Intelligence development methods, according to Google Trends, received the highest demand rating. At the same time, the average value of the intelligence quotient, writes the 60-year-old scientific publication New Scientist, in people in developed countries began to fall. This caused a drop in confidence in IQ tests.

Human intelligence is interpreted in different ways. Basically, such a concept means the comparative ability of a person to perceive the new, comprehend and solve problems of varying complexity.

Intelligence is understood as the ability of a person to adapt to various tasks and create algorithms for their effective solution.

Wikipedia, referring to Academician N. Moiseev, also defines intelligence as the ability to set goals and develop strategies to achieve them. This mental quality includes memory, imagination, thinking and perception.

How intelligence is formed

In psychology, the stages developed by Piaget are considered the main theory of the formation of intelligence. The stages were created while observing children of different ages.

The first signs of the formation of intelligence appear in a newborn after 12 months.

sensorimotor stage

It has such features: the child begins to realize that objects exist even when he does not look at them. For the first time in his thinking there is a goal and the desire to achieve it. The first beliefs about the world around are formed.

Second stage

Preparatory. Intellectual experience, accumulated over 7 years, allows you to form intuitive thinking. The child already knows how to mentally solve some problems, but not translate them into reality.

Third stage

Stage of specific operations. Age period- from 7 to 12 years. It becomes possible to operate with ideas about objects and perform conscious actions with them.

Fourth step

Stage of formal operations. Comes after 12 years. The teenager masters abstract and formal thinking. Creates an internal picture of the external world.

The general level of intelligence also depends on the influence of society. Therefore, Piaget's theory was repeatedly criticized. It happens that mature people do not have abstract thinking for some kind of activity. Intelligence depends on the quality and quantity of information received. An intellectual personality, according to Galton, an English researcher and psychologist, is an unknowable entity, a reflection of internal ideas on the outside world.

Intelligence quotient: what is it and how is it determined

The first attempts to measure the mind were made by the French T. Simon and A. Binet. They examined the level mental development children by a certain age. The basis of all modern intelligence tests was proposed in 1912 by the German Stern. He calculated the ratio of intellectual age to real.

Modern studies of mental abilities are modifications of the Eysenck test, developed in the 40s.

The subject needs to solve several puzzles for a while. Per the right decision he gets points. Their number depends on the modification of the test. In general, the average score is 100 points. A highly intelligent person is one who scores more than 140 (in some tests 160) points. The highest score is 200.

University of Otago professor and political scientist James Flynn states that at this stage of human development, an IQ test is useless. As proof, he cites the changed situation with the average standard of living in developed countries. It has stabilized and is changing slightly. And the same Eysenck test has not been standardized for 100 years of existence. That is, too many modifications give vague results.

Its types

Psychology in the study of intelligence recognized only the academic approach until 1983. Then the American psychologist Howard Gardner challenged the traditional teaching and created his own model of intelligence. He called it multiple intelligences. According to Gardner, there are eight types:

According to a study by American scientists Zuckerman, Zilberman and Hall, religious people on average have lower IQs than atheists.

Levels

AT different situations a person shows a different level of intelligence: concrete or abstract.

1. concrete or practical. This is the level of application of knowledge stored in memory based on associative abilities.
2. Abstract gives a person the ability to manage concepts and verbal images. Arthur Jensen, who is one of the 50 most influential psychologists of the 20th century, refers this level to the area of ​​cognitive abilities. In his opinion, the relation of one level to another is due to heredity.

Structure

Charles Spearman was the first to seriously tackle the structuring of the intellect. In his research, he tested the professional abilities of a person. Numerous tests have revealed that the processes of memory, perception, thinking and attention are closely interrelated. Spearman concluded that individuals who perform well on thinking tasks also do well on tasks to identify other abilities. And vice versa: those who, for example, poorly concentrated attention, could not quickly operate with memory. According to his writings, any intellectual work depends on a specific and general factor.

Based on experiments, Spearman deduced the structure of the intellect. At the top is the common factor. The middle is filled with group qualities of mental abilities (mechanical, verbal). Basis - a special factor - a set of specific abilities that depend on the field of activity.

Intellectual disorders - how to recognize them

It has been scientifically proven that an intellectual can become an oligophrenic.

Intelligence has the ability to decline under the influence various factors. It can be severe depression, loss of vision or hearing. Any obstacle to receiving information from the outside causes fluctuations in the level of intelligence.

The disorder may also be congenital. It's called dementia. The main signs: loss of the ability to understand the connection between phenomena, self-criticism decreases, inability to control one's behavior, the ability to separate the main from the secondary is lost.

Features of intelligence in children

According to a study by Florida scientists K. Beaver and J. Schwartz, a child receives intelligence mainly from the mother's genes. But a pristine intellect is influenced by society and the environment. Also highest influence stimulate its development in early age. The advice of child psychologists is as follows:

• Classical music;
• breast-feeding;
• Fresh air;
• over time, physical activity.

The importance of any conversation depends on whether you need to listen to the opinion of a person, how much you can believe his word. Since at least two people take part in communication, its outcome depends not only on us, but also on the interlocutor. Therefore, even with a stranger subconsciously we weigh how smart he is. But it's not as easy as it seems! It is important not to confuse such things as "erudition" and "intelligence". After all, a well-read person may seem smart simply because of excessive erudition. Conversely, an interlocutor who does not show deep knowledge in a particular area may turn out to be a wise and experienced person, whose advice should be heeded.

Psychoanalyst Elena Gridasova told Komsomolskaya Pravda how, without forcing the interlocutor to take an IQ test, determine who is in front of you - an intellectual or a narrow-minded person?

1. The ability to accept someone else's point of view and treat it with respect in itself says a lot about the interlocutor - about the flexibility of thinking, about the absence of the stereotype "Only the majority is right!" The manifestation of interest in the point of view of another is an indispensable condition for a normal dialogue.

2. Vocabulary. It would seem an obvious thing! But, as studies show, the difference in the active vocabulary, for example, of a school graduate (about 2-3 thousand words) and a person with a higher education (up to 8 thousand words) is colossal! Vocabulary depends on the amount of literature read. Well, the one who considers books and newspapers "paper-burning" can hardly boast of intelligence. After all, the more high-quality books are read (and new words and terms are found there), the more information is received, which, as you know, contributes to the development of intelligence. With active reading, the brain develops.

3. Willingness to admit incompetence. If a person is silent when he has nothing to say, refuses to talk about a topic on which he does not have enough information and has not formed his own opinion, this is a clear sign of intelligence. Thinking people do not repeat after others, they do not like to "blow in the fog." Also, they do not hesitate to ask again, if they do not understand something, they clarify the information.

5. Self-criticism. There are no people who like to be criticized. But a smart interlocutor is able, if not to accept the remarks, then at least to remain silent so as not to provoke a conflict.

6. Politeness. Courtesy, the ability to listen to another is often not honored by narrow-minded people, but it is a virtue and an obligatory rule of communication for a thinking person.

7. You get smarter next to him. a wise man raises the interlocutor to himself, or rather refers to the natural wisdom that is inherent in each of us. As Albert Einstein said, if you cannot explain your idea to a five-year-old child, then you yourself do not understand it very well. If there is a feeling that you have become drastically stupid and do not understand what is at stake, the interlocutor is either being clever and trying to show off his knowledge, or he himself does not understand what he wants to say. And perhaps both at the same time.

However, the main measure in assessing the intelligence of your interlocutor will always be your mind!

Many people cannot even imagine that during a conversation their interlocutor not only listens attentively, but also involuntarily assesses the level of intelligence. There are special methods by which people are taught to correctly assess the level of intellectual abilities. Almost all companies have an employee in their staff who conducts interviews, applying this technique in practice, thereby selecting the best candidates for prestigious vacancies.

The mind is the basis, the intellect is the superstructure.
Ilya Nisonovich Shevelev

External signs

It is necessary to figure out what external manifestations issue low level intelligence, and which indicate the presence of a high level of intelligence. So:

1. Watch your speech

When speaking, do not pronounce words too slowly or too quickly.

In the first case, the interlocutor may decide that in front of him is a person with inhibited thought processes.

And in the second case, there is a possibility that they simply will not understand you or they will decide that you suffer from neurological disorders.

2. Pay due attention to your appearance

No matter what they say, appearance plays an important role. As they say in famous proverb, meet on clothes, but see off all the same in the mind. However, external attractiveness still has a huge impact on the subconscious assessment of the level of intelligence of the interlocutor.

According to experts in the field of psychology, a beautifully and neatly dressed person always seems smart and decent, even if he is not. In psychology this is called halo effect or halo effect.

3. Learn to listen

Learn to listen carefully, without interrupting, to listen to the interlocutor. After all, about a person who is not able to exercise control over his emotions, you can make a not very partial opinion.

Controlled emotional susceptibility is very important in assessing the level of intelligence.

4. Visit the dentist regularly

Don't underestimate the impression that your smile can make on a conversation partner.

According to psychologists, people who monitor health and appearance of their teeth are considered smart and successful.

5. Train your memory

"Work" on your memory. Improve your ability to remember a large number information. After all, according to psychologists, this ability is one of the manifestations of a high level of intelligence.

Game "6 frogs": test your memory and show your intelligence!

Rules: You need to move the frogs from left to right, and vice versa. The frogs jump one over the other.

6. Breathe deeply

As is known, at deep breathing the human brain is saturated with oxygen, which contributes to the activation of thought processes.

Deep meaningful sighs characterize a person in the eyes of the interlocutor as reliable, intelligent and reasonable, who can be relied upon in any situation. Accordingly, the interlocutor will trust you more.

7. Keep your posture

About 80% of the information a person, in the process of communication, subconsciously perceives with the help of clues that give gestures and posture of the interlocutor. In psychology, this is called the "language" of the body.

So, if a person constantly stoops during a conversation, twitches his legs and looks away, the interlocutor involuntarily characterizes him as a shy, lazy, deceitful and even stupid person.

8. Expand your horizons

A literate and well-read person in life opens up a large number of opportunities in various fields. He is more successful in his professional field, realizes his talents more efficiently, he has more success with the opposite sex.

Many of us have heard the expression "IQ man". This term is used when we are talking about the abilities of the individual, his mental development. The concept of "IQ" is the intelligence quotient. It is an assessment of the level of ability compared to the average intelligence of a person of the same age as the subject. To determine the level, you must pass a special test for logic, flexibility of thinking, the ability to quickly count and identify patterns.

A bit of history

Wilhelm Stern was the first to formulate the concept of "intelligence coefficient IQ" in 1912. This is a very famous psychologist and philosopher. He proposed to use as the main indicator of the level of development the result of dividing the actual age into intellectual age. After him, in 1916, this concept was used in the Stanford-Bene intelligence scale.

Gradually, people began to be more actively interested in their level of intelligence, so a huge number of all kinds of tests and scales were invented that made it possible to find out its coefficient. The creation of numerous tests led to the fact that many of them were unreliable, so compare the results different tests pretty hard.

How to determine the level of intelligence? Today, in many schools, children are tested to find out their level of intelligence. The development of the Internet has contributed to the fact that people, including adults, can easily get tested online.

How to know your IQ

To determine the value of IQ, special tests have been developed. There are two types of them:

• for children 10-12 years old;
• for children from 12 years old and adults.

The measurement technique is the same for all options, only the level of complexity of the questions changes. Each test has a certain number of questions and limited time for their passage.

They are designed so that the results, which are described using a probability distribution, show an average IQ value of 100. The values ​​are grouped according to the following scheme:

• the ratio of 50% of all people is in the range of 90-110;
• the remaining 50% of people are divided equally between those with a score below 90 and those with a score above 110.

What IQ level corresponds to mild mental retardation? If his score is below 70.

The tasks in the tests are varied, the complexity of each next task increases. There are tasks for logical, spatial thinking, for knowledge of mathematics, attentiveness, the ability to find patterns. Naturally, the more correct answers a person gives, the higher will be the assessment of his level of intelligence.

The tests are designed for different age groups, so the indicators of a teacher and a student of 12 years old can be the same, because the development of each of them will correspond to his age.

Today on the Internet you can find a huge number of different tests that offer to find out your level of knowledge, intelligence. But most of them were developed by non-professionals, so they are unlikely to show a reliable result.

To find out your level of intelligence, you need to use professional tests, such as:

• Kettler;
• Amthauer;
• Eysenck;
• Raven;
• Veksler.

Main Influencing Factors

The human mind is quite difficult to define and measure. The mind is a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities that accumulate throughout a person's life. Our intelligence is based on several important factors that affect its coefficient:

• genetics;
• features of nutrition of the child in the first years of life;
• upbringing and mental stimulation of the mental activity of the child by parents;
• order of birth of children in the family;
• environment.

All this affects the mental development of the child to one degree or another.

Genetics

Scientists have long begun to investigate the question of how much intelligence IQ depends on genes. For more than a century, studies have been conducted on the influence of genes on mental abilities, which have shown that the percentage of dependence is in the range of 40-80%.

The level of intelligence in a person depends on the structure of the brain and its functionality. These two factors are key. Differences in the parieto-frontal parts of the brain different people talking about different levels their IQ. The higher the indicator of the functionality of the frontal areas of the brain, the better it can work: to perceive and remember information, to solve various problems.

Genetic factors represent the potential that is passed from parents to the child. They are little studied, but carry important function for the development of mental abilities.

Chromosomal abnormalities that are inherited also affect the level of intelligence. For example, Down's disease, which is characterized by poor mental development of the child. Quite often occurs in children whose parents belong to the older age group.

Illnesses during pregnancy also affect the baby's mind. For example, rubella, which affects the expectant mother, can lead to negative consequences for crumbs: loss of hearing, vision, low level of intelligence.

Influence of food

The level of intelligence depends on what exactly we eat in the first years of life, and what the expectant mother ate during pregnancy and lactation. Correct and good nutrition has a positive effect on brain development. The more useful substances, vitamins and microelements will be consumed by the child through the mother and the next few years after birth, the larger will be the size of the brain sail. It is responsible for learning and memory.

Positively affects the consumption of large quantities fatty acids. Scientists conducted studies that proved that if a woman consumes a lot of fatty acids during pregnancy, then children will be significantly ahead of others in their development.

Upbringing

Education is one of key factors development of mental abilities. Even if a person is naturally genetically predisposed to a high level of IQ, due to the lack of proper upbringing, quality education, the coefficient will not be higher than average.

Education includes many factors:

• family lifestyle;
• home conditions;
• the level of education;
• parental attitude.

To study the influence of upbringing, academics separated twins and placed them in different environments life. After all, if intelligence is a biological concept, then in theory it should be the same for twins, regardless of living conditions. This is not true. Studies have shown that children who live in orphanages have a lower level of intelligence. Also, the indicator depends on how parents treat the child: whether they take them to additional circles, make them study music, draw, instill a love for logic games.

Family birth order

This issue has been studied for a long time, but scientists have not been able to come to a unanimous conclusion regarding the influence of the birth order of a child and the number of children in a family on their mental abilities. Many studies have shown that firstborns are mentally more developed than other children. In history, most astronauts, presidents, scientists and famous political figures were beaten by their firstborns.

Many are wondering why this is happening. Birth order is not a sentence. The most important thing is that a family with one child can give him more time, attention and resources for learning. Tests have shown that firstborns outperform other children by only 3 points.

Environment

Whether we will be able to use all the possibilities of our brain depends only on us: on our lifestyle, the availability of bad habits. Various diets and toxins affect the development of intelligence throughout life.

If the expectant mother smokes, drinks, uses drugs, then the child is unlikely to be full-fledged. A person's mental activity can deteriorate if he drinks or poisons his own body.

Scientists have found that the level of intelligence in people from different countries is significantly different. Some tests have shown the dependence of the average IQ on the country's GDP, crime, birth rate, religion.

Several interesting facts about IQ:

• the higher the coefficient, the more sociable the person;
• breastfeeding increases the score by 3-8 points;
• during summer holidays the indicator decreases;
• a score above 115 guarantees that a person will be able to cope with any job;
• people with a score below 90 are more likely to become antisocial, end up in prison or live in poverty;
• the lower the IQ, the more difficult it is for a person to cope with stress;
• the higher the score, the more confident the person is.

Meaning of IQ scores

Most high level intelligence of the mathematician Terence Tao from Australia. He has a coefficient of over 200 points. This is very rare, because for most people the indicator barely reaches 100. Almost all laureates Nobel Prize are owners of high IQ - above 150 points. It is these people who help develop technologies, actively participate in research, make various discoveries, study space and physical phenomena.

Among prominent people worth noting are Kim Peek, who can read a page of a book in just a few seconds, Daniel Tammet, who is able to memorize an incredible amount of numbers, and Kim Ung-Yong. He entered and successfully began his studies at the university at the age of 3.

Let's analyze all possible indicators of intelligence of IQ tests:

1. Above 140. These are people with an incredible mind, rare creative abilities. They can easily succeed in scientific activity. Bill Gates, Stephen Hawking can boast of such an indicator. People with high IQ make the greatest discoveries, are the geniuses of their era. It is they who explore space, create new technologies, look for cures for diseases, study human nature and the world. The percentage of such individuals is only 0.2 of the world's population.
2. Index 131-140. This level boasts 3% of the world's population. They include Arnold Schwarzenegger and Nicole Kidman. Successful people who achieve their goals have a high level of intelligence. They can become successful politicians, managers, heads of companies, specialists in science.
3. Index 121-130. High level intelligence. People with this indicator are easily given training at a university. They make up 6% of the population. They are successful, often become leaders, are actively engaged in creativity.
4. Index 111-120. Above average intelligence. It occurs in 12% of the population. They love to learn, they do not have any problems with the sciences. If a person loves and wants to work, then he can easily get a well-paid job.
5. Index 101-110. Most people on the planet with this level of intelligence. This is the average IQ, which indicates the usefulness of a person. Many of its holders hardly graduate from high school, but with sufficient effort they can study and get a good job.
6. Index 91-100. The result for a quarter of the world's population. If the test showed such a result, do not despair and be upset. Such people study well, can work in any field that does not require significant mental effort.
7. Index 81-90. The ratio is below average. It occurs in 10% of people. They do pretty well in school, but rarely get higher education. More often they work where they do not need to make mental efforts, they like to work more physically.
8. Index 71-80. Approximately 10% of the population with this level of intelligence. It occurs in people who suffer from mild mental retardation. They often study in specialized schools, but they can also study in normal secondary educational institutions. Only their successes rarely rise above average.
9. Index 51-70. It occurs in 7% of the population who have a mild form of mental retardation. Rarely are full-fledged members of society, but they can live independently and take care of themselves without outside help.
10. Indicator 21-50. A very low level of intelligence, which occurs in 2% of people. Individuals suffer from dementia, are far behind in development from their peers. They cannot learn normally, have guardians who help take care of themselves.
11. Below 20. Such people are no more than 0.2% of the population. This is an indicator of a severe form of mental retardation. Such people cannot live on their own, go to work, earn their own food, clothing and accommodation, therefore they are constantly under guardianship. They cannot learn, often suffer from psychological disorders.

The result should not be taken as a single truthful instance. After all, the indicator depends on many factors: environment, heredity, lifestyle, place of residence, religion.

The Australian mathematician, the author of the Green-Tao theorem, has the highest IQ level, his name is Terence Tao. Getting results over 200 points is a very rare occurrence, because most of the inhabitants of our planet barely score 100 points. People with an extremely high IQ (over 150) can be found among Nobel laureates. It is these people who move science forward, make discoveries in various professional fields. Among them are the American writer Marilyn vos Savant, the astrophysicist Christopher Hirata, the phenomenal reader Kim Peak, who can read a page of text in a few seconds, the Briton Daniel Tammet, who memorizes thousands of digits, Kim Ung-Yong, who studied at the university at the age of 3, and other famous personalities. with amazing abilities.

How is a person's IQ formed?

IQ level is influenced by several factors, including heredity, environment (family, school, social status person). The age of the test subject also significantly affects the result of passing the test. At the age of 26, as a rule, a person's intelligence reaches its peak, and then only decreases.

It is worth noting that some people with exceptionally high IQ's Everyday life were completely helpless. For example, Kim Peak could not fasten the buttons on his clothes. In addition, not everyone has such a talent appeared from birth. Daniel Tammet gained his ability to memorize vast numbers of numbers after suffering from a terrible epileptic seizure as a child.

IQ level above 140

People with IQs over 140 are excellent creativity who achieved success in various scientific fields. Among famous people with an intelligence test result of 140 - Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking. Such geniuses of their era are known for their outstanding abilities, they contribute incredibly high contribution in the development of knowledge and science, create new inventions and theories. Such people are only 0.2% of the total population.

IQ level from 131 to 140

Only 3% of the population has a high IQ. Among famous people, with a similar test result - Nicole Kidman and Arnold Schwarzenegger. it successful people with high mental abilities, they can reach heights in various fields of activity, science and creativity. Want to check who is smarter - you or Schwarzenegger?

IQ level from 121 to 130

The intellectual level above the average shows only 6% of the population. Such people can be seen in universities, as they are usually excellent students in all disciplines, successfully graduate from universities, realize themselves in various professions and achieve high results.

IQ level from 111 to 120

If you think that average level iq is about 110 points, then you are wrong. This indicator refers to intelligence above average. People with test scores between 111 and 120 are usually hardworking and have a life long pursuit of knowledge. There are about 12% of such people among the population.

IQ level from 101 to 110

IQ level from 91 to 100

If you passed the test, and the result turned out to be less than 100 points, do not be upset, because this average is in a quarter of the population. People with such indicators of intelligence study well at school and universities, they get jobs in the field of middle management and other specialties that do not require significant mental effort.

IQ level from 81 to 90

One tenth of the population has a level of intelligence below average. Their IQ test scores are between 81 and 90. These people usually do well in school, but most often do not get higher education. They can work in the field of physical labor, in industries that do not require the use of intellectual abilities.

IQ level from 71 to 80

Another tenth of the population has an IQ level of 71 to 80, which is already a sign of mental retardation of a lesser degree. People with this result mostly attend special schools, but may also graduate from regular schools. primary school with average marks.

IQ level from 51 to 70

About 7% of people have a mild form of mental retardation and an IQ level of 51 to 70. They study in special institutions, but they are able to take care of themselves, and are relatively full members of society.

IQ level from 21 to 50

About 2% of people on Earth have a level intellectual development from 21 to 50 points, they suffer from dementia, an average degree of mental retardation. Such people cannot learn, but are able to take care of themselves, but most often have guardians.

IQ level up to 20

People with a severe form of mental retardation are not amenable to training and education, they have an intellectual development level of up to 20 points. They are under the care of other people, because they cannot take care of themselves, and live in their own world. There are 0.2% of such people in the world.