IQ tests have a history of being a bit controversial. They’re still a common way for people to compare how smart they are to others, though. But how do IQ tests figure out how smart someone is? Are they accurate?
What is IQ?
IQ stands for “intelligence quotient.” It shows how smart a person is compared to their peers when it comes to using logic, reasoning, and knowledge.
History
A scientist named Alfred Binet created the first test to measure IQ in 1904. He thought that intelligence mostly meant common sense, but that it was a mix of many skills that could be greatly affected by a person’s surroundings. He first made his test to find out how smart French schoolchildren were so that teachers could use his study to help them tailor their lessons to each student’s needs.
Things changed in America when the idea of IQ tests came along. Different studies had different ideas about how intelligence was learned. Binet thought it was a set of skills that could be learned, while others thought it was a single trait that was passed down through genes. Because of this, people who believed in eugenics used IQ and IQ tests to further their cause. IQ was used as an excuse to sterilize people who were in state care, like those in jails, mental hospitals, and care homes. It was done to 20,000 people in the U.S. against their will by 1935.
If you want to get rid of “the most worthless one-tenth of our present population,” which included the blind and visually impaired, the deaf, and people who depended on the government, like orphans and homeless people, Harry Laughlin, who was in charge of the Eugenics Record Office in 1922, said that IQ was a good place to start. Most states didn’t pay attention to these ideas, but the German government did. Before World War II, its Hereditary Health Court, Erbgesundhetsrecht, neutered almost 380,000 people.
How is IQ measured?
There are a lot of different kinds of IQ tests, but they all ask questions that are meant to figure out how smart someone is in general. What kind of IQ test you take will rely on your age, your culture, and even the reason for the test.
Some IQ tests are made for kids of certain ages, while others are made for adults. A lot of places of work use IQ tests to figure out what kind of people they want to hire and how they think. Even the SAT was made from the IQ test used by the army.
Some IQ tests measure your “crystallized intelligence,” which is basically how much you know. Others check your “fluid intelligence,” which means your ability to think and reason. Some tests might check for both. Maybe you do better on one kind of test than another because of how your brain works.
How to take an IQ test?
Depending on what works best for you, you can take an IQ test in person or online. You can take an IQ test a lot of different places, including online.
You don’t need to do much to get ready for the test once it’s time. Tests to help you study can be found in some places or on the internet. If not, make sure you get enough rest and a good food before the test.
What you find out will depend on the test you take. There is a number on your test that will help you figure out how well you did.
Final words
Online IQ tests are now an important part of the eLearning business. They can be used to find out how smart a student is and place them in the right level of an online course. You can take different IQ tests online, which you can read about here.
