On Fri, 9 Feb 2007, John Thornton wrote:
> IQ scores test only how well you did on a specific type of test when
> compared to others. Nothing more.
> I think lots of people know their score. I have taken a Stanford Binet
> test 3 times. Once in grade school.
> It's no more indicative of anything than an SAT. Actually your SAT has
> more bearing on your life than your IQ score.
> I don't know why anyone would lie about their test score either. To what
> end?
> Hell, I was eligible to join Mensa and look at what a mess I am! IQ
> tests aren't exactly a joke but they are not a measure of much either.
>
> John Thornton
I'm no fan of IQ tests, but they are valid predictors of school performance and job performance in "white collar" professions (e.g., law, medicine). I agree wholeheartedly that the Stanford-Binet and the WAIS are not valid measures of "general mental ability", as the proponents claim; there are many types of intelligent behavior that IQ tests do not assess. However, IQ tests are valid predictors of "book smarts" and excellence in domains that require "book smarts".
Miles