During the presidential campaign, I saw a lot of online ads like the above--inviting viewers to test their IQ and measure it against that of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, John McCain, Sarah Palin, or George W. Bush. If the ads are to be believed, each of these politicians has an IQ well above 100 (which is, by definition, the average IQ score). None of these results, I'm certain, is based on any kind of accurate reporting--where would you obtain the presidential candidates' IQ scores? (Googling "president's IQ," the top results had to do with a recent hoax: see http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/presiq.asp if interested. This doesn't appear to be the source of the advertising figures, though.)
The American public's presumed fascination about leaders' IQ brings to mind several questions:
- Do most people believe that IQ is an accurate measure of one's intelligence? (This is scientifically controversial, as we'll see in upcoming readings this quarter.)
- Do most people believe that a more intelligent president would be a better president? On the other hand, are there people who would prefer a president who is not too intelligent?
- Why do the ads focus on presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as opposed to other celebrities?
What do you think about IQ? Is it a concept of interest? Have you ever wanted to have your IQ tested? What do you think the results might tell you?
3 comments:
I'm not sure how much I trust IQ, but I am curious to know mine. Even if it isn't a completely accurate test, it's a popular one so you can still compare yourself to others.
I think intlelligence is an important thing in a president. He is the leader of our country. We want someone with intelligence in the white house.
I think it would be interesting to know the IQ of some celeberities, but as a nation, we don't really care that much if a celebrity is intelligent as long as they can act/sing/be funny etc... It's a little more important that a president is smart.
Do most people believe that IQ is an accurate measure of one's intelligence?
Persoanlyy, i don't think Iq really accruately discribes ones real knowlege..i've seen these things before and they seem overly basic..if you can get patterns, history, and some math right, your smart. It doesn't account for accuried "knowledge" of the world either.
Do most people believe that a more intelligent president would be a better president? On the other hand, are there people who would prefer a president who is not too intelligent?
I think most people want to think the president is intellegent..how else can he run the us? but at the same time i would think it would be better if he had more smarts in dealing with people and coming up with ideas..which doesn't always come w/college or any other learning sometimes.
Why do the ads focus on presidential and vice-presidential candidates, as opposed to other celebrities?
I think this is just because this is a person who will be making/creating a lot of big descions if voted into office for the next 4 years or so.
The IQ is in no way an accurate test of people's knowledge. It does test however reasoning under pressure and the ability to do the reasoning of that time period.
I was watching and interview of Malcolm Gladwell, the man who writes the paper we are going to later read, and in the interview he states that if Abraham Lincoln were to take our modern IQ test he would be deemed mentally retarded. The reasoning patterns change from time period to time period.
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