Re: Test Scores (was Causality)

Chris Hind (chind@juno.com)
Sat, 14 Dec 1996 00:27:30 -0800


>They went to great lengths to get a computer for me to use when I was young
>(circa 1980) despite the fact that we lived in poverty at the time. I
>attribute my current success in the computer industry to the fact that they
>bought that first computer (which I loved the instant they got it).

Mastered Msdos 2.11 and Gwbasic at 8 yrs on my blazing 4.77Mhz XT!

>A
>worthwhile investment with good foresight on their part. Sadly, they still
>aren't particularly computer literate.

Same.

>I hold the theory that differences in measured IQ can be mostly attributed
>to the environment the kid is brought up in from 0-6 years, with genetics
>being a less differentiating factor. When I was born, both my parents had a
>lot of time on their hands, so they spent their time teaching me and playing
>with me.

Same.

>I have three younger brothers, but by the time they were born, my
>parents didn't have as much time anymore, and they had to divide their
>attention among more kids.

Same.

>There is a
>noticeable pattern in the IQs of my siblings and myself that can be
>correlated to certain environmental factors.

I'm thinking introvert. My second youngest brother was highly social from
the start where I was an introvert and had to work my way out. I think this
was largely due to not having children my own age in my local area, when he
did so I gradually turned to other forms of more intellectual entertainment
like tinkering or reading. Also I must add it was a plus to have my parents
read to me early on. How many people here skipped crawling and went
directly on to walking?

>Hehe. Something similar happened to me. I became disinterested in what I
>was being taught in high school (primarily because it was *so damn boring*)
>and studied, in great depth, things that I was interested in like AI, coding
>theory, high-energy physics, chemistry, etc.

Yep.

>Absurdly high test scores (usually perfect) and very average grades. I
>always kind of wondered how universities interpret that kind of pattern.

Probably not good. It shows signs of nonconforming gifted intelligence
which would not work in a structured university.