IQ tests and myself

[Ferrus]

I am not sure if the members here have read my jeremiad back in INTPc.

To recap -

I have gone through a series of psychological tests for occupational purposes. I took a Raven's progressive matrices - and scored in the 75th percentile.

I also took the Differential Aptitude Test - and scored in the 75th percentile for verbal reason, 80th for numerical reasoning and 85th for abstract reasoning.

Simply put, these results correlate with a merely somewhat intelligent and average graduate - nothing special, an IQ perhaps of 110. Which is probably where my parents are - and given a .6 to .8 correlation of intelligence between parents and offspring, this would make sense.

Now - I do have dyspraxia (or NLD), which may have influenced the scores. Especially given the effect this has on my short-term memory (a digit span of 3).

Essentially though, I am thoroughly depressed as a result of this - for it seems to have destroyed the image of myself, and the one attribute I did think I had - that being my intellect. (I am, frankly, atrocious at almost everything else due to poor motor control).

 

[Xander]

IQ is severely overrated.

You're an INTP, screw convention. Your more likely to be "switched on" than a classical intellectual and frankly I'd prefer to be thinking than to be resting upon a score for my laurels.

 

[Night]

Ferrus...!

You old cad.

Your intellect is clear. One need only speak briefly with you to confirm the impotency of IQ as a yardstick for human intelligence.

 

[Owl]

I've always thought highly of your posts.

I've heard that a person whose short term memory can hold 4 or less digits (?) may not be as versatile as persons with a 'normal' short term memory, but his focus in the areas that interest him is much greater, and, consequently, he is a superior specialist.

 

[ptgatsby]

Well, being above 80% of the population is hardly something to complain about, so the real issue is in your identification.

Strangely enough, this may end up being very good for you. There is a negative correlation between people who depended on their 'IQ' (or concept of being 'smart') and success, even happiness (tend to get along poorer with people, IRC). Don't think of this as anything to do with your real ability but think of it as growth as a person, that there is more to you and your ability than some one dimensional measurement of it. IMO, that's the real message - the uniqueness of everyone's ability. Depending on just one facet of it means you were stifling yourself, and your ability... it's not gone - nothing has changed about you - but now you have a chance to see a bigger picture of you and your abilities.