Measuring Intelligence Online
Intelligence has been widely defined as the mental ability that enables one to respond to alternating and new situations in a way that demonstrates obvious learning, understanding, problem solving, and abstract thinking capabilities (Carter, 2011). Overtime, many tests have emerged online which aim at measuring the Intelligence Quotient of a person, as one of the parameters of determining one’s intelligence. IQ is a number that directly correlates to intelligence, and such tests have corroborated a cluster of scores up to 100, on which people are graded.
The three IQ tests taken online were a real taste of intelligence queries that adequately jogged my mind, and made me feel like my intelligence was plainly at work. The first test which was taken from the High IQ Society website involved the use of visuals and pictorials, whose main challenge was to identify the sequence of arrangements. This test almost applied the same criteria as that of sequencing in Math, but the real challenge was the timeframe, where I was required to identify and comprehend the arrangement within 20 seconds. It tested the ability of an individual to see, and interpret pictures, as well as comprehending the sequencing. Secondly, the IQ Test website offered a unique set of phrasal tests, asking simple but very challenging questions. More often than not, it centered on the questions that people usually take for granted, while some involved literal counting and guessing. As opposed to the first IQ test, these set of questions offered a chance to think deeply, though within a very short timeframe, and come up with the correct answer. Lastly, the Multiple Intelligence tests involved several choices, as opposed to the latter, which only had two options of either true or false. This required one to critically think of the situation presented and then chooses among the presented possible answers. Cumulatively, these tests presented an opportunity to put my intelligence at work on a simple but very tasking scale.
As expected, the outcomes of the tests were not common and similar across the board; rather each test rated me differently along the scale of 100 scores. This could be because each test was set to examine a different variable of the IQ, where one interconnected the relationship between visual acuity and interpretations of things observed, while another tested the ability of an individual to thin critically and make correct guesses. The timeframe provided for the tests might have also significantly contributed to the variation of the results, where one test penalized any delay in time, while the other did not. As result, even if one had put in the correct answer, the score could come down due to time constraint. Thus, the scores attained from these three tests might have been functions of time, visual interpretation, comprehension of the English language, social status, and knowledge of other subjects such as math (Carter, 2011).
It is true that numerous websites have come up which offer these online IQ tests. The real question is: are they valid? On visiting the websites, one would usually ask about their authenticity, especially those that ask for fiscal payments before they can release the results. As for the High IQ society website, the tests offered have either been labeled as certified, or a brief history about them has been provided to give an individual the notion that they can be trusted. In essence, the website maintains that it was only founded from the joint effort of individuals with top IQs among five percent of the population. This declaration is very serves to give one the hope and trust of validity that the results from the tests would be authentic. The IQ Test website has included a statement that its tests have been designed by PhD holders, and are all statistically sound. In addition, they provide a link to the statistical and graphical explanation of every test taken, which is a show of validity and authenticity. Lastly, the Multiple Intelligence website has also included authenticity statements by indicating that the tests included therein have all been tried and proven, and a comparison chart is also provided to help a client gauge himself with other variables.
Comparatively, the IQ Test website offered more valid tests than the other two. As opposed to the High IQ Society website, it provided logical questions that required critical thinking and jogging of the mind. With its two-choice answers, it presented a tricky and challenging platform where one had to decide between two seemingly correct answers. In this case, one could only be either wrong or right, which is a valid measure of intelligence. To crown it all, the website provides a certificate at the close of the test.
All said and done, intelligence tests have been widely proven to have a close relationship with success in a myriad of life events. Generally, these tests reveal that individuals with high IQ has a better chance of finishing higher levels of education faster and more successfully as opposed to the one with low IQ, not mentioning other aspects of life such as health, criminal records, and job performance (Carter, 2011). While IQ tests are important for testing intelligence, research has revealed that they do not entirely measure a person’s intelligence, since this depends on a number of variables. These tests are also subject to interferences and limitations such as social statuses, cultural difference, and language proficiency among others. As such, they might give misleading results, since Carter (2011) suggests that a number of exams are actually needed to accurately measure an individual’s intelligence.
Reference
Carter, P. J. (2011). IQ and Psychometric Tests : Assess Your Personality, Aptitude and Intelligence. London: Kogan Page.