IQ is supposed to measure intelligence, but does it? Head to https://brilliant.org/veritasium to start your free 30-day trial, and the first 200 people get 20% off an annual premium subscription.
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A huge thank you to Emeritus Professor Cecil R. Reynolds and Dr. Stuart J. Ritchie for their expertise and time.
Also a massive thank you to Prof. Steven Piantadosi and Prof. Alan S. Kaufman for helping us understand this complicated topic. As well as to Jay Zagrosky from Boston University's Questrom School of Business for providing data from his study.
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References:
Kaufman, A. S. (2009). IQ testing 101. Springer Publishing Company.
Reynolds, C. R., & Livingston, R. A. (2021). Mastering modern psychological testing. Springer International Publishing.
Ritchie, S. (2015). Intelligence: All that matters. John Murray.
Spearman, C. (1961). " General Intelligence" Objectively Determined and Measured. - https://ve42.co/Spearman1904
Binet, A., & Simon, T. (1907). Le développement de l'intelligence chez les enfants. L'Année psychologique, 14(1), 1-94.. - https://ve42.co/Binet1907
Intelligence Quotient, Wikipedia - https://ve42.co/IQWiki
Radiolab Presents: G. - https://ve42.co/RadioLabG
McDaniel, M. A. (2005). Big-brained people are smarter: A meta-analysis of the relationship between in vivo brain volume and intelligence. Intelligence, 33(4), 337-346. - https://ve42.co/McDaniel2005
Deary, I. J., Strand, S., Smith, P., & Fernandes, C. (2007). Intelligence and educational achievement. Intelligence, 35(1), 13-21. - https://ve42.co/Deary2007
Lozano-Blasco, R., Quílez-Robres, A., Usán, P., Salavera, C., & Casanovas-López, R. (2022). Types of Intelligence and Academic Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Intelligence, 10(4), 123. - https://ve42.co/Blasco2022
Kuncel, N. R., & Hezlett, S. A. (2010). Fact and fiction in cognitive ability testing for admissions and hiring decisions. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 19(6), 339-345. - https://ve42.co/Kuncel2010
Laurence, J. H., & Ramsberger, P. F. (1991). Low-aptitude men in the military: Who profits, who pays?. Praeger Publishers. - https://ve42.co/Laurence1991
Gregory, H. (2015). McNamara's Folly: The Use of Low-IQ Troops in the Vietnam War; Plus the Induction of Unfit Men, Criminals, and Misfits. Infinity Publishing.
Gottfredson, L. S., & Deary, I. J. (2004). Intelligence predicts health and longevity, but why?. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13(1), 1-4. - https://ve42.co/Gottfredson2004
Sanchez-Izquierdo, M., Fernandez-Ballesteros, R., Valeriano-Lorenzo, E. L., & Botella, J. (2023). Intelligence and life expectancy in late adulthood: A meta-analysis. Intelligence, 98, 101738. - https://ve42.co/Izquierdo2023
Zagorsky, J. L. (2007). Do you have to be smart to be rich? The impact of IQ on wealth, income and financial distress. Intelligence, 35(5), 489-501. - https://ve42.co/Zagorsky2007
Strenze, T. (2007). Intelligence and socioeconomic success: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal research. Intelligence, 35(5), 401-426. - https://ve42.co/Strenze2007
Deary, I. J., Pattie, A., & Starr, J. M. (2013). The stability of intelligence from age 11 to age 90 years: the Lothian birth cohort of 1921. Psychological science, 24(12), 2361-2368. - https://ve42.co/Deary2013
Flynn, J. R. (1987). Massive IQ gains in 14 nations: What IQ tests really measure. Psychological bulletin, 101(2), 171. - https://ve42.co/Flynn1987
Why our IQ levels are higher than our grandparents' | James Flynn, TED via YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vpqilhW9uI
Duckworth, A. L., Quinn, P. D., Lynam, D. R., Loeber, R., & Stouthamer-Loeber, M. (2011). Role of test motivation in intelligence testing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(19), 7716-7720. - https://ve42.co/Duckworth2011
Kulik, J. A., Bangert-Drowns, R. L., & Kulik, C. L. C. (1984). Effectiveness of coaching for aptitude tests. Psychological Bulletin, 95(2), 179. - https://ve42.co/Kulik1984
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Written by Derek Muller, Casper Mebius, & Petr Lebedev
Edited by Trenton Oliver
Filmed by Derek Muller, Han Evans, & Raquel Nuno
Animation by Fabio Albertelli & Ivy Tello
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Produced by Derek Muller, Casper Mebius, & Han Evans
If he did a surprise IQ test like they did in school, he would definitely be more relaxed, maybe his IQ would reach 160 😅
@goldenrules5697 Says:
Curious to know his IQ, finally watched the whole video
@swish1onu Says:
Had he scored 100 he'd have never posted the video... Sorry to spoil the video for those invested in the potential tension of him getting a low score
@traewatkins931 Says:
Whenever anyone starts bragging about their IQ I always say "My 'I Will' is greater than your 'IQ'"
@tonyclifton265 Says:
"moron", "idiot", "imbecile" used to be scientific terms lol
@ShivaShaktification Says:
Of COURSE he makes a video bragging about his 134 IQ
@ThomasWBaldwin Says:
5Q + 5Q = 10Q. You're welcome.
@ThomasWBaldwin Says:
2Q + 2Q = 4Q. there.
@shubus Says:
I'm still stuck at 25:31 as intended, I'm sure!
@gw7624 Says:
12:51 C
@hanahnff Says:
22:08
@authenticnaturalstuff7818 Says:
Now you interpreted Hawkins sentence by twisting it which suits your own agenda , that’s a new low .
@authenticnaturalstuff7818 Says:
Just leave these people in the bush for few decades and that’ll reduce their IQ because these testes measure the school education and environment exposure rather than the intelligence.
@ilonggoengr Says:
Usyd!
@iforgot8376 Says:
I took an informal IQ test once, from a psychologist. He asked about 20 questions, then said “you probably have a genius IQ.” I was like “you got that from just those questions?” Then he said “oh it’s really common in people with ADHD and autism.”
I was there for an ADHD assessment.
@inkbythebarrelandpaperbyth6905 Says:
Just remember gentlemen, your girlfriend bases her attractiveness of you and any other man on your own score.
Not.
@kimbersal1 Says:
When I joined the military, they had a test called the ASVAB, which stands for armed services vocational aptitude battery. Apparently, I did quite well and was given an IQ test. The results of that test gave me a score of 141. I was pushed towards flight school, but my correctable vision prevented that. I’ve never put much stock in that number as I believe that there are potentially many contributing factors. With an “IQ” of 141, one would think that I’m a genius, but no. I’ve never seen it that way at all. Physics equations make me go cross-eyed and make my brain itch, for example. Throughout my life it’s always been obvious to me that I am smarter than the average bear, but genius? I’m not so sure about that. Multiple studies notwithstanding, I also believe that as one gets older with more life experiences, one would tend to do better as well. I’ve certainly never bragged about it because I don’t believe that it truly measures things in life that actually matter. Interesting video, though.
@ComradeTrotsky1017 Says:
If Paul McCartney scored 100 on an IQ test, would we think of him as less of a genius?
IQ tests do not encompass the genius one has in their chosen field of expression/employment. I've noticed that the only people who defend IQ test scores are those that score high on them. Let us not forget that "genius" as a word is generally subjective. Beethoven, largely considered a genius by incredibly intelligent and important people, struggled with BASIC arithmetic - and left school at a young age without fully learning multiplication and division.
In the words of Stephen Hawking at the beginning of this video, "People who boast about their IQ are losers"
@RaffaelloLorenzusSayde Says:
I hate IQs because they test how dumb someone must be.
@jamesn7305 Says:
IQ tests are obsolete. It doesn't prove intelligence and is biased because it ignores creativity and empathy
@W3c16B Says:
I can guarantee I will live longer, alone than together with my X...
Ehen that is said, wish I coukd find s woman to live with, but after 22 years of endless dating sites, snd sll kind of other things, I have realize I properly is too ugly or something and have given up..😢😢
@Somestuff_oderso Says:
My brother has an a bit below average IQ, and he is the most hardworking, passionate guy I know, I really andmire him.
I have a really high one, and haven’t achieved anything meaningful in my life. IQ says nothing about people, it’s about how you treat other people and about doing something meaningful.
@kctechie Says:
Mine was 143 when i was young. I'm 66 now and took another a couple years ago and got 138. I'm not sure what it means to everyone else but to me it means I'm good at iq tests, which in my opinion is mostly visual, looking for patterns. I also can, and need to, hyper focus. This helps me learn, helps me stubbornly problem solve. At 66 i can also say it doesn't make me great at everything, it didn't give me ambition or great coping skills. It didn't guarantee success in life. I do like learning. I also like learning on my own and not having a teacher set my pace. I need to be alone to focus.
@firstlast-gr9xs Says:
I’m terrible at picking coconuts … , so don’t test me on that … yet we know most of the 100m runners are from Jamaica, marathon runners from east Africa, science noble prize winners are European men … etc
@Fuliginosus Says:
My IQ may be low, but I've read 'Black Beauty' from cover to cover!
@bobfenz3184 Says:
When I got married in the 1970s to my first wife I had to attest that I was not an imbecile. Well three years later, I realized I was.
@ZeroZmm Says:
Growing up I had to go to psychologists and psychiatrists a bunch and a couple gave me IQ tests. One of them pissed me off tho, it included history and stuff like "who wrote this book".. that's stupid, like I know they are probably basing it on a standard of general population knowledge, but how does knowledge of something I've probably never been exposed to reflect actual intelligence?
@jamespriest9658 Says:
ability to focus.. useless without apeture.
from 2nd grade until freshman year at Cornell tested maybe a half dozen times.
up 5 down 5 no real change. will never take another
suicide, depression, a plethora of mental disorders ate common without apeture.
@gyanprakashraj4062 Says:
D GRADES STUPIDS....
@altagraciarodriguez182 Says:
EQ versus I
@billwrinkle9662 Says:
There are 4 major parts of a person that determine how well that person does in society, and each major part has 4 aspects. Some of those aspects you are born with, others can be learned, but they are:
1. BRAIN POWERS:
A. Intelligence (learning, analyzing)
B. Knowledge (education, experience)
C. Wisdom (judgement, logic)
D. Creativity (originality, cleverness)
2. DISCIPLINE SKILLS:
A. Initiative/Passion
B. Persistence/Resilience
C. Efficiency/Adaptability
D. Precaution/Common sense
3. SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL STATE:
A. Merciful v. uncaring
B. Empathic v. shallow
C. Reliable v. dishonest
D. Open-minded v. biased
4. INFLUENCE/CHARISMA TRAITS:
A. Appearance/attractiveness
B. Confidence/ego
C. Communication/motivation
D. Mojo, Cool, Hip, Trendy, Noticeable
So yeah: An IQ test measures Intelligence... 1/16th of everything that determines a person's value to society. It's not particularly useful in determining outcomes, especially when all 16 of these aspects can be targeted for any life purpose whose outcomes and successes may not be measured by the traditional determinants of success, such as money, fame, and power.
Also, just to add, obviously things such as (1) wealth/lineage/social status, (2) nationality, ethnicity, religion, and gender, and (3) access to opportunities are even greater determinants than the items above. Finally, I intentionally omit complicating/distracting factors such as physical skills and strength, or sexuality and morals from the equation.
@timk5867 Says:
It’s funny how most in this comment section use a lot of Proper words like they want to sound intelligent.
@theRevVA32 Says:
IQ certainly doesn't tell you how your life will turn out. In high school I scored 139 and 143 on the 2 official tests I took. I also scored 13 something out of 1600 on the pSAT. I never made it to the final SAT because at age 16 I was put on Xanax due to the difficulty I was having managing my brain's vociferous nature. That quelling of the anxiety and storm that was in my head was something I loved and that was a problem. It also took away anxiety about things one should feel anxious about.. Mainly trying other drugs etc. Had a car wreck, cracked a rib, got some oxys, and everything that's happened since has been completely changed and dominated by Opiates. My crowning achievement from a career aspect is Assistant Manager of a McDonald's.. Eventually after years of managing it (opioid dependency) with buprenorphine etc. Fentanyl hit the streets of my small town in Appalachia and I spent 2023 injecting that multiple times a day. Been clean off of the Fentanyl since October 23' but still have no idea how to use my IQ or even begin to find ANY job where I can use my mind instead of my body (which is failing quickly) to earn a living and provide any value to myself or society. I only tell this story in hopes some high IQ teen may see my story and avoid my mistakes.
@LukeyDaLegend Says:
its hilarious that he thinks hes only just above average intelligence. could you imagine if the average person had the intelligence of veritasium the world would be an amazing place
@bca-biciclindcuaxel7527 Says:
32:37 ohhh yeahhh...Stephen Hawking, the poster boy of winners :D
@bca-biciclindcuaxel7527 Says:
High IQ is very important ! When your IQ is high, it will protect you from getting married ! :))
@bca-biciclindcuaxel7527 Says:
My IQ is 142, I did the best in my class, finished an UNI in Electrical Engineering and since I am smarter than the avg, I decided to live my life and not work for those suckers ! Life is short ! :D
@MustafaAwde Says:
I estimated my iq would be 120 so I was pleasantly surprised when I got my 135 score
@tator4209 Says:
I know you won’t see this. Even if I wish you would. I think you might benefit from what I’m saying.
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
I feel you 100% missed the point of the test. As you said it’s made to find the general knowledge.
Not memorized knowledge as with the SAT and ACT. Those are not IQ tests!
I believe you hit exactly on what the point, or how the tests work, and you listed these things at 27 minutes.
You say these are what makes the test invalid. But I believe that’s the whole point of the test.
So by you pretesting the night before. You were in fact, actually cheating. Making your score invalid.
And by making this video. You completely ruined the chance of getting an accurate number for anyone watching.
The test is made to measure your “in the moment” knowledge. How well your brain can adjust. And react to not understanding something right away.
How fast your brain can work something out.
It’s this that makes IQ important. It tells us how well we CAN do in life.
I believe that it’s. Way more important for a person to go in with zero knowledge on how the test works.
Knowledge of facts only tells you how well your memory is. Not that it is t important. It is. It that’s not what the test is for.
Thanks!
@joeTheN Says:
I always defined "IQ" as "Interest Quotient" meaning interest in the things that IQ tests use for measurements. When interested in intellectual things, then the intellectual things of "Intelligence Quotient" tests are much easier. But that is all the tests measure - intellectual curiosity in various high-minding thinking and scholarly things. Common sense, drive, ability to take advantage of opportunities (or make them, actually) - success is spelled by far more things than "brains". Indeed, "How do you define success." is a common employment interview question. Which helps judge how rounded a candidate is in day-to-day necessities. "A good family life" is an entirely valid and very telling response.
@wnooby2626 Says:
i am awful in english but i am a top tier student in STEM subjects
@nicoleibundgut534 Says:
I measured 102 average with ranges up to 109. What i would be interested how adhd impacts results since i was unmedicated at the tests.
@marloelefant7500 Says:
I think a lot also comes down to motivation for studying, not necessarily actual intelligence.
@paulroundy8060 Says:
The Flynn effect isn't just cultural, e.g., maternal nutrition is better now. Mothers are also more likely to avoid harmful substances during pregnancy. Iodine deficiency in childhood massively diminishes intelligence.
@truxton1000 Says:
Some say IQ “does not matter”. But everything around us tells us the opposite. Just look at the average IQ levels in different countries, the higher average IQ levels the better the country in general be. For example an average country in Africa the average IQ is 70, something that would be classed as a disability in countries with average IQ of 100-110. So we can see the result of this just by travelling from country to country in Africa.
@tequila852 Says:
heh super funny only people above average always takking about this IQ test and saying how it doesnt mather
@sebastionhawk5565 Says:
This video talks abut eugenesists, however, it does not illustrate that phenomenon in a complete manner. EUgenics did not only inspire and cause the inspiration and resulting promulgation of sterilization of low IQ people, but, was used for something even more sinister, with efforts of removing low IQ people from the population. Margaret Sanger was the founder of Planned Parenthood. Sanger was an integral impetus in implementing mass abortion of black children in the inner cities of america. It was racially-based, and, Sanger was successful in politically courting baptist black ministers to advocate for the abortions of black babies. If you doubt the validity of this, DO THE RESEARCH, and, fully observe and assess the words and actions of Sanger, and, the result that has lasted for many decades.
@tartyman1 Says:
This video got recommended to me the second I got home and opened YouTube, it heard that my ELA class is studying this topic
@zacharyatchley5049 Says:
When I was a young kid my school district forced kids to take IQ tests to group them into "Advanced" and "Normal" or General. This school district switched your schools depending on your IQ and I think it is a really bad idea. My test said I was in the 160's but what I found was telling a young child they are a genius is a horrible idea because all IQ is, is how well you can see and use information not how smart you are, so kids slack off and learn worse and don't go as far when you force them to be smart.
@StopProject2025 Says:
Just a reminder that you are ALL smart in your own way and that you all contribute something unique and beautiful to our world. ❤
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