High IQ & Genius IQ

Understanding & Interpreting IQ (Intelligence Quotient) Background for reading “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes

Understanding IQ

What does IQ (Intelligence Quotient) mean?

The term IQ generally describes your score on a particular intelligence test as compared to the general population (usually people in your age group). IQ scores reflect your ability to perform intellectual tasks, such as solving verbal and mathematical problems. Because IQ tests measure your ability to understand ideas and not the quantity (amount) of your knowledge, learning new information does not automatically increase your IQ. Therefore, IQ scores don’t fluctuate much throughout life.

Normal Distribution & IQ Scores

If we took everyone’s IQ score and plotted them, we would see them be distributed in a normal bell curve. That means that most scores would fall somewhere in the center of that bell curve. The score in the absolute center is 100 and that is where we would expect most IQ scores to fall. In other words, the average IQ score is 100. As the scores move away from the norm (100), we would find fewer and fewer scores.

Bell Curve

70% of people have IQ scores between 85 and 115.

Low IQ & Mental Retardation

Five per cent of people have an IQ under 70 and this is generally considered as the benchmark for "mental retardation", a condition of limited mental ability in that it produces difficulty in adapting to the demands of life. Severity of mental retardation can be broken into 4 levels:

 50-70 - Mild mental retardation (85%)  35-50 - Moderate mental retardation (10%)  20-35 - Severe mental retardation (4%)  IQ < 20 - Profound mental retardation (1%) High IQ & Genius IQ

Any IQ score between 115 and 145 is considered to be above average or gifted. Genius IQ is generally considered to begin around 140 to 145, representing ~.25% of the population (1 in 400). Here's a rough guide:

 145-154 - Genius (e.g., professors)  155-164 - Genius (e.g., Nobel Prize winners – Albert Einstein’s IQ was 160)  165-179 - High genius  180-200 - Highest genius  >200 - "Immeasurable genius"

Cautions About IQ Scores

IQ testing is not a science. It may seem that way at times, but it’s not. Scores from tests are really estimates based on test performance on a particular day. There is always a margin of error. The “actual score” could be higher or it could be lower. Additionally, these tests do not take certain factors into consideration like gender, socioeconomic conditions, or environment. Today, there are many other types and measures of intelligence that might be more accurate. Some things to think and write about before you read…

Answer the following questions in your journal before you start reading “Flowers for Algernon.” Use the class notes section of your binder if you don’t have your journal with you.

1. What would it be like to have an IQ of 68? How would you feel about yourself? How might other people treat you?

2. If people you respect came to you and told you they could make you smarter, would you take them up on their offer? Explain.

3. Think about some of the advantages and disadvantages to having either a very high or very low IQ. On your paper, make a chart like the one below. Fill in the advantages and disadvantages for both situations.

Category Advantages Disadvantages

Having a very high IQ

(145 or higher)

Having a very low IQ

(below 80)