What is IQ and how is it measured? What is the IQ of a normal person?

IQ tests are almost never used in Russia. But the term itself has become widely known.

Most people know that IQ (read “IQ”) is an indicator that reflects the strength of human intelligence. But what does it mean and how is it calculated?

It all started with the French psychologist Alfred Binet in 1905. He worked with mentally retarded youth and, together with his colleague Theodore Simon, developed a method for measuring psychological age young people, which in the case of their charges differed from biological age.

Then in 1912, German psychologist William Stern developed a method for determining the ratio of intellectual to biological age. He found that this ratio remained virtually unchanged as children grew older.

This ratio became known as the “Intelligence Quotient” or IQ. It is calculated by the formula:

100 x (intellectual age/biological age).

So, if you are 30 years old, but have the intelligence of 25 years old, your IQ would be: 100 x 25/30 = 83.

Distribution of IQ among the population (on the vertical axis - % of the population with iq indicated on the horizontal axis

It is clear that using this method, the average IQ for the entire population will be 100. A person’s individual IQ demonstrates how much higher or lower a person is than the average intellectual level of his age.

Thus, to conduct tests, statistics on the performance of these tests on a large number of people are first collected. Each newly tested person's performance is then compared to the average performance of people previously tested.

Since in the classic version of tests the results are compared with an audience of the same age as the test subject, IQ also indicates the rate of development of intelligence.

Intelligence tests are designed to test all areas of your brain: calculations, pattern recognition, continuation, logic, word processing, abstraction, etc. The obtained result is compared with the norm.

There are different interpretations of the results obtained.

80% of the population has an IQ in the range of 80–120.

There are quite a few communities of people with high IQs in the world. For example, Mensa, which has members from more than 100 countries, requires an IQ of at least 132 for its members.

In order to get into the Olympic community (Olympiq Society) you need an IQ of 180. The community website states that it has only 14 members.

Scores on IQ tests are considered to be a good measure of people's ability and a good predictor of their prospects for performing difficult jobs. Most professors have an IQ of one hundred and thirty, which places them in the top 3% of the population in terms of intellectual ability.

Although IQ tests are not infallible, their results are a useful indicator. Typically, IQ remains the same throughout life.

Interestingly, a study conducted in Scotland in the 1950s and 1960s, involving more than 11,000 people, showed a relationship between IQ scores and morbidity and life expectancy.

A pattern has been revealed that a person with a lower IQ has, on average, a lower life expectancy than a person with a higher IQ.

A lower IQ means a higher chance of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.

IQ of famous people

The list below shows the IQ level of some famous people. The data is taken from open Internet sources and does not claim to be accurate.

Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft - 160 ;
Stephen Hawking, British theoretical physicist – 160 ;
Sharon Stone, American actress – 154 ;
Harrison Ford, American actor 140 ;
Madonna, American singer - 140 ;
Arnold Schwarzenegger, American actor and politician - 135 ;
Sheldon Lee Cooper is a fictional character from the television series The Big Bang Theory. 187 ;
Snoop Dogg - American rap artist - 147 ;
Sylvester Stallone, American actor 54 ;

What was Einstein's iq?

Albert Einstein never took a test to change his IQ level. Of course, there is no doubt that the famous physicist would be able to show good results. Most likely he would be in the region of 200, that is, on par with the very best celebrity achievements.

Last update: 06/03/2017

There's a lot of talk about IQ tests these days, but many people still don't know what these scores actually mean. What exactly is a high IQ? What about the average? How many points do you need to score to be considered a genius?

IQ, or intelligence quotient, is a score obtained on a standardized test designed to measure intelligence. Formally, it is believed that in the early 1900s with the introduction of the Binet-Simon test, but later it was revised, and the Stanford-Binet test acquired universality.
IQ tests have proven to be very popular not only among psychologists, but also among other specialists, but there is still a lot of debate about what exactly IQ tests measure and how accurate they are.
In order to adequately evaluate and interpret test results, psychometricians use standardization. This process involves administering the test to a representative sample of the population. Each participant takes the test under the same conditions as all other participants in the study group. This process allows psychometricians to establish norms or standards against which individual results can be compared.
When determining the results of an intelligence test, as a rule, the normal distribution function is used - a bell-shaped curve in which most results are located near or around the average score. For example, the majority of scores (about 68%) on the WAIS III test tend to fall between 85 and 115 points (with an average of 100). The remaining results are less common, which is why the area of the curve on which they are located is directed downward. Very few people (approximately 0.2%) score more than 145 (indicating a very high IQ) or less than 55 (indicating a very low IQ) on the test.
Because the average score is 100, professionals can quickly evaluate individual scores by comparing them to the mean and determining where they fall on a normal distribution scale.

More about IQ scores

In most modern IQ tests, the average score is set at 100 points with a standard deviation of 15 points - so that the scores follow a bell curve. This means that 68% of the results fall within one standard deviation from the mean (that is, between 85 and 115 points), and 95% fall within two standard deviations (between 70 and 130 points).
A score of 70 or below is considered low. In the past, this mark was considered an indicator of mental retardation and intellectual disability, characterized by significant cognitive impairment. Today, however, IQ test results alone are not used to diagnose intellectual disability. Approximately 2.2% of people score below 70 points.
A score greater than 140 is considered a high IQ. Many people believe that a score of more than 160 points can indicate a person’s genius.
A high IQ is certainly closely related to academic performance, but is it related to success in life at all? Are there people truly more successful than their counterparts with lower IQs? Many experts believe that other factors, including .
That is, the scores are interpreted as follows.

The modern world provides a person with great opportunities for self-realization, but in return it places high demands on him. We must be able to adequately assess the situation and do right choice. Scientists around the world have proven that a person’s abilities are influenced by his IQ level. Surely you have come across this concept more than once, and most likely, you have even taken one or another IQ test. But let's figure out what IQ gives us and why it is needed in general.

IQ test

So, intelligence quotient or IQ level is a quantitative assessment of the level of a person’s intellectual abilities compared to IQ normal person the same age as the subject. This indicator is determined using various tests, the most famous of which are the Eysenck, Wechsler, Raven, Amthauer and Cattell tests. The very concept of “intelligence quotient” was introduced by the German Wilhelm Stern in 1912. Recently, interest in determining this indicator has increased many times; employers often ask applicants to take an IQ test. workplace, and applicants take it upon admission to a university.

In principle, IQ test questions are structured in such a way that their difficulty increases, so that the test taker must use his logical and spatial thinking. As a result of passing the test, you receive a quantitative assessment of your IQ. The average IQ level of an adult according to the Eysenck test is from 91 to 110 points; 25% of the world's population has such indicators. If your IQ level is from 111 to 130 points, you can safely consider yourself smart person. And if your score is above 131, then you are a lucky person who is included in 3% of the world's population. People with high IQs become outstanding scientists, inventors and explorers. There are geniuses with an IQ above 140, such as Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking, these people make up approximately 0.2% of humanity.

The level of intelligence is affected a large number of various factors, such as, for example, heredity, genes, sex and race of a person. According to recent studies, average level The IQ of an African American is 85, a Hispanic is 89, a white European is 103, an Asian (China, Japan, Korea) is 106, and a Jew is 113. It has also been found that most men have IQ scores higher than women. The level of intelligence is also influenced by the environment in which a person grew up, as well as the education of his parents and even the country of residence.

How to find out your IQ

After all of the above, most likely you will ask yourself the question: “How to find out your IQ.” Today it is very easy to do, just find one of the many intelligence tests on the Internet. However, be careful as not all of them are licensed and may contain errors in tasks and answers. Your IQ calculated this way may be incorrect. The time-tested Eysenck test can be taken on the website iqtest.com at English language. There is no exact answer to the question: “What should IQ be” today, so if you are not satisfied with something, just work on increasing your level of intelligence. How? We will be happy to tell you about this.

How to increase your IQ

Your IQ level is a quantitative assessment of mental development, determined by tests that measure a person's ability to solve problems, perceive different mental images, as well as memory and general knowledge. We present to you several ways to increase your IQ.

Method number 1 - get into the habit of playing intellectual games (for example, Scrabble, Sudoku, chess, and so on). These games are great exercises for the brain. When you learn to play one game well, move on - master the next one, because when you master a skill, your brain stops working as intensively to solve the problem, and the production of the hormone dopamine, which is responsible for intelligence, decreases. In addition to intellectual board games, try your hand at logic and strategy video games. Pay special attention to games that focus on quick decision making. It is also useful to solve logic puzzles, puzzles, crosswords and sudoku. All of these activities stimulate thought processes, increasing your IQ level.

Method number 2 - constantly learn something new, be it foreign language, art, architecture or, for example, cryptology.

Method number 3 - lead an active lifestyle, constantly exposing yourself physical activity, because this is a scientifically proven way to increase your intelligence level. Expand your horizons, set yourself a goal for life - not to stop learning, constantly learning something new. From time to time, give yourself a shake-up, jump with a parachute or try your hand at bungee jumping. New experiences release the hormone dopamine, which increases the number of neurons and produces a feeling of satisfaction. And in general, the more you know and can do, the richer your life experience, the higher the level of your intellectual development!

And here are a few more simple tips, which will help you enjoy life and increase your level of intellectual development.

Try to enjoy everything you do, enjoy it classical music, good books and communicating with people you like.
Use electronic devices less. If you need to write something down, use a notepad and pen, and send a handwritten letter instead of an email. This stimulates visual and kinetic perception.
Learn to write with your non-dominant hand, which stimulates the hemisphere of your brain that is opposite to your hand.
Try to eat healthy and balanced, include in your diet fresh vegetables, fruits and fish, rich in omega 3, which has a positive effect on brain function.
Get enough sleep, because only during sleep does the information received pass from short term memory in the long term.
Work on yourself and continue to learn throughout your life.

Many of us have heard about the IQ test, which shows the level of intelligence of a person. However, most people know virtually nothing about it. Before you start taking the test, you must find out what the IQ of a normal person should be.

general information

The abbreviation IQ stands for what can be translated as “amount of intelligence.” In the Russian-speaking language environment, the established expression “intelligence quotient” is more often used. However, it is believed that in order for the results to be as truthful as possible and really be trusted, it is worth taking into account not only the results of the test itself. Other factors such as age and gender need to be taken into account.

Many also believe that the results of this test are more likely to indicate a person's aptitude for a particular type of task, rather than actual intellectual ability. Therefore, you can prepare for it by solving problems that resemble those presented in the tasks.

Story

Attempts to study the IQ of a normal person began in the 30s of the last century. Researchers have made a number of attempts to determine IQ through various experiments. Scientists tried to find a pattern that would connect the processes of the central nervous system, reaction characteristics and mental abilities, even taking into account the size and weight of the brain. In addition, they studied the relationship between the IQ of parents and children, its relationship to social origin, age, and so on.

IQ test today

It is now generally accepted that IQ depends on many factors, mostly heredity. However, the IQ level of a normal person can be increased by solving various problems and tests. Besides, in modern world It is not so much intelligence that is the source of success as it is motivation and perseverance. Individuality, determination and ambition also play an important role. However, it is a high level of intelligence that can help in solving difficult life circumstances and contribute to more advantageous conditions.

Despite the fact that the first tests were created exclusively with vocabulary exercises, today they use a wide variety of tasks. Among them are counting exercises, logical series, the ability to find the missing geometric figure, the ability to recognize a fragment, remember facts, technical drawings and identify the missing letter.

How much IQ does a normal person have?

The average level of human intelligence ranges from 100 to 120 units, which is about half of correctly solved problems. The person who completes all the tasks receives 200 points. In addition to the level of intelligence, the test also determines other indicators; it helps to identify the way of thinking of the person who is taking it. By identifying the category in which the subject has the lowest level of ability, you can help him identify gaps in his abilities, practice with different types tasks and raise your IQ.

First tests

For the first time, V. Stern spoke about the IQ, who considered the determination of the level of skills on the Binet scale to be incorrect, since it had a serious disadvantage related to age. The scientist proposed to determine by dividing mental age by chronological age. The IQ test of a normal person demonstrates a quantitative assessment of an individual's abilities in relation to the average representative of the same age.

Averages

It is rightfully believed that an IQ test does not show a person’s level of erudition, but only an assessment of general indicators. They are designed specifically to produce a distribution of results with an average score. The IQ of a normal person can vary, but there are common indicators. So, about half of the people who passed the test show a result between 90 and 100 points, a quarter - below 90, and the other quarter - above 110 units. The average score for graduates of American universities is 115 points, with excellent students ranging from 135 to 140. An IQ level that is less than 70 points is usually considered a sign of mental retardation.

Conclusion

IQ tests show a person, but they should not be assumed to in any way indicate the level of erudition. They only help to understand in what area and in what direction a person needs to develop.

It is believed that the IQ level of a normal person varies from 90 to 120 conventional units. The Eysenck test is most often used to determine IQ. However, do not forget that the most accurate results will be those obtained the very first time you take the test, and all subsequent attempts will only distort them.