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People so wedded to the idea of "intelligence" as "value" and "worth" that their minds are basically blown when you're like "actually IQ tests are basically trash".
Also IQ tests ARE basically trash, insofar as they pretend to quantify "intelligence".
I mean there are interesting aptitudes they test for but it's extremely ridiculous to call that "intelligence".
It's even more ridiculous to act like being good at IQ tests makes someone more valuable.
This is a thread I wrote sort of recently about my most recent IQ test in 2007. https://twitter.com/EbThen/status/949755151807631361
Like two and a half years ago so not very recently I guess.
When I say IQ tests measure certain cognitive functions, this is what that looked like on the WAIS-III in 2007. https://twitter.com/EbThen/status/949756396815437824
Since I got my assessment paperwork back I've never told anyone what my actual scores were on those tests, just how they relate to each other.
Because the important part is actually in the discrepancies.
Because the important part is actually in the discrepancies.
TBH basically what IQ test said was "Hey you're good at words, decent at thinking about stuff, pretty crap at remembering stuff you need to remember and basically you need two years to process anything fully."
(Exaggerations but still.)
(Exaggerations but still.)
To me I think those tests are interesting specifically when they pinpoint certain things about certain brain functions.
And that's it. And they're not always very good at that.
I mean measuring verbal comprehension is always going to be extremely dependent on cultural stuff.
And that's it. And they're not always very good at that.
I mean measuring verbal comprehension is always going to be extremely dependent on cultural stuff.
There's nothing particularly valuable or worthwhile in being good at IQ tests unless you intend to spend the rest of your life taking IQ tests.
What you can extrapolate from my WAIS-III results are exactly what I said.
You can't find out if I'm a decent person from an IQ test.
You can't predict if I'm going to make the world a better place from an IQ test.
You can just find out how my brain is at a few tasks.
You can't find out if I'm a decent person from an IQ test.
You can't predict if I'm going to make the world a better place from an IQ test.
You can just find out how my brain is at a few tasks.
