IQ is calculated with standardized tests that measure cognitive abilities.
IQ , also known as intelligence quotient , is a number that results from performing a standardized assessment that measures a person's cognitive abilities in relation to their age group. This result is abbreviated as CI or IQ , for the English concept of intelligence quotient .
As a standard, the average IQ in an age group is considered to be 100 . This means that a person with an IQ of 110 is above the average among people his age. The standard deviation of the results is usually 15 or 16 points, since the tests are designed in such a way that the distribution of the results is approximately a normal distribution. Those who are above 98% of people are considered gifted .
IQ and intelligence
It would be very helpful to previously define what intelligence is, a term for which there are many definitions. The one established by the American Psychological Association assures that it consists of the ability through which individuals are capable of understanding complex things and of facing and resolving certain complications through reasoning; According to the capacity of each person, it is said that they are more or less intelligent than another.
It should be noted that according to this definition, the intellectual capacities of each individual vary as do the problems they must face.
The Mainstream Science on Intelligence proposed a second definition, corroborated by more than 50 researchers. It postulates that intelligence includes the abilities to reason, solve problems, think abstractly, and plan .
People who have an IQ much higher than average are considered gifted.
Tests to measure these abilities
Intelligence is not only about the ability to learn from books, but also about the ability to resolve conflicts and know what to do at all times.
In order to establish the intellectual faculties of a person, several types of tests must be carried out. These tests include problems with words or numbers, shapes and designs, in order to define the individual's individual IQ ability.
On the other hand, it is necessary to define emotional intelligence to understand the differences between IQ of different individuals. EI includes skills such as perception of feelings (own and the emotions of the environment), use of emotions (mastering feelings in order to facilitate a cognitive activity), understanding of emotions (understanding the language of feelings and recognizing how they evolve over time) and emotional control (ability to manage one's feelings based on needs, to achieve the goals that have been set).
Studies on IQ
According to some studies carried out at University College London , to find out if IQ remains indelible over time or if it changes, it has been discovered that the value of a person's IQ changes significantly as they grow; In some cases its value increases and in others it decreases.
It was also discovered that changes in IQ related to language are associated with variations in a certain region of the brain, more precisely in the left motor cortex. For its part, regarding non-verbal tests, it is known that it may be due to an increase in the gray matter that resides in the anterior cerebellum (which controls the sensory and motor part of the body).
It is also known that there are differences in IQ between men and women. This does not clearly mean that one is more intelligent than the other, but rather that they have different cognitive abilities ; The same thing happens in people belonging to different cultures, because beyond social learning there is a certain predisposition to develop IQ in a specific way.
Flynn effect
History , for its part, shows that scores on a given assessment and in a given population have tended to rise. Therefore, tests that measure IQ must be updated periodically so that previous standards are maintained.
This phenomenon is known as the Flynn Effect , thanks to the studies of James Flynn . This New Zealand political specialist was the one who noticed that IQ scores were rising around the planet by an average of three points per decade. Among the explanations put forward by specialists, there are higher quality education, healthier nutrition and a greater preponderance of families with a reduced number of members.