Do you or your kids have higher IQ test scores than average? Wow, that’s great! Your intelligence quotient tells a lot about your ability to learn and acquire new skills. But does it actually say you’re smarter or better than your friends? Well, that’s open to debate.
What constitutes IQ, and what is the range of IQ scores anyway?
Let’s find out. In this article, we will explore what is implied under the IQ score range chart, what defines intelligence, and whether or not IQ can be improved.
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Albert Einstein had an IQ of around 160. Steven Hawking as well. Does this mean that your IQ score predetermines your professional heights and accomplishments?
No, the IQ score range is not a reflection of your abilities in life nor a precursor to your success. It is merely a scale the professionals use to measure the results of a general intelligence test. The results of this test are known as IQ, which is short for intelligence quotient.
What does it measure? We’ll discuss that in greater detail in a minute, but here’s a gist. IQ is widely regarded as an indicator of cognitive skills like problem-solving and reasoning. There’s a lot more that IQ could indicate, but also many capabilities that it can’t measure.
To be able to grasp the complexities of IQ, we must first decipher intelligence itself. What is it, and where does it come from? Many scientists agree that intelligence, like IQ, is a genetic trait. Since you can not develop intelligence, your IQ stays the same throughout life.
Theoretically, the IQ test scores range from zero to unlimited, though neither of these values were ever recorded. The highest IQ belonged to Ainan Celeste Cawley, a Singapore prodigy, who scored a whopping 263. Ainan was 8 when he started studying chemistry!
If you’re like most people, your IQ falls somewhere between 85 and 114.
Generally speaking, every IQ score under 85 on the scale is considered below average, while every IQ measurement above 114 is labeled as above average. The IQ test score range is a bell curve, with an average IQ at the top.
Here’s what a typical IQ score range chart looks like:
Based on this, a person with an IQ above 130 is typically considered above intelligent. The International High IQ Society, or Mensa, will accept you only if you score 130 or higher. According to some stats, only 2% of the population has an IQ in this range.
You’ve just taken the test and confirmed what you’d suspected all along – that you’re above average, gifted, or even exceptional? Congratulations, you’re very bright!
But what does that really mean? And is IQ even that important?
We’re so sorry to break it to you, but most people do well without a high IQ. In fact, the standardized IQ test has always been controversial. It’s been argued that the scale above and the test itself have historically been inaccurate and biased.
For the purpose of this argument, let’s say the test is right, and you’re an exceptionally gifted person. What now? Except for a Mensa membership, your IQ score doesn’t guarantee much. You might get picked for your dream job, but you need experience and hard work.
In and by itself, the intelligence quotient doesn’t mean that you can apply your brain and use your intelligence for professional advancement. IQ is merely a potential. A combination of other factors will determine whether or not you’ll be able to fulfill it.
So, why get an IQ score test, then? What’s even the purpose of it?
IQ testing was originally invented as a grading tool for schools. To this day, it is a practical device that allows education professionals to measure the mental age of a young student in comparison to this student’s biological age. Sounds confusing? It’s actually pretty smart.
For example, a typical second grader in the US is aged 7 or 8 – that is his biological age. However, if his IQ is above average, he is mentally older than his peers.
Invented in 1900 in France, this way of measuring students’ inherent abilities is still extremely useful. It allows teachers to adjust lectures to the average mental age of the group but also urges them to pay special attention to the outliers from both sides of the bell curve.
And that’s why everyone should get an IQ test as early as possible. While you should never perceive an IQ score as a limitation of what one can achieve in life, it could be a signal of an above-average potential that should be cultivated and nurtured from a young age.
Earlier, we mentioned that the real meaning and scope of IQ can only be defined with a proper understanding of intelligence. So what does it mean to be intelligent?
Here’s a question. Would you describe a person that is well-red and knowledgeable as intelligent? Not necessarily, unless maybe this person can discuss Shakespeare like a scholar. Way more often than that, intelligence is associated with math, logic, and quick wit.
Some of the primary abilities that contribute to high intelligence are:
- Language
- Math
- Memory
- Processing speed
- Reasoning abilities
- Visual-spatial processing
So, in general, IQ measures reasoning and problem-solving. The results of IQ testing cannot show if a person is artistically gifted or emotionally intelligent. You might be capable of navigating complex social environments or inventing fantastic stuff. IQ won’t register that.
There are several misconceptions about intelligence and IQ. Now you’re thinking, that’s because ignorant people spread myths. But believe it or not, the culprit, in this case, is mostly science. For instance, intelligence is not fixed. That’s just an outdated scientific belief.
New studies have found that intelligence can change and improve. Like other inclinations, it is not immune to external factors such as culture, socio-economic status, or even race. According to some findings, intelligence is only 60% inherited. The rest of it could be learned.
Whether or not this is true remains a heated scientific debate. But there’s another aspect of the IQ score that we cannot deny—test-taking is always subject to circumstances.
There’s an easy way to prove that IQ test score ranges aren’t as fixed and accurate as thought. If a person takes a test twice, it’s highly unlikely they’ll get the same results. Your IQ could depend more on what you’ve eaten that day than on which school you’ve graduated from.
Modern-day science knows two things about intelligence to be accurate. One, intelligence can drop due to improper nurture. And two, intellectually, we peak in our twenties. So, if you have a child that is younger than that, you should work on their IQ.
According to largely successful people who’ve fulfilled their potential, active support is key for nurturing intellect in gifted children. But what does this mean in practice?
Here are a few suggestions on how to help your kids thrive intellectually:
Observe your child closely. Is there something specific that they are interested in? If your answer is yes, help them explore that interest. If not, show them what’s out there. Either way, take your kids to museums and concerts, play different sports with them, and read books.
There’s scientific evidence that reading books, solving math problems, and learning to play music help young children develop critical skills affecting their IQ scores.
Intelligence means little to nothing if there is no willpower. While younger children have an innate desire to learn, teenagers are the most critical group regarding intellectual stagnation. They struggle with motivation and intrinsic drive, but they can overcome that.
What is the first thing you need to do as a modern-day parent? You need to teach your kids how to exist without screens. Parental apps like FamiSafe can help you do that.
With FamiSafe, you can limit their overall screen time or restrict access to apps that keep them in the procrastination loop. Social media and mobile games are a massive waste of time and teach the wrong message about self-worth, success, and actualization.
First of all, learning should be self-directed. Most children want to learn independently, but some need assistance and guidance. In both of these cases, a parent should be silent but not a passive presence. Learn to recognize when to push them a bit harder.
To do that, you must always be involved in their learning process and provide experiences they can learn from – whether a trip to the science lab or a game of chess.
Peer pressure has an enormous impact on a developing mind, but that doesn’t have to be negative. Hanging out with good kids who perform well in school is the fastest way to improve grades, study motivation, and the ability to master new subjects.
A child’s primary need is to be loved and happy. When we give them that, we skyrocket their chances of success. A parent’s support increases a child’s self-worth and independence.
Recent studies have linked low IQ scores in children to poor nutrition. If a child’s developing brain is that delicate, just imagine how damaging a lack of love and belief can be.
The critical thing to remember about the intelligence quotient is that successful people can come from any IQ test scores range. IQ is merely one piece of a complex puzzle. Whether you’re interested in self-growth or growing tiny humans, you need discipline and support.