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I think the way to understand IQ scores is that they are proxies for measuring general intelligence (general intelligence being ability to solve novel, abstract

I think the way to understand IQ scores is that they are proxies for measuring general intelligence (general intelligence being ability to solve novel, abstract cognitive problems). The art of designing an IQ test is in making it as good as proxy as possible. Usually this is done by either testing stuff that everyone has exposure too under a time limit (general knowledge, basic math, vocab) or by testing stuff that people generally don't spend time practicing (Raven's matrices). But if a person deliberately tries to cram for an IQ test, they may increase their score, without increasing their general intelligence. And so with any policy that increases IQ scores, you have to try and figure out if it really increased general intelligence, or just increased their familiarity with the kinds of questions that appear on an IQ test. This can be tricky to figure out.

aaron695 10y ago
From other quotes/pdf "The measure of IQ used in the analysis was obtained from tests of cognitive ability administered by the Norwegian military to all draft-eligible men at approximately the age of 19 y as part of the universal military draft in Norway. " So they weren't even IQ tests. So there are issues with the results, but the results as they stand seem to contradict current understanding. Is the pdf significant or not? You'd need an expert to say.
gohrt 10y ago
Also, "general intelligence" ("G) is a hypothesized abstract concept, not well-defined. The non-existence of a non-gameable IQ test shows that G is not well defined.
lostboys67 10y ago
IQ tests really need to be take cold with no cramming before hand.
- mcv 10y ago
  That would mean only your first IQ test ever can be meaningful. Every IQ test also teaches you a bit about the kind of thing IQ tests are looking for. I don't think any kind of a training is ever going to get you more than 10 points extra, but I'd be very surprised if at least a few points isn't doable. There's also the fact that IQ tests need to be designed for a specific culture. Taking an IQ test for a very different culture is likely to cost you a couple of points. They're unavoidably subjective.
  - cabalamat 10y ago
    > I don't think any kind of a training is ever going to get you more than 10 points extra I think it could easily be a lot more than 10 points. I once (ages ago) did an IQ test from a book and then 2 days later did another test from the same book and scored 27 points higher. From this I concluded that either I had become vastly cleverer over those 2 days or that IQ tests weren't a good measure of intelligence.

aaron695 10y ago

From other quotes/pdf "The measure of IQ used in the analysis was obtained from tests of cognitive ability administered by the Norwegian military to all draft-eligible men at approximately the age of 19 y as part of the universal military draft in Norway. " So they weren't even IQ tests. So there are issues with the results, but the results as they stand seem to contradict current understanding. Is the pdf significant or not? You'd need an expert to say.

gohrt 10y ago

Also, "general intelligence" ("G) is a hypothesized abstract concept, not well-defined. The non-existence of a non-gameable IQ test shows that G is not well defined.

lostboys67 10y ago

IQ tests really need to be take cold with no cramming before hand.

mcv 10y ago
That would mean only your first IQ test ever can be meaningful. Every IQ test also teaches you a bit about the kind of thing IQ tests are looking for. I don't think any kind of a training is ever going to get you more than 10 points extra, but I'd be very surprised if at least a few points isn't doable. There's also the fact that IQ tests need to be designed for a specific culture. Taking an IQ test for a very different culture is likely to cost you a couple of points. They're unavoidably subjective.
- cabalamat 10y ago
  > I don't think any kind of a training is ever going to get you more than 10 points extra I think it could easily be a lot more than 10 points. I once (ages ago) did an IQ test from a book and then 2 days later did another test from the same book and scored 27 points higher. From this I concluded that either I had become vastly cleverer over those 2 days or that IQ tests weren't a good measure of intelligence.