What is the Distribution of IQ Scores Among Gifted Individuals?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the distribution of IQ scores among gifted individuals, exploring the validity of IQ tests, personal experiences with testing, and the implications of IQ as a measure of intelligence. Participants share their views on the significance of IQ scores, the nature of giftedness, and the societal perceptions surrounding these concepts.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants recount personal experiences with standardized IQ tests, noting discrepancies in reported scores and the methods used to determine them.
  • There is skepticism about the accuracy of online IQ tests, with several participants asserting that they are often poorly designed and do not correlate with traditional tests.
  • Some argue that the emphasis on IQ as a measure of intelligence is misguided, suggesting that it does not reflect a person's capabilities or potential.
  • Concerns are raised about the term "gifted," with some participants suggesting it carries connotations of emotional or behavioral issues, rather than purely intellectual ability.
  • Others express frustration with the societal obsession over IQ scores, viewing it as a superficial metric that does not capture the complexity of human intelligence.
  • A few participants humorously engage in banter about IQ, indicating a lighter side to the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions on the validity and significance of IQ tests, with no consensus reached on their importance or the implications of being labeled as "gifted." The discussion remains unresolved regarding the value of IQ as a measure of intelligence.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include varying definitions of giftedness, differing methodologies in IQ testing, and the subjective nature of personal experiences shared by participants.

  • #31
I have never heard the term "gifted" to carry any negative meaning. I can't find any referrence anywhere that supports what you are saying zoob, where did you find this definition?

The Merriam Webster dictionary says:

gifted

1 : having great natural ability : TALENTED <gifted children>
 
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  • #32
Evo said:
I have never heard the term "gifted" to carry any negative meaning. I can't find any referrence anywhere that supports what you are saying zoob, where did you find this definition?
The Merriam Webster dictionary says:
gifted
1 : having great natural ability : TALENTED <gifted children>
It's in the link in the OP.
 
  • #33
zoobyshoe said:
It's in the link in the OP.
"Giftedness, as defined by The Columbus Group (1991), is "asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop optimally."

In other words, the gifted are those people who have significantly higher than normal levels of one or more forms of intelligence."

I don't see anything in that entire article that could remotely convey that "gifted" means "problem" as in being a "problem child".
 
  • #34
honestrosewater said:
Anywho, remember when Bart switched IQ tests with Martin and they thought he was a genius and sent him to gifted school? :smile: I love that episode.
That was the first regular episode of the Simpsons. It's one of my favorite episodes, as well. r dr r :smile:

It ranks right behind the episode where the school bus drives by the Volkswagon dealership. Our family always did the "Slugbug, no punchbacks!" thing, too - proof positive my entire family has high IQs. :smile:
 
  • #35
Evo said:
I don't see anything in that entire article that could remotely convey that "gifted" means "problem" as in being a "problem child".
What is a "problem child" to you, then?
 
  • #36
zoobyshoe said:
What is a "problem child" to you, then?
a child that intentionally acts unruly/violent (running around, screaming, destroying things), is obnoxious, a bully.
 
  • #37
Evo said:
a child that intentionally acts unruly/violent (running around, screaming, destroying things), is obnoxious, a bully.
OK. I have definitely heard it used that way. I've probably erroneously assumed an extention of the term to include any kid with a substantial personality or behavioral problem. So, if we go by this definition then the term "problem child" is incorrect when applied to "gifted" children.
 
  • #38
zoobyshoe said:
OK. I have definitely heard it used that way. I've probably erroneously assumed an extention of the term to include any kid with a substantial personality or behavioral problem. So, if we go by this definition then the term "problem child" is incorrect when applied to "gifted" children.
Except when the gifted child is also a problem child. :-p
 
  • #39
Evo said:
Except when the gifted child is also a problem child. :-p
Yes, and labeling some one a "gifted" child is pretty much like saying "I got good news, and I got bad news. Your child is gifted. That's the good news..."
 
  • #40
I asked this same question when I first started to post here.

I got the same kind of responses. We know it is a number and that it has no real value other than perception, so why is there so much reluctance to tell us? It's obvious this is a site frequented by intelligent people, people who probably test well. I think it would be interesting to hear the numbers.

Mine was tested in grade school. I believe it was around 120. Not terribly high, but I remember being sick the day of the test (plagued by asthma and allergies, which I finally outgrew). I was also given a test as a small child (5 or 6 years old) that took several weeks and was administered by a psychologist (I was balking at going to school because of playground violence and a mean teacher, my parents were worried and had me tested). He said I was brilliant, almost a genius.

Come on people, I wrote down my 120. What are your meaningless numbers? :biggrin:
 
  • #42
I also confess to having been a gifted child. :redface: I think my IQ is 158, I was told by the counselor at school it was 185, but trying to sneak a peak at the upside down paperwork she had, it looked like 158 to me. The schools that they had my parents look into for me (since they said they had no programs that could accommodate me) had a minimum entrance criteria of 140.

That wiki article describes me very accurately. :bugeye: I refused to play with other children because I felt they were stupid and immature. I would hide during recess so I could read. In the third grade I completed the entire school year's assignments and tests that were in our workbooks by the end of the third week of school. My teacher was upset and from then on they kept my books away from me and only handed them to me when I needed to do something in them. I would sit and listen to the other kids in the class struggling and I was bored to tears, I wanted to scream. A teacher explained to me that she couldn't teach two classes and since the others couldn't keep up with me, I had to slow down.

As a result, I hated school, dreaded it, my mother would ususally have to drag me to school. It wasn't until the school hired a new teacher (my 6th grade teacher) and she noticed I was "unusual" and requested testing, that they freaked out and everything changed, but it was too late, I wanted nothing to do with any school.

Glad that there are more programs now for kids that are "different" and fewer will have to go through what I did.
 
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  • #43
Evo, did you have this particular sensitivity:

Gifted children are often bothered by the seams in socks and tags on clothes.
 
  • #44
zoobyshoe said:
Evo, did you have this particular sensitivity:
OH GOD YES! Even little wrinkles in the sheets and on my pillowcase drove me nuts.

Noise, light & activity all bother me. I like darkness and silence. I can't stand to have background noise of any type.

At work, they have installed special shades over the lights in the ceiling over my desk for me.
 
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  • #45
QuantumTheory said:
I'm sure there a ton of gifted people here.

There are a lot of gifted people here. Gifted means you are just smart enough to realize you ain't no genius. Most educated people will belong to this group. Even most college professors and phd students, like myself...:cry:

regards
marlon
 
  • #46
Evo said:
OH GOD YES! Even little wrinkles in the sheets and on my pillowcase drove me nuts.
Noise, light & activity all bother me. I like darkness and silence. I can't stand to have background noise of any type.
At work, they have installed special shades over the lights in the ceiling over my desk for me.
What about this, then:

Underachievement

Another problem often associated with giftedness is underachievement. Many gifted students will continually do well on achievement or reasoning tests, but will fail to turn in assignments or attend or participate in class. Overall, they will be disengaged from the educational process. This can result from under-challenging schools, peer pressure for conformity, social isolation, and family dysfunction (Reis & Renzulli, 2004). In other cases it can result from other factors within the individual, including depression, anxiety, failure-avoidance, rebelliousness, irritability, nonconformity, or anger (Reis & McCoach, 2002). One apparently effective way to attempt to reverse underachievement in gifted children includes enrichment projects based on students’ strengths and interests (p. 86).

Did you find yourself "dumbing - down" for any of these reasons?
 
  • #47
Well, to get back to the topic: i had one or two iq tests in my life. The first one I made when i was seven, and i was horribly nervous, so that wouldn't be altogether representative. It said i had somewhere near 130 if i remember it right.
The second one i am not sure of, I made it but I am not sure if it was an iq test. I had to make it for school to be selected into some program for above-average kids. I never got any results from that one, but I am in that program now, however without doing a thing with it.
 
  • #48
zoobyshoe said:
What about this, then:"Underachievement

Another problem often associated with giftedness is underachievement. Many gifted students will continually do well on achievement or reasoning tests, but will fail to turn in assignments or attend or participate in class. Overall, they will be disengaged from the educational process."
Once I left elementary school, I stopped participating. I no longer cared. First year I got incompletes in several classes because of it, had to go to summer school, got jumped ahead by the school a few times to try to get me into a more appropriate level.

Did you find yourself "dumbing - down" for any of these reasons?
No, I just avoided talking and associating with other people. Everyone thought I was shy and introverted. :biggrin: (waiting for the zooby diagnosis) :approve:
 
  • #49
zoobyshoe said:
Did you find yourself "dumbing - down" for any of these reasons?
That was me. I never did homework. If I did, I blew test curves. The class got mad at me.
 
  • #50
@Artman: I tend to blow up the test curves as well. "Listen up class, the class average was a 52. Ryan, you've got a 97. We're counting his as an A, and grading on a curve based on that."

It's like, oh WTF, DO YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE MY SOCIAL LIFE EVEN WORSE?

Teachers... -.-''

@Evo: For some reason, I'm the same way. When unoccupied, do your hands bend/shred whatever they can hold on to?

And yes, the kids at my school are retards. It's like, "Uh, what's a genome?" WE JUST EXPLAINED IT!

Isolationism = me. O_o
Anyway, back (on topic? lol), IQ is meaningless, but they've never tested me, though I got perfect A's in classes, and they wrote "Does not attempt to pass class" or something stupid like that. Sigh, now I'm stuck doing boring, meaningless work in school, which takes hours to do, but has no educational value at all. "Cut out paper and form a DNA molecule!"? I've not got time for that, I'm looking at the molecular structures of different bases, and what kind of interactions can take place.

Maybe if I were challenged, I'd actually TRY to do the work.

Oh well, back to pre-final super-homework(WHY GOD WHY?), So that I can blow off the study guide and get a 98% or higher in my finals.
Hey Evo, here's an idea: how about us smart people split off from the poisons of TV and Culture, and form our own cult/society/something like that? Get away from the idiots in politics and such, and live a life of learning! >_>Anyway, That's just my self-centered rant, enjoy.
 
  • #51
Evo said:
Once I left elementary school, I stopped participating. I no longer cared. First year I got incompletes in several classes because of it, had to go to summer school, got jumped ahead by the school a few times to try to get me into a more appropriate level.
I'm surprised, actually. I would never have thought you'd have incompletes, or anything but A+'s across the board.
No, I just avoided talking and associating with other people. Everyone thought I was shy and introverted. :biggrin: (waiting for the zooby diagnosis) :approve:
This one doesn't surprise me so much. You don't strike me as someone who'd put on an act just to have people to hang out with.

Of course, no zoobie can diagnose you over the internet. I will have to perform a complete set of zoobological tests in person, as well as the full body examination for tattoos.
 
  • #52
zoobyshoe said:
I'm surprised, actually. I would never have thought you'd have incompletes, or anything but A+'s across the board.
The incomplete was for days absent from class, not for grades.
My algebra teacher was responsible. She cornered me one day in a huff waving a test paper in my face where I scored 110% (bonus questions). She said I was not going to just show up for tests because it made it look like she wasn't teaching me anything (she wasn't). She said she couldn't fail me because of my scores, so she was going to give me an incomplete due to the number of days I missed, she tried to get all of my other teachers to do the same. All but a couple, like my english teacher, agreed. My english teacher actually went through my desk and found all of my assignments I hadn't turned in and graded them. She said she was only going to give me a "B" instead of an "A" because I should've turned the work in. I wish I had more teachers like her that understood. I wasn't defying them or disrespecting them, well maybe except for my witch algebra teacher. :devil:

Of course, no zoobie can diagnose you over the internet. I will have to perform a complete set of zoobological tests in person, as well as the full body examination for tattoos.
When should I report? :-p

blahness said:
When unoccupied, do your hands bend/shred whatever they can hold on to?
No, my hands stay still.

Hey Evo, here's an idea: how about us smart people split off from the poisons of TV and Culture, and form our own cult/society/something like that?
Actually a group of kids I met when I was 12 suggested that. A new girl two years older than I was moved in down the street. She was so smart! Through her I met other super smart kids. I mean these kids were borderline insane smart. Made me realize how little I really knew. We would all meet and discuss and trade books. I was just in awe of them, they knew so much more than I did. To me, that is the best feeling in the world, to be surrounded by people I can learn from. That's why I love it here.
 
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  • #53
@Evo: So, when do we pack our bags? o_O"
 
  • #54
Blahness said:
@Evo: So, when do we pack our bags? o_O"
We're already there, look around at the people on this forum. I am just floored by the knowledge that some of the people here have, and they don't make me feel like a complete idiot just because I don't know as much as they do, and it's so great that they share their knowledge with me. :!)

I've said it before and I'll say it again, academically, I can't hold a candle to anyone here over the age of 8.

Blahness, don't get discouraged, don't set a trap for yourself. When you set yourself above others, you only have farther to fall. I was lucky, I went into the workforce at a time when a person that was motivated and smart could quickly work their way up. It is much tougher out there now to even get your foot in the door so that you can prove yourself. Take advantage of your intelligence and keep challenging yourself and don't worry that others don't get it as quickly as you do.
 
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  • #55
Evo said:
She said I was not going to just show up for tests because it made it look like she wasn't teaching me anything (she wasn't).
It made her look like she wasn't teaching you anything. These things just come out of people's mouths as if they're have no idea what they're saying.
When should I report? :-p
A "tongue" smiley, Evo? You make it look like zoobology is silly. Automatic incomplete!
 
  • #56
Blahness said:
@Artman: I tend to blow up the test curves as well. "Listen up class, the class average was a 52. Ryan, you've got a 97. We're counting his as an A, and grading on a curve based on that."

It's like, oh WTF, DO YOU JUST WANT TO MAKE MY SOCIAL LIFE EVEN WORSE?
Yep. "I can't mark this on a curve because someone got every question right." Then he hands you your paper and says, "Good job." At which point the three kids within arms reach of the back of your head smack you with a piece of rolled up paper.

Most of the time I just did what interested me. Like the semester I spent reading art books instead of doing my expository writing term papers.
 
  • #57
Artman said:
Yep. "I can't mark this on a curve because someone got every question right." Then he hands you your paper and says, "Good job." At which point the three kids within arms reach of the back of your head smack you with a piece of rolled up paper.
Most of the time I just did what interested me. Like the semester I spent reading art books instead of doing my expository writing term papers.

Wow, you are amazing Evo. I wish I was 'gifted'.
 
  • #58
QuantumTheory said:
Wow, you are amazing Evo. I wish I was 'gifted'.
That was Artman.
 
  • #59
Evo said:
That was Artman.
So, Artman has just been your sock puppet the whole time!
 
  • #60
zoobyshoe said:
So, Artman has just been your sock puppet the whole time!
She just has to peal me off her legs to use me. :wink:
 

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