Average IQ of the boards

[brujon]

Seeing the range of intellectual discussion on these boards, especially the off topic section, and the general high level of those discussions, i got curious about how much more "intelligent" than the general population our boards are. I, and i suppose most of you, share the opinion that, in general, people that gravitate towards the "geek" or "nerdy" culture are generally more intelligent than people that stay only in the mainstream culture. Why is that? I don't know. But it really sure looks that way... So how do we fare as a collective whole in that regard? Are we really much smarter than the general population, or will the poll "prove" that assumption wrong?

Please vote only the truth, and try not to deviate from that!

Below 90 is considered subpar, with results below 70 generally indicative of (medium to severe)deficiencies
90 to 110 is considered normal
120 to 140 is considered above normal
140+ is generally considered gifted/genius depending how much more than 140.

Once again, please be honest about it, and once we have enough votes, we can make an average and see where we stand!

[The other options are there as indicative of below 80 and above 160 IQ, though i highly doubt that anyone in these boards will actually have that kind of result. I didn't intend to be disrespectful or anything, and only was being funny in the wording, so don't get the wrong idea!]

[Agita]

A question that many will ask: What should I put if I have no idea because I never took a trustworthy IQ test (i.e. one that wasn't on the internet)?

EDIT: I took the one on the Mensa site once, but that was kind of screwy - it counted some questions that I had gotten right as wrong, and some that I'd gotten wrong as right (I looked up the answers sheet afterwards).

[brujon]

A question that many will ask: What should I put if I have no idea because I never took a trustworthy IQ test (i.e. one that wasn't on the internet)?

EDIT: I took the one on the Mensa site once, but that was kind of screwy - it counted some questions that I had gotten right as wrong, and some that I'd gotten wrong as right (I looked up the answers sheet afterwards).

I'd say to use your better judgement. Even those crummy IQ tests you see on the average site usually aren't wrong by more than 10 points, give or take. If you think the IQ test you took is legitimate, and especially if you took various, different IQ tests and got similar answers, i'd say go for it. Usually you can take the Mensa test and use that as a baseline (it's not usual for the test to count your answers wrong), but take different ones and see how they compare. Of course, the best test would be to take the Mensa one personally, or ask for your psychologist to apply one to you.

[sirpercival]

I did a couple science projects on IQ tests in middle and high school, and have taken a large number of different tests in the course of doing so.  I have no idea which ones were "legitimate", and got a 40-point spread in the results with little consistency, so I'm really not sure how to answer this.

[Tempest]

Got 123 the last time I took a test, was a couple of years back though ^_^

[Kajhera]

I did a couple science projects on IQ tests in middle and high school, and have taken a large number of different tests in the course of doing so.  I have no idea which ones were "legitimate", and got a 40-point spread in the results with little consistency, so I'm really not sure how to answer this.

If that spread was within a test, that's in line with what 2E people tend to get (twice-exceptional, not second-edition.) If you're quite gifted with a learning disability in a specific area you'll tend to get very high scores in one part and above average scores in another.

I haven't had an IQ test in a while, but I remember my percentile more or less so I'll look up where that correlates...

Edit: >135. Apparently I don't remember specifically enough to answer the poll. Know I was definitely in the 99th percentile and below the 99.9th percentile, giving my possible range as 135-146.

There's a possibility college has made me dumber.  I'll go take an online test or something of the sort.

[altpersona]

being nearly 40, my iq is not the same as the boards 13yr olds w/ the same score.

also has my smarter peers die off, i get smarter...

(its a peer based comparison system)

so that, many who post are clearly in the 90 - 110 range. any who are worth reading are up to about 20 points better than that.

and those who only lurk and dont post at all are friggin geniuses

[Agita]

and those who only lurk and dont post at all are friggin geniuses

Does it count if I mostly lurk and only sometimes post?

[altpersona]

sorry that a clear sign of deficiency   

[littha]

The 5 or 6 tests I have taken all point at 140-150 (Including the Mensa one). Not that I would actually want to join mensa... too lazy.

[sirpercival]

I did a couple science projects on IQ tests in middle and high school, and have taken a large number of different tests in the course of doing so.  I have no idea which ones were "legitimate", and got a 40-point spread in the results with little consistency, so I'm really not sure how to answer this.

If that spread was within a test, that's in line with what 2E people tend to get (twice-exceptional, not second-edition.) If you're quite gifted with a learning disability in a specific area you'll tend to get very high scores in one part and above average scores in another.

I haven't had an IQ test in a while, but I remember my percentile more or less so I'll look up where that correlates...

Edit: >135. Apparently I don't remember specifically enough to answer the poll. Know I was definitely in the 99th percentile and below the 99.9th percentile, giving my possible range as 135-146.

There's a possibility college has made me dumber.  I'll go take an online test or something of the sort.

No, the spread was between tests.  And I'm not going to do an average of my highest and lowest scores, because I know the lowest score is an outlier.  I can estimate, I suppose...

EDIT: The most common interval I tested in (as far as I can remember) was the 141-150 range, though I got a single 120 and a couple of 158-163 range.  But really every test will give you different results, none of them is especially "reliable", and it's likely that IQ doesn't really mean anything.

[Kajhera]

Oh, also keep in mind that technically speaking, you can find patterns between any sequence of numbers *to* any next number, and some IQ questions break down when analyzed creatively. 

[ariasderros]

There's a possibility college has made me dumber.  I'll go take an online test or something of the sort.

being nearly 40, my iq is not the same as the boards 13yr olds w/ the same score.

When I was younger, my IQ was appraised in the 170 range, now I'm at 137.
My reading speed is less too.

Not sure if it is: A) a result of me being more social, and having a shortage of intelligent people to hang around IRL; B) a natural result of aging; C) the alcohol. (I don't drink as much as some, but I drink more than many, and I've been an Alcoholic at times [really, really bad times in life].)
Most likely it is a little of all of the above.

[Agita]

There's a possibility college has made me dumber.  I'll go take an online test or something of the sort.

being nearly 40, my iq is not the same as the boards 13yr olds w/ the same score.

When I was younger, my IQ was appraised in the 170 range, now I'm at 137.
My reading speed is less too.

Not sure if it is: A) a result of me being more social, and having a shortage of intelligent people to hang around IRL; B) a natural result of aging; C) the alcohol. (I don't drink as much as some, but I drink more than many, and I've been an Alcoholic at times [really, really bad times in life].)
Most likely it is a little of all of the above.

It's likely also in large part a result of the way IQ is determined - it's proportional to the relation between your actual age and your "mental age". It's unlikely you've gotten dumber, you're just not as far ahead of your actual age as you used to be. Mathematically speaking, since it's a quotient (as the name says), it's easier to get abnormally high results, especially if you studied specifically for the test, if you're younger, since every year of "mental age" matters more in relation to your actual age.

Of the tests I've done so far, most put me somewhere around 130. Again, though, I've yet to fully take a test I actually trust.

[phaedrusxy]

Do realize that you're going to get a heavy bias in this thread, as mostly you're going to get people who think they're smart (and who even might be... ) coming to brag about their scores.

Now... can one of you geniuses tell me how to change my vote to "Thog no understand talky man"? 

[ariasderros]

It's likely also in large part a result of the way IQ is determined - it's proportional to the relation between your actual age and your "mental age". It's unlikely you've gotten dumber, you're just not as far ahead of your actual age as you used to be. Mathematically speaking, since it's a quotient (as the name says), it's easier to get abnormally high results, especially if you studied specifically for the test, if you're younger, since every year of "mental age" matters more in relation to your actual age.

Of the tests I've done so far, most put me somewhere around 130. Again, though, I've yet to fully take a test I actually trust.

It is also worth noting that your brain responds to stimulus.
Basically, it's like a muscle in that the more "exercise" you give it, the "stronger" it gets, and a lack of "exercise" leads to atrophy.
IQ is, at it's basest point, is a measure of how well you process, retain and utilize information.
In this way, I had gotten dumber in between when I was tested in elementary, and the last time I got professionally tested (which was while I had been out of school for 2 years, hadn't talked to anyone really intelligent in a long time, and was working in a factory). Since then I have been less lazy mentally, going back to school, reading more again, talking to ya'll, and my IQ will likely have gone up b/c of this.

[bhu]

I was a 147 last I remember but that was years ago.  I've had some health problems since then.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Only IQ test I've ever taken in one on the internet, I think from MENSA.  Scored in the 140's on it, I think 147.  But that was at least a decade ago and I'm sure it's dropped since then, even if that was a legitimate test...

[caelic]

It really sort of depends on the test; different tests have different ranges. 

I was formally tested twice, at the age of 13 and the age of 15.  As I recall, at 13 the test employed was the Stanford-Binet, and at 15 it was the then-current version of the WAIS.

The scores on both tests were...well, high enough that people tend to be skeptical.  Unfortunately, beyond a certain point, there's really no way to post an IQ score without sounding like you're bragging and/or lying, even if the score is perfectly legitimate.  (And, yes, I'm perfectly aware that even that sounds like braggadocio--see what I mean?)

Now, personally, I don't think the results meant all that much; I happen to be very, very good at that particular type of test, is all.  I don't consider that a particularly reliable indicator of overall intelligence.

[Basket Burner]

IQ is a measure of learning speed (among other things, such as if you've actually used that time to learn things). Let's just say that people very commonly remark on how quickly I will learn a new thing and leave it at that so as to avoid bragging too much here.