I just found out I'm basically an idiot

[Thales]

So, I took an IQ test recently (WAIS IV), and my official results were a 99. The psych said it wasn't representative of my intelligence, but I can't help feeling that it is. Most people's IQ don't really go above 10-12 points of their original score. Even though, my Verbal IQ actually turned out to be a 130. Does anyone have any coping mechanisms for this type of situation? I don't have any other skills/talents to compensate.

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

If you practised on many similar tests beforehand it is a pretty accurate depiction of your ability of undertaking IQ tests; otherwise, ignore it. Give me an IQ test right now and I will probably score relatively low. Allow me to practice on 10 separate tests a few days beforehand and I will score relatively high.

What do you mean you don't have any other skills/talents to compensate? The human brain is malleable. Your brain structures itself according to the facets required to complete the means to attain desired ends. This is how we operate. This is why I am no longer proficient at previous tasks than the tasks I now conduct.

What really matters is your ability to learn and comprehend new concepts and tasks, not your ability to take an IQ test. Do not under an circumstances link your perception of self or self identity to your ability to undertake an IQ test.

 

[kantor1003]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Yeah, if getting an high iq is what it takes for you to feel better, just practice it for a while and you'll do really well.
Or, perhaps you'll come to think that it's not worth the bother, or worth feeling bad over.

Edit: oh, and your already questioning yourself, and thats a really good thing it ranks way higher than an above average iq in my book.

 

[Trebuchet]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Proxy is right about practice, and everyone is right that IQ tests don't mean much.

IQ tests don't really measure intelligence. If you are coming down with a cold, like I am right now, your score will be lower. Especially if you took any cold medication. If you are anxious about it, that won't help at all. Taking a test that isn't in your native language hurts, as does confusion about the instructions. Some IQ tests have ambiguous wording in the questions. And of course they are mostly geared toward visual learners since 75% of the people are that. They depend heavily on your education, so if you haven't had a particular class, you will be disadvantaged compared to people who did have the class. And finally, IQ tends to go up over time, as you accumulate experience and problem-solving techniques.

Still, obviously this is hurting you, so I recommend doing a lot of research into how IQ tests are made, what different experts think about their validity and usefulness, and the history of IQ tests. With that information, I think you will have a much better way to judge the tests, and you will almost certainly find them wanting. I read a lot of such things, years ago to be sure so I don't have any current research to point you to, and it is this that makes me confident in saying it doesn't mean much.

 

[ElvenVeil]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

The only way to get over it, imo, is to start learning what IQ shows and how IQ can variate etc. IQ tests shows something ofc, but they do not show intelligence in its every aspect.
Now that is just standard talk ofc, but it is apparently needed.

an IQ of 99 also does not make you an idiot. as the avarage is a 100, having 99 makes you an avarage person. But that can not stop you from doing many great and good things in life.. having a high IQ is hardly needed to something great. you could, if you wanted, become a scientist (a nice profession imo) with an avarage IQ

 

[nexion]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

"Intelligence" is somewhat difficult to define. But IQ tests certainly do not do so very accurately.

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

If you practised on many similar tests beforehand it is a pretty accurate depiction of your ability of undertaking IQ tests; otherwise, ignore it. Give me an IQ test right now and I will probably score relatively low. Allow me to practice on 10 separate tests a few days beforehand and I will score relatively high.

What do you mean you don't have any other skills/talents to compensate? The human brain is malleable. Your brain structures itself according to the facets required to complete the means to attain desired ends. This is how we operate. This is why I am no longer proficient at previous tasks than the tasks I now conduct.

What really matters is your ability to learn and comprehend new concepts and tasks, not your ability to take an IQ test. Do not under an circumstances link your perception of self or self identity to your ability to undertake an IQ test.

I don't know, ever since high school my academic performance has been deplorable. As for what I meant about having no skills and talents, simply that, I can't recall any skill or talent that I have, I have stumbled through life without being able to do anything notable.

Yeah, if getting an high iq is what it takes for you to feel better, just practice it for a while and you'll do really well.
Or, perhaps you'll come to think that it's not worth the bother, or worth feeling bad over.

Edit: oh, and your already questioning yourself, and thats a really good thing it ranks way higher than an above average iq in my book.

I question myself constantly, but that's probably stemming from low self-esteem than actual intelligence. I appreciate the sentiment, though.

Proxy is right about practice, and everyone is right that IQ tests don't mean much.

IQ tests don't really measure intelligence. If you are coming down with a cold, like I am right now, your score will be lower. Especially if you took any cold medication. If you are anxious about it, that won't help at all. Taking a test that isn't in your native language hurts, as does confusion about the instructions. Some IQ tests have ambiguous wording in the questions. And of course they are mostly geared toward visual learners since 75% of the people are that. They depend heavily on your education, so if you haven't had a particular class, you will be disadvantaged compared to people who did have the class. And finally, IQ tends to go up over time, as you accumulate experience and problem-solving techniques.

Still, obviously this is hurting you, so I recommend doing a lot of research into how IQ tests are made, what different experts think about their validity and usefulness, and the history of IQ tests. With that information, I think you will have a much better way to judge the tests, and you will almost certainly find them wanting. I read a lot of such things, years ago to be sure so I don't have any current research to point you to, and it is this that makes me confident in saying it doesn't mean much.

I can see different factors effecting IQ, but...99? I've researched IQ extensively, it seems to measure academic potential relatively well. It's not an absolute, but everything in my life has pointed to the fact that I'm some sort of intellectual failure.

 

[nexion]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

I don't know, ever since high school my academic performance has been deplorable. As for what I meant about having no skills and talents, simply that, I can't recall any skill or talent that I have, I have stumbled through life without being able to do anything notable.

I question myself constantly, but that's probably stemming from low self-esteem than actual intelligence. I appreciate the sentiment, though.

Ah yes, I relate very well to these. I am in senior year HS right now and making D's in two of my classes... damn, if I can just get through this semester relatively unscathed...

I can tell you though, I sometimes feel like a failure because there is so much I don't know. I know very well what you mean. I think these words describe it best:

"We live on an island of knowledge surrounded by a sea of ignorance. As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance."

 

[snafupants]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Proxy is right about practice, and everyone is right that IQ tests don't mean much.

IQ tests don't really measure intelligence. If you are coming down with a cold, like I am right now, your score will be lower. Especially if you took any cold medication. If you are anxious about it, that won't help at all. Taking a test that isn't in your native language hurts, as does confusion about the instructions. Some IQ tests have ambiguous wording in the questions. And of course they are mostly geared toward visual learners since 75% of the people are that. They depend heavily on your education, so if you haven't had a particular class, you will be disadvantaged compared to people who did have the class. And finally, IQ tends to go up over time, as you accumulate experience and problem-solving techniques.

Still, obviously this is hurting you, so I recommend doing a lot of research into how IQ tests are made, what different experts think about their validity and usefulness, and the history of IQ tests. With that information, I think you will have a much better way to judge the tests, and you will almost certainly find them wanting. I read a lot of such things, years ago to be sure so I don't have any current research to point you to, and it is this that makes me confident in saying it doesn't mean much.

Alright the tests do have their flaws but you laying it on a bit thick here. Question: if you are hampered by a cold, lack of sleep, anxiety, etc. doesn't that make you less functionally intelligent in that moment? Surely William Faulkner after fourteen drinks was not the same William Faulkner who wrote Absalom, Absalom!

Some IQ tests do indeed have ambiguous wording, but that wording is ambiguous for everyone. Moreover, there are some IQ tests - Raven's Progressive Matrices comes to mind - which have no words and correlate highly with IQ tests which are laden with tough vocabulary. Thus, it seems like something big is underlying that: it's not knowledge of words.

Actually only certain IQ scores go up over time, and even those fade away eventually. Fluid intelligence, or the ability to reason with novel stimuli, wanes basically from late adolescene and early adulthood into middle and old age. Crystallized intelligence, or the depth and breadth of cultural knowledge, on the other hand, rises and rises until about late 50's or early 60's and then also begins to fall, but not nearly as sharply as fluid intelligence does. So to say intelligence - excuse me, IQ - unequivocally rises with age is erroneous.

If you are implying that fluid intelligence goes up due to streamlining problem solving techniques, this also is wrongheaded. The score would go up mainly because of test-retest experiences and knowledge of the test. This defeats the purpose of reasoning with novel stimuli and thus voids, or severely cripples, the test.

To the OP, who gives a shit? If you were happy before the test, why not be happy now? You are basically letting old fart professors and cultural expectations sway your mood. Also, that crystallized intelligence score is two standard deviations up my friend, no reason to grab a noose and say goodbye just yet. Take it easy, it's just a test.

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Ah yes, I relate very well to these. I am in senior year HS right now and making D's in two of my classes... damn, if I can just get through this semester relatively unscathed...

I can tell you though, I sometimes feel like a failure because there is so much I don't know. I know very well what you mean. I think these words describe it best:

"We live on an island of knowledge surrounded by a sea of ignorance. As our island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance."

Yeah, but you have no proof that you're an idiot. I'm trapped in this prison of sem-idiocy.

PS in Treb's defense he was most likely attempting to make me feel better.

 

[snafupants]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Yeah, but you have no proof that you're an idiot. I'm trapped in this prison of sem-idiocy.

PS in Treb's defense he was most likely attempting to make me feel better.

This is self indulgent dude. With a score, any score, around two standard deviations above the mean, I am pretty sure you can go out in public without making a scene.

This whole thing is ridiculous, before you got the results you felt fine, and when the results come you think you're Officer Doofy. Come on now.

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

I'm always officer doofy, I can just hide it well. As far as two standard deviations above the mean, if you're referring to my verbal IQ, that would make me an Idiot Savant, well most savants are genius at one thing, I'm merely exceptional. I'm like an Idiot Semi Savant. OVERALL, I'm in the average range, unofficially I consider it to be smidgen below average.

My one talent isn't even that because when I put pen to paper, my grammar and sentence structure make my writings barely above that of peasant scrawlings.

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

I don't know, ever since high school my academic performance has been deplorable. As for what I meant about having no skills and talents, simply that, I can't recall any skill or talent that I have, I have stumbled through life without being able to do anything notable.

Hell, I have dyslexia. I could not speak a coherent sentence until I was 5. I failed grades 5, 6, 7, 8 and 11 before I dropped out / expelled. I simply could not do any of the work because I could not concentrate. I skipped numerous days to stay at home and read philosophy or play computer games.

I did get scholarship in a school for people who difficulties with traditionally school structuring, learning problems and or gifted. By far I was not the most intelligent person at the school but I managed to achieve the dux award and was valedictorian. Completion of my engineering degree I am in the top 3 students of the degree. I have the highest GPA in my mathematics degree. I write articles on various topics and occasionally get them published. Now have a job, writing a thesis and journal paper, and commenced postgraduate studies in engineering.

What changed my situation was the realisation of the specifications of how I learn. If my situation turned around so drastically, so can your's.

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

I'm sincerely glad you were able to turn yourself around. For me, that is not a guarentee(sp?). I was hoping I could have some intelligence to compensate for my numerous flaws, social anxiety/awkwardness, depression....the list goes on.

IQ is in general a great predictor of academic potential. I could be the rare individual that debunks statistics, but those statistics are heavily against me.

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

I'm sincerely glad you were able to turn yourself around. For me, that is not a guarentee(sp?). I was hoping I could have some intelligence to compensate for my numerous flaws, social anxiety/awkwardness, depression....the list goes on.

IQ is in general a great predictor of academic potential. I could be the rare individual that debunks statistics, but those statistics are heavily against me.

Before you undertook the IQ test, did you have a gauge on your intelligence?

Are you good at computer games or something niche?

Is this really about that you don't have something special to attribute to yourself in order to define the difference between you and others?

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Well, there is a difference between me and others, but from my observation it isn't a pleasant one.

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

What are your grades at school like?

 

[The Gopher]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Gosh I hate narcissists... that means I hate myself....now that doesn't work....

To be quite frank I think we lose intelligence as we go peaking around 10-12 after that we just acquire more knowledge and forget how to think. Well someone has to be an idiot. Not saying you are but not everyone can have high intelligence. Some people will be below in certain areas, and higher in others. I don't wish to be intelligent I would prefer being happy. According to you your not both. Doesn't mean you should give up just use what you have been given.

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

What are your grades at school like?

Bad...

 

[Black Rose]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

If you really want to get better results then I suggest Zen, relieves stress and balances your mental capability's.

Stress/family is the biggest reason I never got to be in collage.

This was me in 09

V - 110
Pe - 117
W - 102
Pr - 92
FSIQ - 108
GAI - 115

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Bad...

Elaborate.

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

If you really want to get better results then I suggest Zen, relieves stress and balances your mental capability's.

Stress/family is the biggest reason I never got to be in collage.

I'd rather have that than a double digit IQ. I can relate stress/family definitely makes school much, much harder for me.

To the OP, who gives a shit? If you were happy before the test, why not be happy now? You are basically letting old fart professors and cultural expectations sway your mood. Also, that crystallized intelligence score is two standard deviations up my friend, no reason to grab a noose and say goodbye just yet. Take it easy, it's just a test.

I just want to say, I wasn't "happy" before the test. Admittedly, it was probably a stupid decision to take the test in a severely depressed and somewhat anxious mental state.

Also, the score wouldn't be such a big deal, except, hey, my academic performance in HS and now even in college is desultory. Let's say I had a 4.0 GPA, took advanced honors classes, and got a 33 on the ACT, while all these things can be grasped without high intelligence, my psych could've seen my score and said "wait this isn't accurate." Well, he said it wasn't accurate, but he wasn't overly optimistic either, he simply said it wasn't representative of my intelligence.

One thing the psychologist said that was just a tad odd was when he made a comment on my processing speed index, he claimed "it's almost as if you need something intellectually stimulating to perform well" or something to that effect. But wouldn't you think most smart people would find the test stimulating in and of itself?

And while it's true that "it's just a test" it's also a test that has quite a bit of statistical and scientific backing, as you well know. Perhaps it's not completely accurate 100% of the time, but the score falls in line with all of my academic failures. You know that most scores stay within a certain range. That's not to say it won't, but chances are it'll stay within 10 or so points.

 

[ProxyAmenRa]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

One thing the psychologist said that was just a tad odd was when he made a comment on my processing speed index, he claimed "it's almost as if you need something intellectually stimulating to perform well" or something to that effect. But wouldn't you think most smart people would find the test stimulating in and of itself?

1) IQ tests are pretty damn boring.

2) Most of us only perform well in areas that we find stimulating.

 

[terraxceles]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

The fact that you recognize your shortcomings automatically sets you up for overcoming them in the long run. Many people do not, and those people do not augment very much in life. You are not an idiot if you can recognize the potential in yourself, which you are doing subconsciously; you feel bad because you think you are not living up to the mark that you set for yourself. However, this is the first step towards progression: knowing where to go. Now you only need to work hard enough to get to that point. This is entirely achievable if you know what you need to do. All you need is the willpower.



Don't worry. A number does not define your potential. You are not cursed with a life of mediocrity. It's all about recognizing one's limits and then working to overcome them. You have done the first step, now you need to work on the latter.

Best of luck!

 

[Hadoblado]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

I know this sounds cliche, but you should stop phrasing everything in the worst possible way. You have only just qualified for "a double digit IQ", and under considerably ambiguous circumstances at that. You have depression (so do I, but I'm not on a low peak atm), which, among other things, is a predisposition towards seeing the worst in every situation.

- IQ tests only measure 2-4 types of intelligence, there are at least 7, probably more.
- intelligence is an interaction between your innate potential and environmental factors. From what I can glean, your environment would not allow for you potential to be fully realised (environment in this case includes factors such as your your current mental state, including depression).
- IQ tests are designed to predict academic success, NOT the entirety of your intelligence.
- even in the worst case scenario, where your score is representative of your actual intelligence (ignoring your verbal IQ), you are still more gifted than roughly 50% of the population. Remember that the words you are using to describe yourself (such as idiot) are actually words used to define people on the IQ curve. None of these words apply to a person of 99 IQ or more.

The fact that you can't even name a single talent is indicative of how your depression is skewing your perception. It is vastly statistically improbable that you would be able to score 130 on a verbal IQ test and have zero talent(s).

I know you'll take everything here with a grain of salt. My thoughts? Take a bag, but don't allow an underlying condition to colour everything you see. You have two almost contradictory results, maybe neither of them are wrong. Have you considered something like dyslexia as a cause for this discrepancy?

One last question, is there a score that you could have received that would have made you happy?

 

[aaaw]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

The guy who first designed IQ tests was at pains to point out that they weren't a test of intelligence, but rather a way to identify people who needed special assistance - i.e. people with learning or cognitive disabilities.

I am always suprised by the number of supposedly intelligent people who believe that intelligence is one dimensional and can be reduced to a number.

 

[Melkor]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Alternatively;

Rejoice in your newfound place in the world order!

Without idiots there can be intellects, and even you can be useful!

 

[Melllvar]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Thales basically demonstrates why I think IQ tests are borderline immoral. There are really two common outcomes from them: a) doing well implies your inherently smarter than lots of people and can put aside personal responsibility for cognitive development, or b) you do poorly and are told your inherently less smart and no amount of achievement or hard work can ever change that. In case one the result is a feeling of "heh, I'm so good I don't even need to try," and in case two it's, "well there's no point in trying I'll never be as smart as the next guy." And of course no matter what your score is you'll generally always feel like it wasn't quite high enough (e.g. at 99 you still scored higher than almost half of the population.).

As far as the OP, Proxy and Trebuchet are right. Aside from the inherent flaws and bias in the tests, they only test a small range of cognitive ability, and you can easily train yourself to develop better abilities in most areas. Just don't let the test become some self-fulfilling prophesy as in the above listed scenarios.

 

[cheese]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

One thing the psychologist said that was just a tad odd was when he made a comment on my processing speed index, he claimed "it's almost as if you need something intellectually stimulating to perform well" or something to that effect.

I think they did find with some research that 'smart' people, or creative thinkers, or whatever it is, did poorly on IQ tests because they thought in a very different manner to most people and came up with novel solutions that were actually plausible, but not accounted for. Sometimes they would see options not given, or read too deeply into the question. So perhaps it's possible you overthought the simple stuff. In which case the result really wouldn't be properly representing your ability to deal with data and novel situations.

I almost always did better at advanced mathematics than basic. My teacher said I overthought the basic stuff. Obviously that's something that should also be overcome. But don't write yourself off just yet.

 

[Particle]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

IQ tests are a poor indicator of intelligence in the same way that BMI is a poor indicator of one's physical fitness. They both rely on only a couple of different metrics that don't tell the whole story.

In the case of an IQ test, it only tests a few things the creator felt to be representative of general knowledge. They have no way to pick up on the specialized skills an INTP is likely to have developed due to actually being interested. Perhaps your specialty is quantum theory or digital logic. Let's say you're one of the top five on the entire planet for one of those two due to a specialized interest. The test isn't going to reward you for it other than perhaps some sort of ancillary spillover wherein supporting skills are sometimes hit upon.

In the case of BMI, it doesn't take into account your actual build or state of fitness. You can be genuinely fit and show up as obese or score normal but be a couch potato. It doesn't really reveal much.

If you find the result to be important to you, you can always study up on the sorts of things you'll be tested on and try it again. I think you'll find your score goes up considerably if you are actively studying for an IQ test. What I imagine you'll find once you've achieved your target score, however, is that it is no longer that important to you since you'll have proven how easy it is to manipulate the test (by preparation). As a result, you will have little choice but to accept that it is not a concrete measure of a person's actual intelligence.

I suppose there's an irony in that.

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Thales basically demonstrates why I think IQ tests are borderline immoral. There are really two common outcomes from them: a) doing well implies your inherently smarter than lots of people and can put aside personal responsibility for cognitive development, or b) you do poorly and are told your inherently less smart and no amount of achievement or hard work can ever change that. In case one the result is a feeling of "heh, I'm so good I don't even need to try," and in case two it's, "well there's no point in trying I'll never be as smart as the next guy." And of course no matter what your score is you'll generally always feel like it wasn't quite high enough (e.g. at 99 you still scored higher than almost half of the population.).

As far as the OP, Proxy and Trebuchet are right. Aside from the inherent flaws and bias in the tests, they only test a small range of cognitive ability, and you can easily train yourself to develop better abilities in most areas. Just don't let the test become some self-fulfilling prophesy as in the above listed scenarios.

I've scored so well below average in processing speed and spatial reasoning that I wonder if it even makes sense to continue to go to school. Also, I'm wondering if my verbal IQ was scored incorrectly. It's unlikely my scores are that truthfully discrepant.

Even though the range of those tests are limited, culturally they are deemed as important. If I can't even meet the standards, what's the point? If I can't get a better job, I'll still be toiling in my manual labor position ten years from now. I'd rather be six feet under!

 

[snafupants]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

I'd rather have that than a double digit IQ. I can relate stress/family definitely makes school much, much harder for me.



I just want to say, I wasn't "happy" before the test. Admittedly, it was probably a stupid decision to take the test in a severely depressed and somewhat anxious mental state.

Also, the score wouldn't be such a big deal, except, hey, my academic performance in HS and now even in college is desultory. Let's say I had a 4.0 GPA, took advanced honors classes, and got a 33 on the ACT, while all these things can be grasped without high intelligence, my psych could've seen my score and said "wait this isn't accurate." Well, he said it wasn't accurate, but he wasn't overly optimistic either, he simply said it wasn't representative of my intelligence.

One thing the psychologist said that was just a tad odd was when he made a comment on my processing speed index, he claimed "it's almost as if you need something intellectually stimulating to perform well" or something to that effect. But wouldn't you think most smart people would find the test stimulating in and of itself?

And while it's true that "it's just a test" it's also a test that has quite a bit of statistical and scientific backing, as you well know. Perhaps it's not completely accurate 100% of the time, but the score falls in line with all of my academic failures. You know that most scores stay within a certain range. That's not to say it won't, but chances are it'll stay within 10 or so points.

Actually most people who get a high overall score, gifted folk, have their scores pulled down by the processing speed index. Your psychologist might have a point: that test is easily the most boring. Block design can be fun, and so can matrix reasoning, but circling those god forsaken shapes seems completely mindless. They claim it involves short term memory, and it might, bit it's an insufferable section.

Meh, the WISC-IV and WAIS-IV and WJ-III have ways of homogenizing and bringing down scores. I have talked to psychologists who complain that the WJ-III does a terrible job of differentiating near the higher end of the spectrum. For example, on one of the more challenging fluid intelligence subtests, getting four wrong out of forty odd numbers knocks your score down to a 116 on that section. Trust me, four wrong is amazing on this part that I'm thinking of and should be closer to 135 at least.

With the WAIS-IV though, you should look at the g-loadings of your scores. When a test is g-loaded that means it is heavily related to g, this theoretical concept, supposedly general intelligence. Because you did well on the VCI, a heavily g-loaded index, in my mind you have nothing to worry about. If your score on the PRI is anywhere near that good, then that negative label you have given to yourself is plain wrong.

The reason I brought up the GAI earlier is because that can be a good alternative to the FSIQ if your processing speed scores or working memory scores are lower than your verbal intelligence or fluid intelligence. The former two are not really that g-loaded, but the latter two are. In people who are more reflective - and I unfortunately don't know that much about you - the timing on the processing speed tests seriously goofs the FSIQ. You did, however, mention some anxiety, which could conceivably affect some scores, especially timed items.

Having said all of that, I don't understand when people bash a concept because they don't understand it, or the research, thoroughly enough and/or they have some prejudice against the instrument used to assess the concept. Some IQ tests are poorly designed, plain and simple. However, dismissing the underlying concept of g based on wayward test developers is throwing the baby out with the bathwater, right?

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

snafu,

I have the utmost respect for IQ. As for my score on the perceptual reasoning index, was very very low, by far my weakest section. I think I only got a 4 on Block Design, and Visual Puzzles and Matrix Reasoning were a six or seven I believe. The psych is sending me a copy of my results and it's not going on my record. I understand what you're saying about certain subtests/indexes being highly g-loaded and thus indicative of intelligence, but is it plausible some people are just statistical rarities and their high scores can be in a g-loaded section while still having a 99 IQ?

Also, my processing speed index was in the 18th percentile, of course I try to be slow and accurate as opposed to raw speed. Seriously, I feel like an idiot savant. Oh, and my working memory scores were 9, 10 (arithmetic and digit span) respectively so average I guess.

Also, I brang up the GAI to my psych and he didn't have a clue what I was talking about.

 

[Artsu Tharaz]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

>bascically

It shows.

Spoiler

Intelligence goes far beyond IQ

 

[Magnetosphere]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Tell me if you find any ways of dealing with this sort of frustration.

I had to take the WISC-III or IV when I was a couple of years younger, and ended up having an IQ of 105 or 110. My verbal IQ was around "Genius" level, give or take a few points, whilst my performance IQ was 80.

Go figure.

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Ha, at least you got into the triple digits, my friend. If I find out the root of my problem, I'll let you know.

 

[SpaceYeti]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

IQ is a statistically reliable manner of measuring a person's innate mental capabilities... and I'm confused why so many people think otherwise, but I do agree with them that it doesn't really matter. What matters most is how you think and what you do. While IQ would obviously factor into such things, it's merely a tool in your bag, not the end all and be-all of someone's existence.

And on the lighter side of things; Don't feel bad. Everyone's an idiot, just to varying degrees.

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Yeah, the relative aspects of idiocy are hardly comforting.

 

[snafupants]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

snafu,

I have the utmost respect for IQ. As for my score on the perceptual reasoning index, was very very low, by far my weakest section. I think I only got a 4 on Block Design, and Visual Puzzles and Matrix Reasoning were a six or seven I believe. The psych is sending me a copy of my results and it's not going on my record. I understand what you're saying about certain subtests/indexes being highly g-loaded and thus indicative of intelligence, but is it plausible some people are just statistical rarities and their high scores can be in a g-loaded section while still having a 99 IQ?

Also, my processing speed index was in the 18th percentile, of course I try to be slow and accurate as opposed to raw speed. Seriously, I feel like an idiot savant. Oh, and my working memory scores were 9, 10 (arithmetic and digit span) respectively so average I guess.

Also, I brang up the GAI to my psych and he didn't have a clue what I was talking about.

The GAI for the WAIS-IV definitely exists: I saw it in the manual. The description and chart take up about three pages. Tell him to look again; or perhaps for the first time.

As for your results, the Block Design test can yield extremely misleading scores if you miss the time limit on certain items since there are only a limited number of problems, and you are effectively awarded a zero for missing the cut by even a few seconds. That section sucks big time in that regard.

Find out how many items you got right without the time bonus. He definitely has this information because it is printed on the protocol, and should be part and parcel of interpreting that section of the PRI. Then again, if he didn't know what the GAI was...

You sort of elaborated on your issue with the PSI already; let me ask you this, what do you think your issue on the PRI actually was?

Oh, on that question you had about statistical rarities, absolutely! I saw someone with a validated IQ of 160 who was dyslexic, barely knew how to spell his name. John Lennon supposedly had an extremely high IQ but also was dyslexic; I think he was a high school dropout.

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Block Design, I became stuck on the 5th problem I believe and the time pressure was part of the problem, also I had a difficult time deciding how large some of the shapes I had to replicate had to be. That probably doesn't even make sense, I don't know...I became confused the psych commented he observed anxiety. I want to do the that subtest over, even if it doesn't count, just to see how far I can get without the time pressure.

About matrix reasoning/visual puzzles I believe part of it was I wasn't trying hard enough, also time limit on visual puzzles made me anxious. I wish my psych would've written a report I could've posted word for word, as I may be remembering some things inaccurately.

As to your reply about statisitical rarities, I know you were simply giving an example, but the dyslexic with an IQ of 160 probably never scored low on an IQ test previously did he?

Would it be even rarer if someone had a jump of thirty points? Has that ever been recorded? I would assume so, but I can't prove that. I mean I know roughly 99.9 percent of IQ scores don't change within 5/10 points, I can't reasonably expect mine to change. I feel like I am limited, and the amount of effort I would have to make to compensate academically would be ridiculous.

EDIT: I do believe you about the WAIS IV, although my psych said he hadn't heard of it he admitted it was possible that it existed.

 

[Black Rose]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

I can't reasonably expect mine to change. I feel like I am limited, and the amount of effort I would have to make to compensate academically would be ridiculous.

If I may ask, why do you want to go to school? What is your hobby.

If you need support family and friends could be there for you.

It should never be wrong to ask for help, Schools have programs for people with special needs is what I found out on my campus.

If you feel helpless the school could provide an assistant/counselling.

 

[Fukyo]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Stop asking for sympathy and just go and do what you want - if you realize you can't do it, drop out, you have nothing to lose, and just have to gain.

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Yeah, that was helpful.

 

[snafupants]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

As far as a score changing, psychometricians have this easy to understand concept where they say one's observed score is equal to the true score plus error - classical test theory. The observed score in this case is 99 and that is the product of the true score (your underlying intelligence) and error - error could be anything that distorts your true score, from anxiety with the timing to your psychologist's incompetence in administration to the sound of the fan in the room distracting you during the test.

When you are given an IQ you should also be given a confidence interval related to that score. These are usually 68, 90, and 95% percent confidence intervals on IQ tests. This basically means that there is a, say, 90% chance that your "true" score lies between two numbers. For your score, and this is an educated guess, the 90% confidence interval would be 95-104 maybe. Low scores tend to have the second number closer to the mean and high scores tend to have the first number closer to the mean due to regression toward the mean.

All regression to the mean is saying is that a score far from the average, in this case 100, would be apt to be closer to the mean on second administration. Basically, for you this would mean if you redid some tests that you did poorly on, you would probably do better on those tests - i.e., closer to average on the perceptual reasoning index subtests. Sometimes though it is hard to say whether coming closer to the mean is because of true regression toward the mean or exposure to the test or procedure.

However, you can apply this same concept to essentially anything. For example, someone flies around a racetrack and sets a lap record - their second time is probably not going to be as good - i.e., it will drift back towards the mean. You could apply this to anything though, from ice cream cones sold in one month (a record for vanilla!) to a record setting number of Toby Keith albums. The next one ain't going to be that good. Basically, if you are winning at something, you would do well to quit immediately!

 

[EditorOne]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

Thales, stop working yourself up over this.

I hated the mathematical word questions. "If a car is traveling from Dubuque to Cedar Rapids and a plane is flying to Antartica, when does the 8:01 train leave Philly?" Yeah, ok, a joke, but I'd always have to fight like hell to stay focused instead of wandering off and wondering why anyone not demented would want to go to Cedar Rapids. Convention of Rotarians? Sale on bow ties?

 

[Thales]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

I suppose I'm asking if it is possible for someone's IQ to increase 30 points. From what you're saying in my case it is unlikely.

 

[Magnetosphere]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

hur dur dur

 

[Black Rose]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

I'd always have to fight like hell to stay focused instead of wandering off and wondering why anyone not demented would want to go to Cedar Rapids.

​

YouTube - Cedar Rapids Movie Trailer Official (HD)

 

[SpaceYeti]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

I suppose I'm asking if it is possible for someone's IQ to increase 30 points. From what you're saying in my case it is unlikely.

If this test result was a fluke, then yes. If the next test you take results in a fluke, yes. If neither this nor the next test result in flukes, no.

 

[snafupants]

Re: I just found out I'm bascically an idiot

I suppose I'm asking if it is possible for someone's IQ to increase 30 points. From what you're saying in my case it is unlikely.

Here's the thing, the subtest scores have a mean of 10 and a standard deviation of 3. Essentially what would have to happen is a 4 standard deviation swing on many of the subtests you did most poorly on while maintaining your admittedly high verbal index score.

The whole exercise of attempting to do so would be an enormous waste of time though. You would work under the idea that somehow achieving a higher score would fulfill you in some way, when it's just a score.

It's the same with an old dude lusting after a car or a woman or something and then he gets that car and he's still dissatisfied. Perhaps he is more dissatisfied because he wasted his time, and didn't understand himself. My advice is to carry on with your life.