# How is intelligence tested with IQ tests? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 3, 2002, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-intelligence-tested-with-iq-tests/112247 "2002-06-03T22:37:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-intelligence-tested-with-iq-tests/112247/1 "2002-06-03T22:37:33Z")
I recently volunteered to be a guniea pig for the Psych grad students, which included taking a plethora of tests. One of which was an IQ test. (I’m sorry I can’t remember which one it was exactly.) When I got the results, I began to wonder how exactly the tests tested my intelligence. For example, there were many questions focusing on vocabulary. She would say a word, and I would have to define it. At other times she asked me questions about culture (Who wrote Faust etc). The third part asked me to add numbers mentally, with increasing complication. So, I guess my question is, what is “intelligence”? My ability to recall words and define them quickly? Because honestly, these words weren’t terribly difficult, and I think most people should be able to do mental math. Yes, my scores indicate this is not the case. So, is intelligence just the ability to store and recall information? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-intelligence-tested-with-iq-tests/112247/2 "2002-06-04T00:00:15Z")
Look up Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences (or at least the theory; I’m not 100% certain it’s Gardner). Any page discussing those should have a discussion of IQ. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-intelligence-tested-with-iq-tests/112247/3 "2002-06-04T01:03:55Z")
A good book on the history of intelligence testing is Stephen Jay Gould’s _The Mismeasure of Man_ ( the revised version, including some extra material referencing _The Bell Curve_ is preferable). While it’s aimed primarily at debunking the theory of a heritable, linearly ranked measure of human intelligence, there is a fair amount of information about the development and usage of these tests. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-intelligence-tested-with-iq-tests/112247/4 "2002-06-04T01:48:45Z")
No, memory is how you store (encode) and recall information. Intelligence is often defined as “one’s ability to perform well on intelligence tests.” Or something in that vein. Weird, huh? ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2002, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-intelligence-tested-with-iq-tests/112247/5 "2002-06-04T02:25:20Z")
Intelligence is often defined as "one’s ability to perform on intelligence tests’ by people who either don’t understand them or don’t believe in them 😉 > **[What constitutes a person's IQ?](https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/human-brain/question455.htm)** > > The term IQ typically refers to a score on a test that measures someone's cognitive ability. What does this test constitute exactly? Find out if IQ tests can accurately measure someone's intelligence. has a good basic explanation. Try searching on IQ tests and g.