Thread: IQ Tests

IQ is supposed to be a measure of intelligence. What does 'intelligence and IQ are correlated but not the same' mean? How are you measuring intelligence, in that case?

Originally Posted by Xei

IQ is supposed to be a measure of intelligence. What does 'intelligence and IQ are correlated but not the same' mean? How are you measuring intelligence, in that case?

It's my view that intelligence is a very broad and complex thing. In a way it's your ability for creative problem-solving. It's the ability to connect facts and draw from them something no-one has told you, it's the ability to recognize patterns and utilize them, it's the ability to learn quickly. Creativity is a very important part of it, but not the normal "arts" creativity. More the creativity it takes to invent new technologies, new mathematical approaches and new theories of how the world works. So you could say that IQ measures part of it, but IQ does not tell you the whole story. Because a lack in the specific abilities measured by an IQ test can be made up for in other aspects. However all of these skills are related, which is what I meant by the statement. Of course, as intelligence is such a complex thing in my view, it's hard to measure numerically. But if you speak to a person and get to know them, that can often give you a hint. And if you invent something brilliant, say (to adhere to conventions) special relativity, that's really all the proof that's required.

Originally Posted by Xei

I don't think intelligence is the same thing as knowledge.

I agree. But without knowledge, intelligence cannot be utilized.