Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on Apr 18^th, 2016 at 11:10am:



Yes; that is after all, what I said.

ian wrote on Apr 18^th, 2016 at 11:19am:




Danger of stating this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race_and_intelligence

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on Apr 18^th, 2016 at 11:23am:


Is that what all the drama is about , my goodness.

So tell us where you get your information Donald Trump has a low IQ , this should be good.

Karnal wrote on Apr 18^th, 2016 at 10:53am:



Fascinating, Sir Humphrey.  It explains why Muslim Arabs are such over-achievers in the arts, humanities, science and technological innovation. I often wondered why it was so but now I wonder no more - it's the wheat and memorising the Koran.


Thanks.

ian wrote on Apr 18^th, 2016 at 11:30am:



No, it just means thinking a tad harder.


Also tends to indicate as well IQ and measurement of it is multifactorial, not just genetics, not just environment.

Prime Minister for Canyons wrote on Apr 18^th, 2016 at 10:56am:


IQ tests measure the literate. The IQ test was designed in the early 20th century to test for intellectual disability. "Mor-ons, idiots, subnormals", etc.

The IQ test has subsequently been adapted to test the "normal". Psychologists now use WISC and Weschler to test cognitive/intellectual functioning.

You can't properly assess illiterate people using IQ tests. Theoretically, this doesn't mean the illiterate would have low IQs, but this is highly likely based on the focus of the test.

IQs change over time. As we've become more of a knowledge-based information society, IQ scores have risen accordingly. Our grandparents had far lower IQs. Agrarian cultures have lower IQs. This is because they don't use abstract reasoning as much as those in the cities.

The same applies to countries. Developing countries have no way of testing their citizens on mass, but depending on their economies, they would have lower IQs as a matter of course. Service economies have higher IQ levels because they perform more abstract reasoning. They have better schools, better internet coverage, better information systems.

When an economy develops, IQ develops accordingly, but the gulf states are an interesting enigma. Oman has the highest GDP per capita in the world, but it still has low national IQ estimates based on the data from Wikipedia.

The Gulf states have developed using foreign planning and foreign labour. The capital, however, is still in Arab hands. Saudi finance kept the rest of the world afloat through the 1970s and 80s. It's responsible for much of the development of South East Asia and Latin America.

This fact alone calls Templer's thesis to question. Templer's work - starting with African American poverty and IQ - can't be applied to the rich Gulf states. The wealth of the Gulf states alone blows out Templer's thesis that skin pigmentation is the biggest predictor of IQ levels.

ian wrote on Apr 18^th, 2016 at 11:19am:


Abstract reasoning is left brain, Ian. The left brain processes maths and language. The right brain processes memory and special awareness.

And yes, low Aboriginal IQ levels might show that historically non-literate cultures have a tendency towards low IQ. But if you pay any attention to the psychologists who administer these sorts of tests, intergenerational poverty and trauma are the key causes of low levels of abstract reasoning.

Karnal wrote on Apr 18^th, 2016 at 11:33am:


I agree with you on all of this. Do you think preference towards reading one particular book plays a part in countries like Oman from being represented in the publishing of scientific papers or lodgement of patents?