average IQ range being 85 to 115. The script mentions IQ as a significant factor in educational achievement and career success, but also points out its limitations, such as not being a determinant of happiness or life satisfaction.

💡Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness is a personality trait characterized by being diligent, organized, and responsible. The script highlights conscientiousness as a compensatory factor for those who may not have exceptionally high IQs, suggesting that hard work and a strong work ethic can contribute significantly to success, alongside intelligence.

💡Standard Deviation

In the context of the video, standard deviation refers to a measure of the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values. The script uses the term to describe the IQ range, stating that two standard deviations above the mean (IQ of 130) is often considered the cutoff for exceptional intelligence.

💡Giftedness

Giftedness in the script refers to the state of possessing exceptional abilities or intelligence. It is associated with an IQ score of 130 or above, which is considered to be in the 'genius' range and represents a very small subset of the population.

💡Adaptive Functioning

Adaptive functioning is a concept used in the diagnosis of intellectual disabilities, which goes beyond just cognitive abilities to include a person's ability to manage everyday life and social situations. The script mentions it in the context of discussing the limitations of IQ as a sole measure of a person's capabilities.

💡Learning Disability

A learning disability is a neurological condition that can result in difficulty learning despite having average or above-average intelligence. The script points out that learning disabilities are common and that they often manifest in individuals with normal or high IQs, challenging the notion that IQ is the sole indicator of learning potential.

💡Predictive Value

The predictive value of a measure, such as IQ, refers to its ability to forecast outcomes or behaviors. The video discusses the predictive value of IQ in relation to academic grades, years spent in higher education, and various career achievements, indicating that while IQ is a strong predictor in some areas, it is not universally predictive.

💡Correlation Coefficient

The correlation coefficient is a statistical measure that expresses the extent of a linear relationship between two variables. In the script, it is used to quantify the strength of the relationship between IQ and academic grades, with values ranging from 0.78 to 0.92, indicating a very strong correlation.

💡Historical Geniuses

The term 'historical geniuses' is used in the script to refer to individuals recognized for their exceptional cognitive abilities and achievements in history, such as Charles Darwin, Mozart, and Isaac Newton. Their estimated IQs are used to illustrate the potential predictive power of IQ in identifying individuals with high cognitive abilities.

💡Confounding Variables

Confounding variables are external factors that can influence the relationship between two variables, potentially distorting the results of a study. In the context of IQ testing, the script mentions socioeconomic status and race as confounding variables that can affect the interpretation of IQ scores and their relationship to various outcomes.

💡Abstract Thinking

Abstract thinking is the ability to understand and manipulate concepts that are not based on concrete, physical objects or situations. The script suggests that individuals with higher IQs tend to be better at abstract thinking, which is an important aspect of intelligence but does not necessarily correlate with happiness or life satisfaction.

Highlights

Approximately 68% of people have an average IQ between 85 and 115.

Higher education institutions tend to favor individuals with higher IQs.

Conscientiousness, or hard work ethic, is a significant predictor of success alongside intelligence.

Two standard deviations above the mean (IQ 130) is often considered the cutoff for exceptional IQ.

IQ is one of the best-known psychological predictors, despite not being the be-all and end-all of assessments.

Historical geniuses like Charles Darwin, Mozart, and Isaac Newton are estimated to have had exceptionally high IQs.

IQ has a strong correlation with academic grades, ranging from 0.78 to 0.92.

IQ scores are predictive of academic output such as prizes, awards, patents, and publications.

The number of years spent in higher education is also predicted by IQ scores.

IQ scores have a moderately high correlation with career success and income.

There is a negative correlation between IQ and involvement in crime and corruption.

High intelligence does not necessarily correlate with happiness or life satisfaction.

Intelligence allows for faster information processing and abstract thinking.

The differences in task performance due to intelligence tend to disappear once the task is understood.

Confounding variables such as race and socioeconomic status can affect the validity of IQ tests.

Despite issues with confounding variables, IQ testing remains a highly studied construct in psychology.

Transcripts

so let's talk first about exceptional IQ

so again as I just mentioned some of the

stuff will be redundant I've already

talked about but approximately 68% of

people have an average IQ that is

between 85 and 115 um that's most people

in the world um if you are in higher

education like you all are um then

there's a possibility that you may have

a slightly above average intelligence um

just because schools were created higher

education institutions anyways were

created to um in many ways EX include um

uh people with lower IQs and um really

benefit people with higher IQs so it

makes it much harder for some of the

lower IQ to do well in higher

education

um so but we're going to talk a little

bit about personality uh in the next

lecture and I'll talk to you about how

you can make up for that with one

personality trait called

conscientiousness conscientiousness is

the number um sorry intelligence is the

number one predictor uh of of um success

and variety domains but um

conscientiousness basically hard work

ethic uh accounts for a really really

large number as well between the two you

get a pretty big piece of the pie um so

again hard work can make up for that to

a

degree um two standard deviations is

often the cutof for exceptional IQ as I

mentioned earlier um 130 or 70 are Coffs

for intellectual disability and and

giftedness

um the diagnostic criteria for ual

disability also includes um adaptive

functioning um again we'll might talk

about that a little bit more in special

education um but I don't want you to

think IQ is the be all and end all of

these

testings interestingly uh a learning

disability uh the most common

exceptionality in Ontario um often

results when there is difficulty

learning despite an average or in some

cases above average

IQ um IQ is currently one of the best

known uh psychological predictors so

we're going to talk a little bit about

the um predictive value of

IQ uh interestingly um many historical

Geniuses seem to have displayed High

cognitive abilities at very young ages

um there was a uh a researcher very

popular researched um young children and

followed them if they had high IQs they

were known as termin termites and he

followed them for in a longitudinal

study um over many many years to see

what would happen happen um if you

looked at people with high IQs at young

age is what they would achieve one of

his students Katherine Cox was

interested in looking at IQ in the

opposite direction so looking at

historical Geniuses and estimating their

IQ based on their own considerable

experience and mental testing so U with

this they they labeled Charles Charles

Darwin at 140 which again is above that

well above that um 130 genius cut off

and um again makes up a very very small

small po subset of the

population U Mozart they they labeled at

150 and and Sir Isaac Newton at

170 so what exactly does IQ predict I

apologize this slide has a little bit of

uh the small it's a little bit smaller

because there's a lot of information on

it um but uh here are some examples of

what IQ does predict and doesn't predict

so some examples of highly correlated um

or predictive factors academic a in

grades IQ has a Pearson R which is we

talked about uh in the last lecture as a

COR it's a correlation coefficient um of

78 to 0.92 that is massive in social

science we don't see um we don't see

correlations like that often in social

science um but it doesn't make it

doesn't it shouldn't really surprise you

because a school um was often as we saw

with um

um Benet Benet and the French Ministry

of education school was often created as

a system um to to um basically select

for people who have higher intelligence

um in a traditional I should put the

caveat on that that in a traditional um

sense of intelligence what they mean

traditionally by that I'm going to talk

about different types of intelligence uh

later in the lecture but we're talking

here strictly about a traditional view

of intelligence um which is mostly like

analytical skills like your math and

deductive reasoning and things of that

nature problem

solving um so so yeah that's a a huge um

a huge correlation there so we can look

at academic achievement we can break

that down into output so that is things

like prizes and awards um patents

Publications um and we can also break

that out into um input so how many years

you actually spend in higher education

and across the board it pretty much

stays uh pretty uh pretty strongly

predicts um a lot of those things

obviously something like the Nobel Prize

is a very prestigious award

interestingly um doesn't predict it as

well um but you could imagine that um

because it's such a rare award um there

could be a lot of different factors that

that lead to different Nobel prizes but

all the other categories seem to be

pretty highly correlated with

intelligence

scores uh Career Success and income um a

moderately High uh correlation and if

you look at crime and Corruption um it's

actually negatively correlated so recall

that means that as one goes up the other

goes down so this suggests the more

intelligent you are in terms of

traditional intelligence um the less

likely you are to um get involved in

crime and Corruption which is kind of

interesting because when I think about

criminals um some of the the best

criminals were obviously intelligent and

so that's why you see such a strong

range here I suppose um because

certainly some crimes would require a

great deal of intelligence to pull off

or even at least social intelligence

which which is not what they're talking

about here um but to uh be able to

manipulate people um you have to be able

to understand people to a certain degree

and that's why um I'm very interested in

the science of serial killers and um

often them often times they don't feel

remorse for one but often times they

come off as very charismatic and and

sociopathic in nature um but that's a

little bit outside the scope of this

class um but I love talking about that

kind of stuff so if you want to chat

more about um any psychological concept

that's outside the scope of this class

feel free to come by my Virtual Office

hours or just post in the discussion

forum and I'll be happy to answer to the

best of my abilities any questions or

Curiosities that you might have about

things related to

psychology um some things that are

poorly correlated or not predictive um

for example suicide seems to range

massively um from no correlation to a

moderate correlation uh life expectancy

again it ranges from U NE some studies

found a negative correlation a high a

strong negative correlation others found

a strong positive

um although um even though life

expectancy is a little bit wonky um

Health in general correlates well with

intelligence um which is interesting

because you would think that those

things are not necessarily related but

they are um and happiness and life

satisfaction there's zero there's

virtually zero correlation with that and

so um it's important to point out that

just because you have a higher

intelligence doesn't make you a better

person uh doesn't make you a happier

person it uh you know and so

intelligence isn't everything what

intelligence gets you is it allows you

to process information faster where both

people will Pro like if you take one

person who's a little bit more

intelligent than the next the person

who's a little bit more intelligent

might come to the answer quicker the

other person will get there as well um

so it predicts that initial speed once

they understand the task though um the

the differences start to disappear so

intelligence is about speed um it's also

about uh being able to think abstractly

so if you think about um uh the

abstraction and if you think about

abstract as the opposite of concrete um

something that's concrete is something

that's physical in the world so you can

imagine if you're sitting at a desk

right now you can look at that desk and

you can close your eyes and you can

picture that desk in your mind's eye but

if I ask you to predict something more

um to picture something more abstract

like love or desire um or intelligence

for that matter it's a much more

difficult to to do that

and um and people with higher IQ scores

tend to be better at abstracting um but

really those are the major differences

and they do play out uh in predictive

value um but certainly again doesn't

make you happier or more satisfied in

life at

all um it's also important to consider

some confounding variables we talked uh

earlier in the class about um what that

is a confounding variable or third

variable in the previous lecture um some

confounding variables include race sces

um class things like that sorry sces by

the way if you haven't heard of it

before is socioeconomic status this

refers to your um economic class um this

the the social um um the social status

of the area that you live in things of

that nature um so these things confound

the test and that's a big big problem

we're going to talk about those problems

uh coming up but it doesn't mean we

should throw IQ testing out the window

um it just means that we need to take a

closer look at it a lot of times people

don't like to look at um this type of

stuff the IQ prediction research because

because of these confounding variables

um but it's one of the most highly

studied thing most highly studied

constructs in Psychology and so um it's

definitely worth discussing I think