IQ has long been a measure of one’s ability to be successful. Educators use students’ “intelligence quotas” to judge them from a young age and streamline their education in certain directions. High IQ students are given more opportunities, accelerated lessons, gifted programs, and other advantages to develop their innate talent while low IQ students are slowed down and less is expected of them. However, as recent findings have shown, an extremely high IQ does not correlate with extremely high educational achievement. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell proposes that IQ is more of a threshold measurement. He asserts that for individuals with an IQ of around 120, “having additional IQ points does not seem to translate into any measurable real world advantage.” Instead, he suggests that what really matters in becoming successful is one’s family background. I agree with Gladwell’s statement up to the point that IQ score does not correlate directly with success, which is especially important considering how much emphasis has been placed on measures of intelligence such as IQ tests and even standardized tests. In addition, I believe that the …show more content…
The idea behind these tests is that a person’s score is not supposed to change overtime, it is supposed to be constant and predictive of someone’s future success. Measuring intelligence in this way is one of psychology's greatest but most controversial accomplishments. Standardized tests differ from IQ tests in that they measure somebody's knowledge capacity at a certain time and can be used as a comparison to other groups and the population as a whole. However, scores on standardized tests like the ACT and SAT are correlated with IQ scores - students with high IQ scores are more likely to score better on the ACT or SAT regardless of environment or
The study required that participants must be given IQ tests, and also that they be observed in a classroom setting while interventions were put in place. Thus the adminsitratiors were able to draw results both from IQ scores and actual classroom preformance.
In his article, “None of the Above: What IQ Doesn’t Tell You about Race” journalist Malcolm Gladwell refutes the notion that intelligence is based on genetics and argues that IQ is not just based on an individual’s level of thinking but also on the location where an individual resides. In 1984, James Flynn discovered that over the years, the IQ of people around the world had been increasing by three points per decade. This is now known as the Flynn effect. The IQ fundamentalists around the world believe that IQ score shows an individual’s level of thinking and it is based on genetics. However, Flynn effect disproves this
It talks about many different topics this affects. For poverty, it concludes to say that people that have a low IQ most likely live in poverty as it is a strong indicator. It says that low IQ drastically increases the chance of dropping out of high school, and further decreases said person to ever achieve getting a college degree. Low IQ is also associated with people that are unemployed, injured often, or “idle” to which they describe to mean removed themselves from the workforce. It also describes that families with lower IQ have high rates of divorce, lower marriage rates, and higher illegitimate births. Plus the familes children correlates with having low birth weight babies, poor motor skills plus social development, and possible behavior problems. Another one it includes is low IQ correlates with welfare dependency, increased criminal behavior, and people with low IQ are less likely to vote and care less about
"Former Bates College Dean of Admissions, William Hiss, said that intelligence is so complex, varied, and multifaceted that “no standardized testing system can be expected to capture it”(Westlund). Throughout the years standardized testing has changed its purpose and not for the better. In the late 1930s, the goal of taking standardized test was to award scholarships to "diamond in the rough" students (Westlund). Currently, the whole idea of taking the SAT or ACT is getting admitted into a college. Standardized test should not be a deciding factor of being admitted into a college.
Malcolm Gladwell makes many debatable claims in his book “The Outliers”. One of these controversial topics is brought up in chapter three when he talks about a person’s IQ and how that relates to one’s success. Gladwell says, “The relationship between success and IQ works only up to a point. Once someone has reached an IQ of somewhere around 120, having additional IQ points doesn’t seem to translate into any measurable real-world advantage.”After reading “Outliers” I believe that this is the greatest controversial topic. I agree with Malcolm Gladwell because there are a high amount of people who are not incredibly smart that are very successful, success can be viewed differently by different people, and from my own experiences on the U-High
Malcolm Gladwell’s overall purpose of Outliers: The Story of Success is that success is largely determined by an individual’s socioeconomic and sociocultural environment, and individual ambition, effort, or talent, are less significant, contrary to the societal notions associated with success. In other words, success is not something that someone randomly gained; success is earned through opportunities that develop dedication, interest, and skill over time. By doing this, will one become an outlier, or “something that is situated away or classed differently from a main or related body,” (Gladwell 3) that distinguishes great from good and best from great, as exemplified by “The striking thing about Ericsson’s study is that the and his colleagues couldn’t find any “naturals”, musicians who floated effortlessly to the top while practicing a fraction of the time their peers did.” (Gladwell 39) Gladwell also acknowledges societal norms such that “All of the fourteen men and woman on the list above had vision and talent,” (Gladwell 62-63) to assert hard work, ability, et cetera can lead to success, but a social environment that offers such opportunities immensely increases the likelihood of success.
Malcolm Gladwell insists throughout his book, Outliers: The Story of Success, that the recipe for achievement is not simply based on personal talents or innate abilities alone. Gladwell offers the uncommon idea that outliers largely depend upon “extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies” (Gladwell19). According to Gladwell, successful men and women are beneficiaries of relationships, occasions, places, and cultures. The author draws on a different case study in each chapter to support a particular argument concerning success. Despite his indifference and suppression in regards to counterarguments, Gladwell’s claims are effective for many reasons, including through the accounts of experts, tone and style of writing, and the technique he utilizes when opening a chapter.
...est high school students in America” (Gladwell 82). It was shocking to learn that all the Nobel Prize in Medicine winners did not all come from the most prestigious schools. Also, in the third chapter I notices some aspects that were highly relatable to me. My life relates to subjects included in chapter three because I am a student. It is interesting and helpful to learn that one does not need the highest IQ to succeed in today’s world. This is how I relate to chapter three. The third chapter in Outlier by Malcolm Gladwell had striking information that stated that IQs do not always determine who will be successful, and I can relate to the information in the chapter because I am student who has thought about my IQ before.
...osh, D.E., Dixon, F. Newton, J.H., & Youman, E. (2010). A Confirmatory Factor Analysis of The Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition, With A High-Achieving Sample. Psychology in Schools, 47(10), 1071-1083.
Intelligence based functioning is one of the most powerful forces that influences all areas of any given person’s life; driving not only education and professional successes but more importantly the individuals life style and further goal oriented aspirations. Yet, while intelligence within itself is one the most important or influential components reinforcing an individual’s outlook on life and behavior, the ways in which intelligence is measured and develops throughout a person’s life is a little bit more misunderstood and challenging to pinpoint. Intelligence, and furthermore a person’s IQ as defined by various testable measures, has been subject to controversy for decades; raising significant questions about the neurology of the brain to
The author argues that certain decision leads to vast amount of untapped human potential and limits success to few who are selected unjustly. This example supports “Mathews Effect”. The Gladwell’s example of Bill Gates proves the “10,000 Hour Rule”, He explained that the timing and opportunity played a huge role to become an expert at computer programming. Bill Gates had access to computers decades before computers became mainstream. Such a timing helped him capture the opportunity to master the tool of trade and put him in the perfect position to start Microsoft. The Gladwell’s example of experiment by Lewis Terman, He argues about that a person’s IQ have a limited control over success. He claims that there is a minimal difference in the levels of success attained by those with IQs between 125 and 170. The author adds that IQ cannot efficiently measure person’s creativity. A person who has a high IQ does not mean that it has a high chance of winning a Nobel Prize because other kind of intelligence matter too. With the help of these facts, Gladwell proves that the relationship between IQ and success is
The demographic used for the study is described as “highly advantaged children (middle-class whites with IQs of at least 135)…” (Gallagher). An IQ of 135 or higher is a very selective group and less than 1% of the entire world fits that criteria (“What Goes Into the Making of a Genius?”). With an IQ at or over 135, these children are more susceptible to anxiety, stress, and relationship issues among peers (“Social and Emotional Issues”). These troubles could directly impact their happiness and have a large effect on their lives if the issues persist. The results are even more limiting when the other factors such as race and financial background are taken into account. The lives led by these children are by no means typical and having access to certain advantages and a greater susceptibility to certain conditions can have an impact on the results. When 99% of the world is exempt from this study and the results are being applied to such a broad spectrum, it is not an acceptable application of the provided
The intelligence levels of an individual reflect in their behavior. My evidence for the claim previously made is a survey I conducted on thirteen teachers at Woodrow Wilson High School. The survey states the question, “Do you think there is a correlation between behavior and intelligence?” In my findings ten out of the thirteen teachers surveyed think there is a correlation between behavior and intelligence, that is 77%. Some of the quotes from the teachers surveys that support the claims are, “On multiple occurrences, I have witnessed a direct correlation of behavior and grade, i.e. poor (low) behaviors led to low grades and good (high) behaviors led to high grades.”
At the early time, IQ mostly seems by genetic as if your parents smart, then you will be smart. For example, I always heard my mother talk about my cousin will be successful because his dad is very smart. Now, I think the environment makes the strong influence. Intelligence test scores can be improved by studying hard. I always heard 1% of genius and 99% of the work hard can make you successful. IQ tests are limited. People should focus on what they are really capable with. People have their own innate ability, and they cannot discover their abilities in an intelligence test. A high test score does not mean you are smart than other people.
Someone with a low IQ has the same possibilities of succeeding as someone who has a high IQ because of the effort they dedicate. For example, Albert Einstein is known as one of the most successful geniuses, but he wasn’t one of the most intelligent students when he was younger. Mathew Bass states in an article, “elementary school was a struggle for him which led to many people suspecting him of being retarded…it [has] been told that when his school teachers asked him a question he took forever to answer”(Bass). Einstein was never the smartest kid in class or the brightest, however, he did work hard and practiced his theories. He now is recognized as the father of physics and the most intelligent man. Einstein’s story proves to us that intelligence is unnecessary for success, but by putting effort and dedication to something one can really succeed. Intelligence is something that grows as we learn, effort allows us to learn and succeed without