What is IQ and how does it work? What is the IQ of a normal person.

Many of us have heard of the IQ test, which measures a person's intelligence. However, the majority know practically nothing about him. Before embarking on a test, it is imperative to 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 well-established expression "intelligence quotient" is often used. However, it is believed that in order for the results to be as truthful as possible, and they really could be trusted, it is worth taking into account not only the results of the test itself. It is necessary to take into account other factors such as age and gender.

Many also believe that the results of this test are more likely to show 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.

History

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 the IQ through various experiments. Scientists tried to find a pattern that would connect the processes of the central nervous system, reaction characteristics and intelligence, even took 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 the 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 not so much intelligence is the source of success as motivation and perseverance. Individuality, determination and ambition also play an important role. Nevertheless, it is precisely 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 which are counting exercises, logical series, the ability to find the missing geometric shape, 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 gets 200 points. In addition to the level of intelligence, the test also determines other indicators, it helps to identify the way of thinking of a person who is passing it. Having determined the category in which the subject has the lowest level of ability, you can help him identify gaps in his abilities, train with different kinds assignments and raise the intelligence quotient.

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 he had a serious disadvantage regarding age. The scientist proposed to define dividing mental age into chronological one. The IQ test of a normal person demonstrates a quantitative assessment of the abilities of an individual in relation to the average representative of the same age.

Average indicators

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 specially designed to provide 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 equal to from 90 to 100 points, a quarter - below 90, and the other quarter - above 110 units. The average for American university graduates is 115 points, with excellent students ranging from 135 to 140. An IQ that is less than 70 points is usually considered a sign of mental retardation.

Conclusion

IQ tests show a person, but should not be assumed that they 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 ranges from 90 to 120 conventional units. The Eysenck test is most often used to determine the IQ. However, do not forget that the most correct results will be obtained during the very first passing of the test, and all subsequent attempts will only distort them.

Last updated: 06/03/2017

There is a lot of talk about IQ tests these days, but many people still don’t know what these scores really mean. What exactly is a high IQ level? And the middle one? How many points do you need to score to be considered a genius?

IQ, or intelligence quotient, is a score obtained in 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 gained 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 controversy about what exactly IQ tests measure and how accurate they are.
In order to adequately assess and interpret test results, psychometrists use standardization. This process involves conducting a test with 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 test results for determining the level of intelligence development, as a rule, the function is used normal distribution- a bell-shaped curve in which most of the results are located near or around the average point. For example, most of the results (about 68%) of the WAIS III test lie, as a rule, between 85 and 115 points (with an average value of 100). The rest of the results are less common, therefore, the area of the curve on which they are located is directed downward. Very few people (about 0.2%) get more than 145 points on the test (indicating a very high level of intelligence) or less than 55 (indicating a very low IQ).
Because the average score is 100, specialists can quickly assess individual results by comparing with the mean and determining where these indicators are on the normal distribution scale.

More about IQ scores

In most modern IQ tests, the average score is set at 100 with a standard deviation of 15 so that the scores follow a normal distribution curve. This means that 68% of the results fall within one standard deviation of 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 less 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, only IQ test results are not used to diagnose intellectual disability. A score below 70 points is obtained by approximately 2.2% of people.
A score over 140 is considered a high IQ. Many people believe that a score of more than 160 points may indicate a person's genius.
High IQ is certainly closely related to academic performance, but is it related to success in life in general? Are there people who are truly more successful than their lower IQ counterparts? Many experts believe that other factors can also have a big impact, including.
That is, the scores are interpreted as follows.

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

Most people know that IQ (read "ay kyu") 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 measurement technique psychological age young people, which in the case of their wards differed from the biological age.

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

This relationship has become known as Intelligence Quotient or IQ (Intelligence Quotient). It is calculated by the formula:

100 x (intellectual age / biological age).

So, if you are 30 years old, but your intelligence is 25 years old, your IQ will 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 according to this method, the average IQ for the entire population will be equal to 100. The individual IQ of a person demonstrates how much a person is above or below the average intellectual level of his age.

Thus, in order to conduct tests, statistics of the execution of these tests on a large number Human. Then the performance of each newly tested person is compared with the average performance of people who have previously taken the tests.

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

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

There are various interpretations of the results obtained.

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

There are many 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 Olympiq Society, you need an IQ of 180. The community website states that there are only 14 members.

IQ test scores are considered to be good at determining whether people are capable, and are good at predicting their prospects for tough jobs. Most professors have an IQ of one hundred and thirty, which puts them in the top 3% of the population in terms of intellectual ability.

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

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

It was found that a person with a lower IQ has a lower average 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 aikyu level of some famous people... The data is taken from open sources on the Internet 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 (Madonna), American singer - 140 ;
Arnold Schwarzenegger, American actor and politician - 135 ;
Sheldon Lee Cooper - fictional character from the TV series The Big Bang Theory - 187 ;
Snoop Dogg - American rap artist - 147 ;
Sylvester Stallone, American actor - 54 ;

What iq did Einstein have

Albert Einstein never took a test for changing the level of his Ikyu. Of course, there is no doubt that the famous physicist could show a good result. Most likely, it would be in the region of 200, that is, at the level of the best achievements of celebrities.

The Australian mathematician, the author of the Green-Tao theorem, has the highest IQ level, his name is Terence Tao. Getting results over 200 points is a very rare occurrence, because most of the inhabitants of our planet barely gain 100 points. People with extremely high IQs (over 150) can be found among Nobel laureates... It is these people who move science forward, make discoveries in various professional fields. Among them are the American writer Marilyn vos Savant, astrophysicist Christopher Hirata, the phenomenal reader Kim Peak, who can read a page of text in a few seconds, the Briton Daniel Tammet, who memorizes thousands of numbers, Kim Ung-Yong, who already studied at the university at the age of 3, and other famous personalities. with amazing abilities.

How is a person's IQ formed?

Several factors affect IQ, including heredity, environment(family, school, social status of a person). The age of the subject also significantly influences the result of passing the test. At the age of 26, as a rule, a person's intelligence reaches its peak, and then only decreases.

It is worth noting that some people with exceptionally high IQ in Everyday life turned out to be completely helpless. For example, Kim Peek could not button the buttons on his clothes. In addition, not everyone has such a talent from birth. Daniel Tammet gained his ability to memorize huge numbers of numbers after a terrible seizure of epilepsy as a child.

IQ level above 140

Individuals with IQs over 140 are highly creative who have achieved success in various scientific branches... Notable personalities with an intelligence test score of 140 or more include Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking. Such geniuses of their era are known for their outstanding abilities, they make an incredibly high contribution to the development of knowledge and science, create new inventions and theories. Such people are only 0.2% of the total population.

IQ level from 131 to 140

Only three percent of the population has high IQs. Among famous people with a similar test result - Nicole Kidman and Arnold Schwarzenegger. This is successful people with high mental abilities, they can reach heights in various fields of activity, science and creativity. Want to check who is smarter - you or Schwarzenegger?

IQ level from 121 to 130

Above average intellectual level is shown by only 6% of the population. Such people can be seen in universities, since they are usually excellent students in all disciplines, successfully graduate from universities, realize themselves in various professions and achieve high results.

IQ level from 111 to 120

If you think that average level iq is approximately 110 points, then you are wrong. This indicator refers to intelligence above average. People with test scores between 111 and 120 are usually hardworking and have a lifelong desire for knowledge. There are about 12% of such people among the population.

IQ level from 101 to 110

IQ level from 91 to 100

If you passed the test, and the result was less than 100 points, do not be upset, because this is the average for a quarter of the population. People with such indicators of intelligence do well in school and universities, they get a job in the field of middle management and other specialties that do not require significant mental effort.

IQ level from 81 to 90

One tenth of the population has a level of intelligence below average. Their IQ test scores range from 81 to 90. These people usually do well in school, but most often do not receive higher education... They can work in the field of physical labor, in industries that do not require the use of intellectual abilities.

IQ level from 71 to 80

Another tenth of the population has an IQ level of 71 to 80, which is already a sign of mental retardation to a lesser degree. People with this result mostly attend special schools, but they can also graduate from regular schools. primary school with average marks.

IQ level from 51 to 70

About 7% of people have a mild form of mental retardation and an IQ level of 51 to 70. They study in special institutions, but they are able to take care of themselves, and are relatively full-fledged members of society.

IQ level from 21 to 50

About 2% of people on Earth have a level of intellectual development from 21 to 50 points, they suffer from dementia, an average degree of mental retardation. Such people cannot learn, but they are able to take care of themselves, but most often have guardians.

IQ level up to 20

People with a severe form of mental retardation do not lend themselves to training and education, have a level of intellectual development of up to 20 points. They are under the care of other people, because they cannot take care of themselves, and live in their own world. There are 0.2% of such people in the world.

How to determine the level of human intelligence? It is enough to take an IQ test and everything will become clear - many will say so who have never thought about how this "mind test" came about. At all times, people have divided themselves into different categories, depending on the qualities. The level of intelligence was also a factor by which it was possible to divide people into stupid and smart.

The first thoughts about the possibility of testing human intelligence appeared in the 19th century. Darwin's theory was published in 1859, which became the main reason appearances new science- phrenology.

Initially, this science was based on the assessment of mental abilities, based on the parameters of the head. According to phrenologists, the size and shape of the head already allowed conclusions to be drawn about the level of intelligence.

Don't trust IQ tests

Later, the supporters of this science put forward theories that a high level of intelligence is programmed at the genetic level and the learning program has a minimum value.

Until the theory failed, quite a few tests were carried out, children in schools were tested for a predisposition to high mental abilities. It may seem surprising, but even the Nazis believed in the genetic programming of smart people.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the first tests began to appear, thanks to which the level of intelligence was determined. The legendary IQ test was invented by French psychologist Alfred Binet. The imperfection of this test was that it was not the absolute IQ level that was determined, but the comparative one.

For example, 5 summer child successfully completed the program for 6 year olds, received more high scores... If, in the end, a person passing the test received more than 140 points, he was considered a genius, from 110 to 140 points were scored by people with high level intelligence, from 90 to 110 points denotes an average level, below 75 points, according to Binet, were recruited by the retarded.

The now popular method of determining mental abilities quickly spread throughout the world. There was even a case when a prisoner for life was transferred to a psychiatric hospital, tk. he scored too low on the IQ test.

The jury explained their action as follows: "He is too stupid to distinguish between good and evil." This incident happened almost 100 years ago, today nothing of the kind can be observed.

In the 60s and 70s, when IQ tests were used to assess the intelligence of students and potential employees when conducting interviews, they began to lose relevance. Numerous lawsuits have forced a review of the effectiveness of IQ tests, questions in which were aimed at a certain type of person.

For example, we are not all mathematicians, some people have humanitarian abilities. After detailed study tests, experts came to the conclusion that it is impossible to determine the level of intelligence or to do it with a huge margin of error. You should now guess that low IQ is not the cause of the disorder.