Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ttidcc.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe From: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) Newsgroups: net.singles Subject: Re: Intelligence Message-ID: <485@ttidcc.UUCP> Date: Mon, 17-Jun-85 14:18:37 EDT Article-I.D.: ttidcc.485 Posted: Mon Jun 17 14:18:37 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 18-Jun-85 04:47:55 EDT References: <456@ttidcc.UUCP> <457@ttidcc.UUCP> <1586@hao.UUCP> <238@rti-sel.UUCP> <2545@randvax.UUCP> Reply-To: hollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) Distribution: net Organization: The Cat Factory Lines: 48 Summary: In article <2545@randvax.UUCP> edhall@rand-unix.UUCP (Ed Hall) writes: >It's been pointed out before, but it bears re-stating: what an IQ test >measures is but a tiny fraction of a person's intellectual ability-- >and sometimes isn't measuring intellect at all, but rather cultural >awareness (white middle-class culture, of course). I recall this discussion here before. Anyway, the fact is there is _no such thing_ as an intelligence test. Try to define 'intelligence' (yes, I know it's in the dictionary). How can you test for something that the greatest minds in the field can't agree on a definition of? IQ is a misnomer, invented by Dr. Binet, which we've had to live with the implications of ever since. _All_ of the so-called IQ tests are designed to do one thing: predict academic performance (i.e.: how well a given person is likely to do in school). This they do fairly well (about 70% -- better than almost any other psychological instrument). >I'm certain that there are many different kinds of intelligence. Some of >the most brilliant people I've known are in the social sciences or other >such fields and are simply ``all thumbs'' where it comes to computers or >other technology. I agree. I generally score at about the 99.9th percentile on most such tests. I've earned a Master's in Clinical Psychology, an Airplane Mechanic's license (among other things), and have made my living as a Senior Programmer for most of the last 5 years. Much of my academic energy over the past decade has been spent in finding ways to progress academically without having to study calculus. My mind simply shuts off and refuses to deal with it. >So think about it: do you really want to limit yourself to a group of >people just because they scored high on some test? ``Smarts'' come >in lots of different shapes, and show themselves in lots of different >ways. Actually, I probably limit myself to a much smaller group than that. The tests are just a convenient first cut. Of course, I don't ask every woman I meet to show me her SAT scores, but if I get frequent blank looks and find myself doing a lot of elementary explaining in our conversations I usually get bored pretty quickly and move on. -- -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp TTI "How goes the rat race?" 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. "The rats are winning." Santa Monica, CA 90405 -- Paul Lynde (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe