FurthurBB, on 26 November 2012 - 02:27 PM, said:
How did you avoid it when you were in primary school? They tested my IQ constantly, so much so that I learned how to get low or high numbers that have nothing to do with my actual IQ. They did a lot of IQ tests on my children too. Also, I am dumbfounded to read these stories about how adults and peers were mean to people because they were above average intelligence. I spent most of my primary and secondary school life wishing the teachers would leave me alone and stop finding things to sign me up for. When I found out that my oldest daughter had a very high IQ, I was against sending her down that same path. Although, I probably went too far in the other direction.
Standardized tests like the SAT, ACT and GRE--all of which I've been required to take as a part of my education here in the U.S.-- are not IQ tests, though they may correlate with them. They are certainly correlated with educational attainment. I've never taken an official IQ test such as Stanford-Binet, WISC, WAIS, etc. I'm guessing from your use of "primary" school that you're from Britain?
I've taken many standardized tests required for school and a few summers ago I took an aptitude test because I thought it would help me figure out what sorts of careers would be best for me, based on my strengths and weaknesses. They all seem artificial and limited to me. For example, multiple choice or analogy vocabulary tests can't tell you if you truly understand what a word means. You can have a general sense for the meaning of a word and have no idea how to use it properly in a sentence or in writing without prompting. Or you could just be good at test-taking and eliminating incorrect answer choices.
I agree in that I don't think intelligence, by itself, determines the way in which you are treated. Personality, attitude and confidence are often more important in this regard.
Edited by Cybele, 27 November 2012 - 04:04 AM.