IQ Measures

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What IQ Stands For And What It Actually Measures
For centuries, scientists have been trying to
identify and measure what factors make some
people more successful in life than the others?
Today its widely accepted that one of major
predictors of a persons success is their
intelligence or IQ. But what is IQ exactly? How
should we decipher what IQ stands for? And what
do IQ tests actually measure? Were going to
break down how IQ works and what standardized
tests are actually measuring. What Is IQ Short
For?
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IQ stands for for intelligence quotient. It was
first coined by William Stern back in 1912.
Stern was a German psychologist interested in the
field of human intelligence. Before Stern, there
was no standardized measure of cognitive ability.
But Stern believed in a form of generalized
intelligence that could be accurately measured
under the right circumstances. It was from
Sterns theory of generalized intelligence that
the first IQ tests were born. But what do these
tests actually measure? What Do IQ Tests
Measure? Its not how smart you are, but how are
you smart. Jim Kwik, Author of Mindvalleys
Superbrain Program Its a common misconception
that IQ tests measure intelligence. Or rather,
that theyre the most accurate measure of
intelligence. So, what is intelligence, anyway?
There are many competing theories on the
different types of intelligence we possess. And
IQ tests measure very specific forms of
intelligence. Two of the most common forms of
intelligence tests are the Wechsler
Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) test and the
Ravens Progressive Matrices (RPM)
test. Different IQ tests have different types of
questions. The ones taken during job
applications are different from the ones students
take when enrolling in university. However, they
all have one thing in common they are
standardized. An IQ test can, therefore, measure
the capacity of a three specific types of
intelligence.
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• Verbal Intelligence
• As the name implies, verbal intelligence is the
  intelligence of language. It helps us identify
  patterns between words and to use language to
  communicate more effectively.
• Those with verbal or linguistic intelligence
  enjoy reading and writing. They are skilled with
  word puzzles and have the ability to quickly
  learn new languages.
• Logical/Mathematical Intelligence
• Logical/Mathematical intelligence comes from the
  capacity to form logical relationships and use
  deductive reasoning. Individuals with this form
  of intelligence are rational, objective,
  strategic, organized, and analytical.
• Spatial Intelligence

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According to an American developmental
psychologist Howard Gardner,spatial intelligence
is the intelligence of visual thinking. With the
help of spatial intelligence, were able to
manipulate three dimensional objects in our minds
eye. Those with spatial intelligence are
excellent navigators. They are keen to notice
fine details and pick up on subtle patterns with
ease. What Is The IQ Of An Average Person? The
average person has an IQ score between 85 and
115. Only a little more than 2 of the
population scores higher than 130 or below
70. How Is IQ Calculated? Your intelligence
quotient is calculated by two important factors
the number of correct answers you provide on the
test, and the length of time it takes you to
arrive at those answers. Thats right an IQ
test measures not only whether your answer is
correct, but how long it took you to answer the
question. The median score on a standardized IQ
test is 100. When assembled together, the scores
follow a bell curve, which peaks in the middle
where the greatest concentration of similar
scores are. Scores then range up or down by 15
IQ points, which is called a standard deviation.
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What Is An IQ Level? We know that IQ stands for
intelligence quotient. But what is an
intelligence quotient and how do IQ levels
work? An IQ level is the range of the score a
person can have. If you possess an IQ of 125
points, you likely have an above average
intellect. If you fall within the upper 2 of
highly gifted individuals, youre eligible to
join the genius club Mensa society. And while
understanding what IQ stands for and how the
intelligence quotient works is important, its
also important to keep something else in
mind There are many new theories that have
begun to emerge in the field of human
intelligence. Its become widely acknowledged
that the standardized IQ test is limited in
their capacity. The IQ test can measure only a
few forms of intelligence. But today, there are
scientists who suggest we actually posses up to
nine different types of intelligence.
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The bottom line is everyone possesses their own
special gifts and abilities. Dont judge
yourself or another on how well you score on an
IQ test. Your brain is an incredible machine,
and capable of learning and developing more than
you realize!