Is it possible to measure intelligence?

Question

And if the answer is no, do you think it is still meaningful to talk of people being more or less intelligent?

Indeed, do you think it is meaningful to talk of somebody as being an intelligent person?

Answer 1

Measure?

No.

Yes, it's perfectly reasonable to talk of more or less intelligence.

Measuring implies putting a number on it, which I think is silly.

But face it, some people are just dim. They don't "get" things as easily as others.

Other people are, to use a different metaphor, sharp.

They learn quickly, think quickly, have incisive minds.

Just because the numbers game makes little sense, doesn't mean the phenomenon doesn't exit.

You can't measure kindness, but it makes sense to talk about people being more or less kind.

Or humor.

Lots of human traits -- in fact, all of the non-physical ones -- are like this.

Or at least, I can't think of any that CAN be measured.

Possibly because measurement is a physical process, and hence only really makes sense on physical things.

None of this is to say that a well-designed and administered IQ test is completely meaningless.

But the number changes, and the idea of exactly this number being accurate is silly.

Answer 2

Of course, anyone who has 'aced' every class from 1st grade through college will be thought of as intelligent--but are they really? Some people are just good at memorizing things--for the exam--and that's as far as it goes. Some people seem to have 'photographic memories' - but that's as far as that goes.

Most of us know that IQ tests are unreliable, and a waste of time. They are multiple-choice questions--and many errors have been made in determining a person's capabilities and potentials.

I think that a person who is well-rounded (keeps current on the news, knows more than just a bit about several subject areas, is interested in at least one of the arts, and more) might be considered intelligent. No one knows everything about everything, and that's why learning is a life-long experience.

Generally, people who are experts in one area may be thought of as intelligent--but do they have time for a life outside their little, confined box?

Even some people who get into Ivy League Universities are not always super-intelligent. Some got into those because of who they are--who they are related to--a sports scholarship--a scholarship in any one academic area, a lot of 'old money' etc.

Answer 3

Neither question or answer is straightforward. IQ (intelligence quotient) tests give results which fairly closely correlate with ability and success in what are regarded as academically demanding spheres such as the 11plus, O and A levels (but not the everyone must pass exams of present 'educational' theory) and degrees from reputable universities in reputable disciplines. but whether it is intelligence that is being measured is another matter.

Answer 4

What is intelligence? I know university professors that could not wire a plug,change a light bulb or put a flat pack together!On the other hand,intelligent people often have no common sense whatsoever.Even if you can measure intelligence,it can only be detrimental to put people in boxes that can alter their perception of themselves in others eyes.We all have talent in different areas and this in itself makes up a world of useful contributors to our well being.

Answer 5

Intelligence does exist, it can be measured, it does make a difference. "The Bell Curve" Herrnstein and Murray. Any **honest* standardized test.

You cannot admit 1000 high SAT scores (traditional test, not the "racially sensitive" tripe) and expect those to be the 1000 highest scores in your graduating class. However, if you look at the 1000 best performers after four years they will be intensely enriched with high SAT scores. Know the difference, cause and effect.

Kimberlite and lamproite are diamond ores. A really hot diamond mine is one gram of diamond/ton ore - a pitiful one part-per-million. Cornell University abuts a large kimberlite dike. Cornell solicits alumni rather than hard rock miners because their kimberlite contains one ppm less diamond than a really hot diamond mine.

Soth African diamond mines are objectively qualified. The Cornell deposit is diverse. So too tested intelligence.

Answer 6

I have known numerous people who have had a high I.Q. and have had no common sense, some unable to fend for themselves in the most basic necessities of everyday life, as of eating etc. How do you qualify "intelligence?" Wisdom is far more rare and is often achieved by the most simple seeming people.

Answer 7

Mensa measure IQ (Intelligence Quotient) and this is what people refer to when they state a number as their IQ. My own is 142

Answer 8

there are lots of IQ tests. Mensa is the best. haha because it gave me the highest score at 160. but I think it is the most worldwide recognised as well.

Answer 9

IQ tests are used to see if someone is intelligent.

I've never had one so I don't know if I'm intelligent.

I hope I am.

Answer 10

the answer is yes

take an iq test to see how high your inteligence is