If IQ is the benchmark for intelligence today, other factors, often overlooked, are just as essential to our success.
Whether in common parlance, among psychology experts or in the media, IQ has become the gold standard for intelligence. On Google, the keywords “IQ” or “IQ test” are among the most popular and you can give your iq test on iq-global-test.com. The Central Test Research & Development team offers you an overview of the strengths and limitations of IQ, as well as its relative impact on professional success.
Key points:
- Intelligence is complex. Two conceptions of intelligence clash, one unitary, centere
d on the general factor of intelligence, and the other multiple.
- IQ is the main indicator of intelligence recognized internationally with a calibrated score.
- Academic and professional performance is correlated with IQ up to a certain level beyond which other factors play a more important role.
- For Central Test, which is present in many countries, IQ tests only represent 8% of tests administered in 2011. Typically, HR uses a combination of tests.
- IQ plays a lesser role in the success of certain tasks, even certain professions, compared to other capacities such as the Emotional Quotient (EQ), creativity, language, methodological thinking, critical thinking, intuition and the global vision.
The complexity of intelligence
Psychologists agree in defining intelligence as the overall capacity to act intentionally, to think rationally and to adapt effectively to one’s environment.
Some psychologists like Charles Spearman favor a unitary approach to intelligence, in which the general intelligence factor, measured by IQ, is the common denominator, with specific skills such as logical, spatial, verbal or numerical intelligence.
Other psychologists put forward a multiple and differentiated approach to intelligence such as Howard Gardner (according to which there are 8 types of intelligence: spatial, verbal, kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, inter-personal, intra-personal, musical and ecological) or Robert Sternberg (analytical intelligence,
without doubt, these approaches are reconcilable. Intelligence is complex and we are still far from having discovered all its subtlety. The combined progress of psychology and neuroscience will help us do this.
What is IQ?
A common way to measure intelligence is to use IQ. The first IQ tests were developed by French psychologist Alfred Banet in 1904 in order to identify children who may be at risk for academic difficulty. This methodology was taken up a few years later by American researchers (HH Goddard, Lewis M. Terming) with the aim of generalizing the evaluation of intelligence, by positioning an individual in relation to his reference population. Thus, the Standord-Binet and Wechsler intelligence scales would become the standards for IQ testing for decades and give rise to a veritable industry for the assessment of intellectual abilities.
IQ tests assess cognitive skills such as logical, verbal and numerical reasoning (see for example the Test of Reasoning). By convention, IQ scores, resulting from specific skill scores, are converted to a scale with an average of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Thus, approximately 95% of the population has a score between two standard deviations. , i.e. between 70 and 130.
What determines a low or high IQ? This question has been debated for a long time between psychologists, sociologists and education specialists. Today there is a consensus that the IQ is determined in children by the interaction between heredity and the environment. In adults, there are high correlations between IQ and educational level, as well as occupation.
IQ and performance
Even today, most people consider IQ to be the only benchmark when it comes to intelligence and ability. However, this is far from the case! Recent scientific research shows that while IQ is correlated with performance at work or in school, this correlation is not linear. Performance increases with IQ up to a certain level but this performance then correlates more with other factors such as personality, motivations or emotional intelligence.
In addition, the contribution of the general intelligence of an individual on the performance and cohesion of a group is only weak or nonexistent, unlike emotional intelligence and social sensitivity, according to one study conducted by Anita Woolley of Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania), published September 30, 2010 in Science.
IQ tests in business
What about IQ tests used in business? For Central Test, one of the European leaders in psychometric tests, IQ tests represent only 8% of the tests taken by its 3,500 HR clients worldwide. Personality tests, making it possible to analyze the psychological profile and its suitability in relation to benchmark positions, represent more than 60% in volume of tests taken in 2011 to date, followed by potential tests in management and sales. .
IQ tests are more particularly administered for junior profiles. Emotional intelligence tests, more common among executives, represent about 5% of the tests administered. Typically, companies use a combination of personality and aptitude tests to assess potential for
Other faculties, beyond IQ
There are many models claiming to represent all intellectual faculties. It is certain that we have inherited many skills, useful to our achievements, other than our logical reasoning. Note also that IQ tests call on our reasoning in a structured environment, in this case via given problems where there is only one correct answer. Therefore, the IQ does not take into account our behavior in an unstructured environment, which would correspond better to lived reality.
Here are some factors relevant to professional performance.
Emotional intelligence: This concept of Anglo-Saxon origin defines the ability to identify and manage emotions. It can be measured, on the same basis as the IQ, via the “Emotional Quotient” (or EQ) which is the common denominator of emotional faculties. Less known and yet just as important, emotional intelligence is beginning to make its place in HR processes.
Creativity: It is knowing how to think outside the box, find different, unconventional paths. But it’s not just about finding original ideas. Before Archimedes could shout Eureka, he had to ask himself the right question. In other words, to find innovative solutions, you have to be able to set a goal and question yourself by seeing things from a different, new angle.
Language: Language brings together complex faculties such as comprehension, writing or the art of improvisation and speech. The “verbal intelligence” factor as measured in intelligence tests only measures a tiny part of our communication skills.
Methodological reflection: This ability consists in wondering about the best way to proceed in the resolution of a problem. It can be assessed by simulations. For example, an engineer is asked to develop a simple program to calculate an addition and an average from a list of numbers. The “methodical” engineer will develop a generic program and will use the “addition” or “average” function as a variable. The “non-methodical” engineer will duplicate the program for the addition and the average, which implies more restrictive management of the program thereafter.
Critical Thinking: Critical thinking is related to IQ but goes beyond it. It is about having a judgment on what to believe or do in response to a complex situation, observations or arguments. The General Analytical Aptitude Test (GAAT), published by Central Test, assesses a candidate’s critical thinking skills, with guaranteed destabilization for candidates already over trained in IQ tests.
Intuition: Intuition is still little studied, but it is certain that our brain is endowed with still unsuspected capacities. Our unconscious records information from our environment and can suddenly act on our consciousness by giving an alert on a particular danger. Intuition is essential in many professions, whether with a salesperson or a journalist, for example, who will gauge the credibility of information before verifying it.
Global vision: It is the ability to appreciate a situation as a whole, with sufficient hindsight. For example, a manager with a good global vision keeps goals and strategy in mind. He knows how to integrate different approaches and points of view (financial, technical, commercial …) to make a synthesis and facilitate his decision-making.
The tools published by Central Test make it possible to assess some of these capacities such as emotional intelligence and critical thinking. Other abilities like creativity or global vision are analyzed through personality tests. Despite the panoply of existing tools, we still have a long way to go before we know and know how to scientifically assess skills such as creativity, intuition, organization, language, and even certain aspects. Of emotional intelligence. It is a real challenge for our R&D team.
