Measuring intelligence

[CarbonCopy]

We hardly know how the brain works. We still don't have a clear picture as to what intelligence is in the brain. Nor do we know what traits ( memory, wisdom, common sense ) make up intelligence. That is why I find it absurd that we try to measure and grade people's intelligence with a number (or a letter if it's a grade) , when we don't know how it works. It is funny how we try to measure something so varied with the same yardstick.

What is your take on this ? Is it a wrong practice to be measuring a person's intelligence based on a number/letter ?

[timo]

Just don't equate "IQ" with "intelligence", then. As you say, the latter is usually a vague hand-waving term (which language has many of), the former is a pretty well-defined measure that anyone not taking it seriously is free to ignore as "just a number".

My take: I don't equate "intelligence" with "IQ", per se. But as far as I understand (without actually knowing much about the topic), there are well-established correlations between IQ and traits like "job performance" so I do tend to consider "IQ" a relevant (statistical) property, not just a number.

[Genecks]

We hardly know how the brain works. We still don't have a clear picture as to what intelligence is in the brain. Nor do we know what traits ( memory, wisdom, common sense ) make up intelligence. That is why I find it absurd that we try to measure and grade people's intelligence with a number (or a letter if it's a grade) , when we don't know how it works. It is funny how we try to measure something so varied with the same yardstick.

What is your take on this ? Is it a wrong practice to be measuring a person's intelligence based on a number/letter ?

 

In academia, it becomes more about determining whether a person can accomplish a goal rather than the person's all-around level of intelligence. And the ability for accomplish the goal is dependent on his or her mastery or ability to learn and understand the material.

 

Otherwise, if you want to get into the realm of intelligence, then you're going to want to understand that you need an operational definition for intelligence quotient and a research experiment to determine the IQ. This is something you learn when you study research methodology in cognitive science.

 

However, as I believe, there is a neurobiological form of intelligence, and that has to do with AMPA and NMDA receptors along with functional and structural components of the hippocampus. Individuals who cannot develop these structures at a particular rate of change upon encountering environmental stimuli are more likely to be less intelligent than others given a particular environmental stimuli and conditions. That whole neurobiology thing is a different story, but AMPA and NMDA receptors have been correlated to "intelligence" or memory and processing speed in animals. The operational definition for intelligence quotient would still be necessary.

 

So, go learn yourself some research methodology in cognitive science or cognitive psychology.

 

I think it is morally wrong for individuals with a lack of knowledge in modern cognitive psychology and the study of intelligence to be grading others in academia based on their abilities without taking into consideration if their paradigm of pedagogy is enacting to the enhancement of the student's ability to master the material, thus score high as having a high intelligence or knowledge of the material being graded. So, then, yes.

Edited April 17, 2013 by Genecks