What do IQ Tests Measure?How do we know that IQ tests measure what we call intelligence, and are not just games, like crossword puzzles in the newspapers? The answer is that the scores predict who will succeed and who will fail at school, at university, in the professions, and indeed in any occupation needing high intelligence. Consider a recent study of all the children on the Isle of Wight. They were given an IQ test at the age of five, i.e. before entering school. They were tested again at 16, and it was found that their final IQ closely matched their original score; in other words, 11 years of schooling had not significantly changed their IQ. When their scholastic achievements were examined, it was found that the IQ had predicted their level of success with considerable accuracy. Some critics scoff and say that IQ tests are so similiar to school tests that such an experiment proves nothing, but the original IQ Test was done before the children entered school, and none of the items measured school knowledge. Tests of scholastic achievement, on the other hand, measure only specific knowledge acquired at school, and do not in any way resemble IQ tests, so there is no substance in this criticism. Is success at school important? A large-scale study has shown that, on average, every additional year of schooling raises income by 16%; a few years of additional schooling would thus be rewarded handsomely. IQ tests also predict fairly accurately who will do well at university where further training is available for most of the prestigious and high-income professions. Officer selection in the armed forces has found that IQ tests give invaluable help in finding suitable candidates. So, therefore, IQ is vital in doing well in life, at least financially, although it does not guarantee happiness! It does not guarantee success, either; you also need hard work, presistence, and high motivation. With a low IQ, however, these qualities do not suffice. |