IQ Myths: Top 11 Misconceptions About Human Intelligence

Human intelligence is a complex and sometimes sensitive topic, which makes it particularly conducive to the development of IQ myths and misconceptions. Some are fairly innocent, causing misunderstandings over what IQ tests measure exactly, while others may lead to unfair bias and discrimination.

To better understand what IQ actually represents, we’ve consulted our experts and asked them to help us debunk some of the most widespread IQ myths.

In this article, we will review what they’ve told us.

Key Takeaways

• A high IQ may mean you’re smarter, but it doesn’t guarantee success, nor is it an actual achievement.
• Although IQ is primarily determined by genetics, it can change depending on your environment, education, or age.
• A genius IQ starts at 145, not 130, and you can’t obtain it through sheer practice; practice IQ tests can only boost your score by a few points.
• A common IQ myth that highly intelligent people are socially awkward has little basis in reality—they actually tend to be more adept and comfortable than others.

Top 11 IQ Myths & Misconceptions

There are numerous misconceptions and myths about IQ, largely related to what it indicates, what it results from, how it’s calculated, and what it measures.

Below, we will explore some myths about intelligence in more detail.

#1. High IQ Guarantees Success

IQ myths - High IQ Guarantees Success

A high IQ is often considered the most significant predictor of success, as it is presumed to lead to better education and higher income.

However, while it is true that a correlation exists, IQ isn’t the only factor that determines success, nor can it be a guarantee. On the contrary, relying solely on intelligence can only take you so far; the rest depends on your willingness to put in some work.

Still, considering that success is a complex concept that can be defined in many ways, even hard work might not be enough to achieve it. Sometimes, it’s all about being in the right place at the right time; in other words, sheer luck can play a crucial role in whether you succeed or not.

Finally, social class is not a negligible factor either, as people born into the upper class generally have access to more resources and connections conducive to success. As a result, their path is significantly easier than it is for those who grow up in poverty or third-world countries.

#2. IQ Is Fixed Throughout Life

Contrary to popular myth, IQ doesn’t stay consistent throughout your entire life. Although changes in adulthood typically aren’t drastic, the score can still oscillate by a few points.

Before adulthood, IQ grows and reaches its peak when you are approximately 18 years old. In fact, young adults (18–24) are thought to have the sharpest cognition, and their IQ is usually the highest. After that, it typically evens out and begins slightly declining with age.

These changes are usually explained through fluid and crystallized intelligence—two major components of general intelligence.

Fluid intelligence, which involves processing speed and the ability to learn and solve problems, increases until young adulthood, after which it starts to decline and sometimes even experiences sharp drops in old age.

On the other hand, crystallized intelligence grows steadily from childhood until old age since it encompasses all the knowledge that you accumulate over the years.

Once we combine these two components of intelligence, we get a fairly consistent result, which is why IQ doesn’t drastically change over the years.

However, it’s also far from fixed, and in the case of a brain injury or a disease like Alzheimer’s, IQ can experience significant drops that severely affect functioning and cognition.

To learn more about how IQ evolves over time, check out our related article, "Does IQ Change with Age?".

#3. EQ Boosts Career Success More Than IQ

While one school of thought claims that IQ is the most important factor in achieving success, another believes that emotional intelligence (EQ) is far more relevant. As we’ve established, the first claim isn’t entirely correct, but neither is the second.

Namely, the claim that EQ is a bigger predictor of success than IQ stems from a misinterpreted research paper by Salovey and Mayer, which claimed that IQ predicted 20% of career success while other factors, including EQ, accounted for the rest.

However, the misinterpretation that was popularized later made it sound like EQ exclusively explained the remaining 80% of success, disregarding any other factors. As a result, emotional intelligence became one of the most sought-after traits in the business world.

Yet, according to experts, emotional intelligence is difficult to measure, and the tests that do measure it aren’t as reliable as IQ tests. In other words, it can be a challenge to establish how emotionally intelligent someone is in the first place, much less determine what role EQ plays in success.

One thing is certain, though. When high IQ and high EQ work together, the road to success is far easier than it would be otherwise.

#4. People With High IQs Are Socially Awkward

An image of a socially awkward genius has been so popularized in the media that it’s created an IQ-related myth that highly intelligent people always experience difficulties interacting with others.

However, studies have shown the opposite: people with high IQs are often emotionally mature, better adjusted, and have highly developed social skills. As a result, they tend to fit in well and have rich social lives.

Of course, this isn’t a rule, either—some people with high IQs are indeed socially awkward and experience difficulty bonding with others and finding like-minded individuals. However, they are nowhere near as prevalent as Hollywood would have us believe.

Basically, IQ and personality traits, such as social awkwardness or social adeptness, may correlate to a minor extent, but they aren’t entirely dependent on one another. A highly intelligent person can have any number of traits—both those that are typically associated with high IQ and those that aren’t.

#5. IQ Is a Result of Formal Education

IQ myths - IQ Is a Result of Formal Education

Thanks to the Flynn effect, the phenomenon that shows that human intelligence has been steadily growing since the beginning of IQ testing, we now know that formal education is crucial for boosting IQ.

After all, schools teach us to think critically, solve problems, and memorize information, improving our fluid and crystallized intelligence.

However, while a correlation exists, IQ is certainly not the result of only formal education. In fact, children below school age can also have their intelligence tested and receive an official score.

Moreover, we know that genetics plays an even more significant role in determining IQ than education. In fact, over 1,000 genes contribute to your intelligence in a bigger or smaller way, influencing approximately 50–80% of your IQ.

Aside from genetics, many other factors, such as the environment and nutrition, also contribute to your overall intelligence level. As a result, not only is IQ a polygenic trait, but it’s highly complex even when we disregard genetics.

#6. IQ Tests Can Measure Global Intelligence

IQ tests measure general intelligence, which, as we’ve seen before, consists of fluid and crystallized intelligence. This type of intelligence, otherwise known as the “g factor,” is expressed as a single number that encompasses the development of various cognitive abilities.

However, global intelligence is more than that—usually, it’s considered to be intelligence as a whole, with all its various aspects, including Gardner’s multiple intelligences and emotional intelligence.

One of IQ tests’ major drawbacks is their inability to measure important aspects of intelligence such as social skills, visual-spatial intelligence, or the ability to understand oneself.

In other words, IQ tests can’t measure global intelligence; they only measure specific types of intelligence and your overall cognitive potential.

That’s not to say they aren’t a good representation of intelligence. While they aren’t ideal, IQ tests determine your mental ability and potential very well. Naturally, you shouldn’t rely on them unquestioningly, but you can use them to gain a general understanding of your cognition.

#7. Learning Agility Is More Important Than IQ

Learning agility is a relatively new concept that gained popularity in commercial settings but still isn’t properly defined.

Some of its proponents use this term to describe people’s coachability, or, in other words, their ability to learn from past mistakes. In contrast, others believe it refers to individual differences in learning ability.

However, if the second definition is true, then the concept isn’t new; rather, it’s precisely what IQ has been used to describe for over a century.

Whatever the case, there’s simply no relevant evidence showing that learning agility is more important than IQ. The uncertainty over what the term means only adds to the general confusion and makes it difficult to do actual research.

As a result, the concept remains a buzzword used in commercial and business settings but with little value for the scientific and psychometric communities.

#8. A High IQ Is an Achievement

Society places great value on high performance on tests, which may make it seem like receiving a high IQ score is some kind of achievement. However, it’s important to note that that’s not the case—IQ tests measure your largely innate intelligence.

In other words, it’s not a skill you’ve been working hard to master or knowledge you’ve obtained through studying. It’s something that you’ve been born with and naturally developed, thanks in part to your surroundings and education.

Besides, a high IQ on its own is hardly a guarantee of anything. While it does make your path toward success easier, it doesn’t ensure that you will reach it. Sometimes, people with lower IQs live far richer and more successful lives despite their apparent disadvantage.

#9. Genius IQ Starts at 130

Genius written on a blackboard with a light bulb lit next to it

Since one of the most famous high-IQ societies, Mensa, requires its members to have an IQ above 130, there’s a common IQ myth that this score indicates a genius level of intelligence.

In reality, while an IQ of 130 is undoubtedly gifted and indicates incredibly advanced cognition, an IQ of 145 is a sign of genius intelligence. People with scores higher than this are considered geniuses with cognitive abilities developed well above the norm.

It’s important to note that, while these distinctions are good to know, they aren’t particularly strict unless you’re trying to join a high-IQ society. For the most part, there’s little difference between an IQ of 144, a non-genius score, and an IQ of 145, the genius threshold.

#10. Practicing With IQ Tests Can Make You a Genius

It’s a well-known fact that taking practice IQ tests can help you get a higher score on an official test by allowing you to familiarize yourself with frequent questions and techniques used when solving tasks.

However, some people go so far as to think that regular practice can boost their score from average to genius—a difference of approximately 40 points. Of course, this is entirely unrealistic; if that were the case, IQ tests wouldn’t have much value.

Your IQ score can rise by a few points if you practice diligently, but you won’t suddenly become a genius unless you are close to an IQ of 145 to begin with. Ultimately, you shouldn’t make that your goal anyway; focus on improving your cognition, and the score will naturally improve.

#11. Raising Your IQ Is Impossible

Since IQ is largely heritable, it may seem like developing it is impossible, but that’s actually not the case. Exposing your brain to new experiences and challenges improves its neuroplasticity, which, in turn, boosts your cognitive performance.

This fact was observed in the famous case of Judit Polgar, one of the geniuses with the highest IQ in history. Judit’s father, Laszlo Polgar, set out to raise his daughters to be as intelligent as possible and prove that geniuses were made, not born.

As it turns out, he was successful with all three of them, but especially with Judit, whose IQ of 170 made her the best female chess grandmaster in history.

Of course, there is a possibility that Judit was gifted with a high IQ to begin with. However, her father’s specialized education and focus on developing her cognition through chess undoubtedly helped.

For that reason, it’s essential to train your brain through puzzles and memory games, as well as develop new neural pathways by practicing new skills and challenging your thoughts and opinions.

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Final Thoughts

With the amount of false information floating online, it’s easy to buy into one of many IQ myths and misconceptions.

Most of the time, the consequences aren’t too significant, but in some cases, these misconceptions can impact your beliefs and interactions with others—for example, if you believe a high IQ is an achievement, you may look down on those who don’t have it.

That’s why it’s important that you fact-check all common beliefs about IQ and remember that it ultimately speaks only about cognitive ability and potential but says nothing about a person’s worth.

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