People get smarter as they get older yet their IQ scores decrease

[VenusPrincess]

It is common knowledge that as people age they experience a degradation in their cognitive abilities, hence why top chess players tend to be in the 20-40 age bracket. Yet I think most people agree that 50 year olds tend to be much smarter than their 20 year old selves. This suggests there is something that IQ test cannot measure that is nonetheless a vital component of intelligence. What is it, and how can we measure it if IQ tests can't?

[Markus Hanke]

1 hour ago, VenusPrincess said:

Yet I think most people agree that 50 year olds tend to be much smarter than their 20 year old selves.

I would not necessarily agree with this - I think as you get older you develop more wisdom, but not necessarily intelligence. Exactly how do you define 'smart'?

2 hours ago, VenusPrincess said:

This suggests there is something that IQ test cannot measure that is nonetheless a vital component of intelligence.

I think it is context and experience, which is something that can only be developed with time (and circumstance). For example, a young medic fresh out of university may know everything there is to be found in medical textbooks - but standing on the bedside of someone with (let's say) unusual or non-standard symptoms, he may still not be able to diagnose them correctly, since he lacks the experience to put that knowledge into a wider context.

[VenusPrincess]

On 10/16/2020 at 1:18 AM, Markus Hanke said:

I would not necessarily agree with this - I think as you get older you develop more wisdom, but not necessarily intelligence. Exactly how do you define 'smart'?

I think it is context and experience, which is something that can only be developed with time (and circumstance). For example, a young medic fresh out of university may know everything there is to be found in medical textbooks - but standing on the bedside of someone with (let's say) unusual or non-standard symptoms, he may still not be able to diagnose them correctly, since he lacks the experience to put that knowledge into a wider context.

I guess the most objective measurement of "smart" is an aptitude test, but I guess what I'm getting at is how could wisdom be incorporated into an aptitude test so that it can be measured in an objective way?

[MigL]

I guess it depends what you are looking for.
Are you looking for fresh insights into solving a problem, or the repurposing of a well-tested solution to varying problems ?

Both could be signs of intelligence.
Or neither.

[joigus]

Just to take some input from recent threads, not spending countless hours, days, and even years on a hopeless, idiotic idea (because you know better) can do wonders for your intelligence's performance.

That's a kind of wisdom that could be particularly useful.