SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
IQ is rising in many parts of the world. What's behind the change and does it really mean people are cleverer than their grandparents?
It is not unusual for parents to comment that their children are brainier than they are. In doing so, they hide a boastful remark about their offspring behind a self-deprecating one about themselves. But a new study, published in the journal Intelligence, provides fresh evidence that in many cases this may actually be true.
The researchers - Peera Wongupparaj, Veena Kumari and Robin Morris at Kings College London - did not themselves ask anyone to sit an IQ test, but they analysed data from 405 previous studies. Altogether, they harvested IQ test data from more than 200,000 participants, captured over 64 years and from 48 countries.
(Score: 5, Informative) by mrcoolbp on Thursday March 05 2015, @05:05AM
As I understand it, that in general the population on average does get "smarter" due to the continual spread and refinement of knowledge, and IQ stands for Intelligence *Quotient*. "The median raw score of the norming sample is defined as IQ 100 [wikipedia.org]."
The Wikipedia page continues: "Since the early 20th century, raw scores on IQ tests have increased in most parts of the world. When a new version of an IQ test is normed, the standard scoring is set so performance at the population median results in a score of IQ 100"
It will always be the average, even as people get smarter, with the internet making the spread of knowledge more rapid and rampant, I assume this is just some kind of acceleration of this effect.
(Score:1^½, Radical)
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 05 2015, @07:23AM
Shh! Don't tell people that. What people say about IQ tests can give you insight as to what their IQ is likely to be.
People that have not figured out that half the people are dumber than the median give themselves away as being on the wrong side of it! Exceptionally high IQ is given away by statements about IQ tests being not very relevant but better than nothing and mumbling something about r values and correlation.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by acid andy on Thursday March 05 2015, @04:47PM
Uhh, that's not how the median works. Which side does that make me?
Master of the science of the art of the science of art.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 05 2015, @06:43PM
You are thinking of mode, or possibly mean, median separates half the sample set from the other half of the sample set. That means humans. I'm sure you know what side you and the moderators that +4 your post are on. Here is an audience appropriate explanation. [mathgoodies.com]
(Score: 2) by acid andy on Thursday March 05 2015, @06:52PM
My apologies. You're absolutely right. That'll learn me to try and apply statistics knowledge that hasn't been used in anger in years. Use it or lose it.
Master of the science of the art of the science of art.