this post was submitted on 22 Feb 2025
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Science Memes

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smort (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 6 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 99 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

Debating what intelligence is, is such a circle-jerk.

The term is so broad, that it encompasses aspects like motivation, memory retention capacity, memory recall rates, differentiates between verbal, spacial and emotional intelligence, and occasionally veers into scientific racism.

It's a fucking shit show. The comment sections of posts about intelligence are generally toxic because people end up talking past each other.

[–] [email protected] 33 points 5 days ago (1 children)

If debating intelligence is waste of time, imagine what a "shit show" trying to measure it must be. This is the central point: measuring intelligence is just as foolish as measuring beauty or charm.

The problem is that this isn't just a debate on the internet. Your IQ score can still literally be the difference between life and death in the US legal system. So it's pretty important to let people know it's pseudoscience from eugenicists that, by the way, doesn't work!

[–] [email protected] 18 points 5 days ago (2 children)

IQ tests are interesting, because they're mainly a test of pattern recognition.

However, knowing how the patterns are formed, can easily net you +10 points on an IQ test.

It's a shit way to determine "intelligence".

Some people might score highly, but are socially inept and unmotivated, meaning they have a lot of raw power, without having the mental capability to channel it productively, which is pretty fucking stupid.

Then you get people like Musk and Trump, who are both highly motivated people, despite being dumb as rocks. Yet, our geniuses can't figure out how to mitigate their stupidity.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 days ago (1 children)

well no, modern intelligence tests specifically test different things, for example the one i took had a section about working memory where i had to recite numbers in various ways.

which was useful because it turns out my working memory is absolute dogshit

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 days ago (3 children)

Mensa has long been the benchmark for high IQ societies.

Go take their sample IQ test. It is only pattern recognition.

Unfortunately this is the norm.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Mensa has long been the benchmark for high IQ societies.

Mensa is a social club with an admittance test, which they're free to organize however they want. It holds no weight in the field of psychology

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Mensa is a private society where you pay for membership and take a test which cherry picks from actual standardized intelligence tests and are openly available so you can practice them. Proper ones used in neuropsychology measure more than just pattern recognition. I don't know why Mensa has gotten such a prominent place, but it shouldn't be regarded as the benchmark for anything.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 days ago

Paying for a "you're smart" placque is definitely a benchmark for stupidity.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

i literally did the test with a registered psychologist, not sure what more you want?

it very much seems like you just want to hate intelligence tests and reality being different makes you frustrated

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 days ago (1 children)

There are different types of intelligence tests, sure. What I was talking about was IQ tests.

But yes, I do hate intelligence tests, they have a long history of reinforcing systemic racism.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 days ago

I took an IQ test a few months ago to help my sister study for her psychology exam, so I can confirm that at least one type of IQ test that's actually in use today measures more than just pattern recognition. It had pattern recognition, yes, but also working memory, accumulated knowledge, clarity of explanation, and a few other things that were given less focus.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 days ago

Redefining "intelligence" to mean "effectiveness" is dumb imo

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 days ago (1 children)

"Occasionally" seems rather generous

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

Yeah, there are a lot of low IQ dickhead out there, must be genetic or something.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 days ago

I got a clinical assesment and it took 12 hours spread over 12 weeks. Indeed contained verbal and visual memory tests, verbal and visual ability to fantasize, pattern recognition, logic, social ability, etc