From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Wed Jan 22 2003 - 23:30:42 MST
Alex writes
> One thing that has always really got on my tits! (Annoyed me, for all
> of you that are not British) Is the fact that IQ tests are timed. As a
> sufferer of dyslexicia <G> I have always felt very hard done by when
> completing said tests. It takes me an age to read the questions and
> another age to reread them just to make sure I got it right the first
> time.
Yes, I once knew your opposite number. He was terrifically
good at any test, once scoring 105 on a government test (he
was trying to get a post office job), where the top score
possible was 100. (He got an additional five points for
having been in the army.)
But his opinion on any subject that was not some sort of
game or puzzle was entirely worthless. So I divined from
his example that there had to be people exactly opposite;
namely, those who are slow as molasses on I.Q. tests, but
are profound enough that you practically want to hang on
their every word. And indeed, such is the case.
> How about giving me a chance to comprehend what I'm actually seeing
> before you tell me the time is up. Surely the measure of intelligence
> can be calculated by whether or not you can answer the question
> correctly. Rather than simply how fast you can finish it.
For very large groups of people, the standardized tests---
with their time limits---work very well. However, there
should be tests where "whether you get it at all" is what
counts. For sure, there are many problems where all the
time in the world wouldn't be enough for many people.
> I know this may cause some of you to say that speed does indicate the
> level of intelligence. I'd say I do agree. Only the speed of the mental
> calculation of the answer, not the speed of reading the question.
Even there, some people just think slower than others
but can still get to a deep result. But yes, again,
the stats show that this is rare.
> "Thank God for spell check!"
Are you kidding? Several years ago I was a good speller.
Lee
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