Low intelligence: signs, features and interesting facts

September 6, 2018
Psychological terms
Denis Dmitriev

An indicator of intelligence level usually means a certain quantitative assessment of a person’s mental capabilities. For such quantitative measurements, special IQ tests were invented, the most popular and significant of which is the Eysenck test. The widespread availability of testing today makes it possible to check IQ levels and promptly identify signs of low intelligence.

The objectivity of IQ tests

The level of intelligence in a general sense demonstrates how broad a picture of the world is drawn in the thinking of an individual. The more extensive a person’s understanding of the structure of reality, the higher the IQ. In people with low intelligence, signs of a low level of intelligence are always insufficient abilities to learn and develop.

However, any IQ tests cannot be considered completely objective and accurately rank people by intelligence level. Testing is just one of the methods for determining intellectual capabilities. No less important is the analysis of human behavior, by which one can recognize the general level of thinking and intellectual capabilities of an individual.

What determines our level of intelligence?

Intelligence is the ability to perceive and solve problems. Intelligence includes human cognitive abilities: sensation, perception, memory, representation, thinking, imagination.

Humanity cannot say unambiguously what intelligence depends on. For example, we know for sure that thinking is a function of the brain. It can be assumed that intelligence depends on some characteristics of the brain and nervous system: the volume and relief of the brain, the amount of gray matter, the speed of nerve impulses. Moreover, it is more likely that combinations of different characteristics influence it. If we consider each characteristic separately, then it is impossible to identify its influence on intelligence. For example, women's brain volume is on average smaller than men's. But on average, women perform as well as men on IQ tests. This fact also suggests that intelligence does not depend on biological sex.

Scientists have also not established the influence of race or nationality on intelligence. Ushakov in his book “Psychology of Intelligence and Giftedness” provides the following data: black orphans raised in foster families with access to better education have higher IQ scores. It is likely that intelligence in this case was influenced more by social factors than by hereditary factors. This is confirmed by studies of twins with an identical set of genes, cited by Steward Ritchie. While twins are children, their IQ levels are approximately equal, and this can be explained by genetics. As children grow older, they begin to create their own environment for themselves: some spend time reading books and other activities, others loiter around. Then, with the same heredity, the IQ level ceases to be equal. It turns out that as we age, we have more control over our environment. And the environments we create affect IQ levels.

Other facts also speak about the influence of external factors on intelligence. The average IQ level is higher in countries with a high standard of living. The quality of food and health care, access to education, crime rates and social attitudes in society can also affect IQ levels.

Surprisingly, the average IQ level is gradually increasing both in the world and in individual countries. This process is called the Flynn effect, named after the scientist who collected data on these changes. The Flynn effect is paradoxical: the average IQ level increases every 10 years. This is too short a period of time for genetic and evolutionary changes. In addition, these data do not allow one to firmly link intelligence with heredity, race, nationality, gender, or brain characteristics. It turns out that people become “smarter” for various reasons, and the level of intelligence does not depend on anything specific.

How the average IQ has changed over time / Source: book Intelligence: All that Matters

Signs of low intelligence

Considering that it is impossible to determine the level of thinking abilities solely by tests, experts identify a number of signs by which people with low IQ stand out from others. The list of signs includes the following:

lack of maturity in all areas of life;
the individual's inability to focus on dialogue;
inability to plan one's own life;
changing jobs too often;
reluctance to listen to criticism addressed to oneself;
lack of basic skills for a normal life in society.

Each individual sign does not provide a complete vision of the level of intellectual capabilities of a particular person. Most of the listed signs can be considered indirect indicators of a low IQ level. The presence of several of the above signs and the corresponding test results allows you to more accurately determine the level of intelligence.

Myth six

IQ is a constant value.

In fact

First, it is necessary to distinguish between real intelligence and IQ test scores. Actual abilities may vary slightly depending on your mood, well-being, and even self-esteem. As for the test problems, you should always remember: the situation in which the test taker finds himself is somewhat artificial. A person may misunderstand poorly formulated or poorly translated into Russian (there have been such cases) task conditions. He may lose interest in this activity in the middle of a test or become inattentive. And vice versa: you can train yourself to solve problems from the Eysenck test so that they will bounce off your teeth. But this will by no means indicate that his intelligence has increased unspeakably.

Immaturity of thinking

It manifests itself in the form of infantilism in a person’s views, reasoning, worldview and behavior. It is often found in adult men and women as an inability for normal communication and social interaction with the outside world.

Experts suggest that current generations of children are growing slower in terms of mental maturity than previous generations. The influence of modern technologies also leads to a deterioration in verbal and non-verbal communication skills, which undoubtedly reduces the intellectual abilities of humanity as a whole.

IQ tests only demonstrate the ability to pass these same tests

IQ is a complex indicator made up of the results of tests for logical and spatial thinking, the ability to compare and summarize facts, tests of working memory, vocabulary, and speed of thinking. Moreover, people who score more on one test usually score more on others. Psychologists call this the general intelligence factor (g-factor).

Scientists have established a connection between IQ and various indicators in life. The most significant relationship, unsurprisingly, is between intelligence test scores and school performance. According to one study, participants' IQ scores at age 11 were directly correlated IJ Deary, S. Strand, P. Smith, C. Fernandes. Intelligence and educational achievement / Intelligence with their grades at 16 years old.

But that is not all. Higher IQ scores predict greater success NR Kuncel, SA Hezlett. Fact and fiction in cognitive ability testing for admissions and hiring decisions / Current Directions in Psychological Science in the workplace, higher income T. Strenze. Intelligence and socioeconomic success: A meta-analytic review of longitudinal research / Intelligence, the best physical Early life intelligence and adult health / BMJ and mental CR Gale, GD Batty, P. Tynelius et al. Intelligence in early adulthood and subsequent hospitalization for mental disorders / Epidemiology health. And even the long life of GT Christensen, EL Mortensen, K. Christensen, M. Osler. Intelligence in young adulthood and cause-specific mortality in the Danish Conscription Database – A cohort study of 728,160 men / Intelligence .

Absent-mindedness in conversation

This sign of low intelligence in adults includes the inability to maintain constructive dialogue. This phenomenon is often observed in families where adults interrupt younger generations, not allowing them to finish, interrupting their discussions and getting in the middle of the conversation.

In such a situation, for example, the father listens to the children’s conversation on a topic unfamiliar to him and interrupts them with his own comments, since the low level of IQ does not allow him to assimilate new information and reconcile it with the experience already in memory.

Low IQ - bad or not?

“A low IQ is not always a bad thing,” says Kholodnaya and gives several examples to support her words. The first is a study of the IQ level in children with mental retardation (delayed cognitive development). Despite low test scores, these children are very productive and original in their intellectual behavior. “Even a new theory has emerged: the theory of mindfulness. Mindfulness is selective awareness. The manifestation of this quality is precisely possible with a low level of intelligence,” explains Marina Kholodnaya. A good example of “mindfulness” is a study by American psychologist Robert Stenberg on measuring the intelligence level of adolescents in Africa using IQ tests. Since the tests were developed in Western Europe, it is not surprising that the results of representatives of other cultures were extremely low. At the same time, the children showed miracles of intelligence, but in a specific type of activity: collecting medicinal herbs. This is “mindfulness”.

Illiterate life planning

There is a fairly popular myth in society that keeping diaries or diaries is the lot of children, teenagers and narrow-minded adults. However, in reality, the basis of learning to plan life usually begins with the skill of organizing and allocating one’s own resources and time.

At the beginning of their journey, most successful businessmen learned to competently plan their affairs and daily routine, and keep records of income and expenses. Skillful ordering of life, in turn, is considered a sign of a person’s high level of intelligence.

The first IQ tests

The next move was made by the Frenchman Alfred Binet at the beginning of the twentieth century. Commissioned by the government, he created the first test to measure intelligence in children. These were 30 tasks that determined which of the subjects was gifted and which had developmental delays.

Binet’s work was used by his colleagues and they introduced the concept of “intelligence quotient,” that same IQ. He determined whether the “mental age” corresponded to the real one. For example, if a 10-year-old child can perform tasks for 15-year-olds, his IQ is 150 (15/10 x 100). Over time, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale was created for schoolchildren. It has been used in educational institutions for 20 years.

In 1939, American psychologist David Wexler created the first intelligence scale for adults . It was designed to control the educational and professional status of people. The test gained popularity: it was used in the army, during employment, in schools and universities, and the updated version is still used to this day.

The most popular and at the same time criticized is the Eysenck test . In 1945, a German-British psychologist created a series of 8 tests for adults, each with 40 questions. These are digital, text and graphic tasks that are solved using logic and against time. People who score less than 70 points are considered to have a “mental deficit.” A score of 100 indicates good ability, and the highest possible score is 160.

It is believed that Eysenck created his tasks for the Nazis as part of a project to breed a genetically ideal person. But the test was a success among people across Europe. Many simply wanted to measure their intelligence; others were required to do this at school or work.

But at the same time, Eysenck was criticized by other researchers, arguing that neither the tasks themselves nor the test results were credible. The test is designed for techies, not humanists, and assesses a person's mathematical and logical abilities, but not intelligence .

Non-permanent activity

Recruiters and HR managers, as a rule, call such people flyer applicants. The problem with these workers is usually that they cannot cope with the slightest changes, unforeseen circumstances and force majeure. The only solution found is immediate dismissal at the very first reporting period or emergency situation.

According to statistics, people with low intelligence change jobs at least once a year. They leave both on their own initiative and by order of management. The value of this characteristic increases if a person is not even capable of stable work at home, provided that it does not require special knowledge or skills.

Two theories of intelligence: “general” versus “multiple”

#1. Charles Spearman's theory

At the beginning of the twentieth century, British psychologist Charles Spearman presented a theory according to which intelligence is composed of two types of factors: G - general (general) and S - specific (special).

The G factor determines the success of any intellectual activity. This is a kind of “mental energy” that is responsible for solving various problems: from solving puzzles to academic performance and achieving professional goals.

But S-factors appear when performing one specific action. For example, while learning a foreign language, solving a mathematical problem, working with maps. Since the G-factor is responsible for overall performance, psychologists have tried to measure it.

To determine factor G, Eysenck tests, Raven's progressive matrices test, and Cattell intelligence tests are used.

#2. Howard Gardner's theory

American psychologist and Harvard University professor Howard Gardner believes that people do not have one “general” intelligence, but several autonomous ones. Moreover, it is impossible to measure human intelligence.

In 1983, Gardner developed the theory of multiple intelligences . The psychologist identified 8 of its types - all of them are present in humans, but only one is the main one. The predominant type of intelligence is responsible for key abilities, strengths and largely determines our lives.

8 types of intelligence:

Verbal-linguistic. The person has a rich vocabulary, loves to write and read, and studies foreign languages. He has beautiful speech, a good memory, and developed oratorical abilities. Professions: journalist, translator, writer.
Logical-mathematical. Such people work with numbers, easily analyze information, love experiments, and think abstractly. Well developed logical and mathematical abilities. Professions: mathematician, programmer, banker.
Visual-spatial. These people are receptive to color, shape, and lines. They easily process visual information and orient themselves in space. They are strong in drawing, drawing, designing. Professions: artist, architect, cartographer.

All business content in a convenient format. Interviews, cases, life hacks of the corporation. world - in our telegram channel. Join us!

Musical. A person has good hearing and a sense of rhythm. Loves to sing, play instruments, and compose melodies. He has a developed imagination and memory. Professions: singer, musician, composer.
Bodily-kinesthetic. Such people have perfect control of their body, love dancing and sports, are active, flexible and resilient. They have good coordination and developed tactile memory. Professions: actor, dancer, athlete.
Intrapersonal. These people are passionate about studying themselves, their feelings, emotions, experiences, desires. Interested in philosophy and psychology. Observant, reasonable, independent. Professions: psychologist, philosopher, writer.
Interpersonal. Developed leadership qualities, public speaking abilities, intuition and empathy. Such people are sociable, interact effectively with others, and love teamwork. Professions: teacher, diplomat, social worker.
Naturalistic. The person is passionate about nature and animals. Interested in chemistry, biology, ecology. Loves to observe and experiment. Professions: scientist, archaeologist, veterinarian.
Existential. Such people strive to study the world and understand life through religion, philosophy, and psychology. They are characterized by curiosity, prudence, and good logical thinking. Professions: public figure, philosopher, teacher.

“I used to be despised for my ignorance and stupidity, now I am hated for my intelligence and knowledge. What do they want from me? - said Charlie Gordon, the main character of Daniel Keyes' story "Flowers for Algernon."

High intelligence is not a guarantee of success, great achievements or world recognition. Any IQ is just a number that is falsely mistaken for human essence. People's real achievements are much more eloquent.

No IQ test can fully measure your intelligence, guarantee social success, or make you richer. He can only give you a grade and indicate your place on the illusory scale.

Inability to listen to criticism

A person who cannot adequately perceive criticism addressed to himself is either overly proud or has one of the signs of low emotional intelligence. Seeing only negative aspects in criticism implies that the individual is not able to rethink his own actions, adjust his behavior and change his views on certain things and events.

Perceiving criticism from anyone as an external threat is a direct sign of low intelligence. Other individuals are usually capable of some degree of introspection and reflection. As a rule, it is possible to convey to such people the fact that the motivation for criticism is an attempt to help, to point out shortcomings, and not to offend and humiliate.

Theremin experiment

Lewis Terman undertook to study the connection between intelligence and productivity . Back in the 1920s, he tested thousands of California school students and found 1,528 “gifted” girls and boys. The average IQ of these children was 151, and 77 of them had scores between 177 and 200.

The “selected geniuses” were nicknamed “termites” and their successes were observed. Scientific, professional and personal achievements were recorded throughout life. And this is what happened: all the subjects graduated from high school, two thirds graduated from universities, hundreds published scientific and artistic works, 126 people received a doctorate. “Termites” became teachers, doctors, lawyers, and engineers. But the majority did not achieve outstanding results; women in almost half of the cases turned out to be housewives.

Theremin came to the conclusion: intelligence and achievements are not always interconnected.

Courses on the topic:

HR and recruiting

People Management

Alexandra Alkhimovich, Top manager with 10 years of experience (Luxoft)

HR and recruiting

HR Director

Ekaterina Gubareva, VP of HR, Global Geo Lead at SoftServe

But here's what's interesting: among the children who were not accepted into the "termite" group were William Shockley and Luis Alvarez . Their IQ scores did not reach the threshold score.

Shockley is a physicist and inventor. He created the bipolar transistor, won a Nobel Prize, received more than 90 patents and was included in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Alvarez became one of the best experimental physicists of the twentieth century. He created the bubble chamber and received the Nobel Prize.

It turns out that the most reliable intellectual test is the test of time.

Inability to live

The lack of basic behavioral skills and lack of understanding of ethical standards in modern society are equated to signs of low levels of intellectual development. Another reason for this behavior may be the overprotectiveness of parents who have not adapted the child to independent life in the real world.

A mentally healthy person with a low IQ often becomes sloppy and unkempt. He may regularly forget to take a shower after a long day at work, or not clean the apartment for several weeks or months.

Myth seventh

There is a certain organization in the world, more secretive than the Masonic lodge, to which people with an IQ exceeding 170 belong. All of them are the princes of this world: heads of large corporations, influential politicians, famous public figures. However, if you are a janitor with exceptionally high intelligence, sooner or later this organization will notice you, take you under their wing, and then you are guaranteed an outstanding career.

In fact

It is even a little awkward to expose this myth with a humanistic background. Let those who like him continue to believe in him. In fact, there is a more democratic organization that unites people with high intelligence - Mensa International (https://www.mensa.org). It has nothing to do with power over this sinful world; Mensa is more about educational activities. But there is only one way to join this international fraternity: pass the notorious IQ test and show remarkable results.

Source - Be Healthy magazine

Factors influencing intelligence

The basis for the development of human mental abilities is made up of three main factors:

Heredity. Genes are considered one of the main factors. It has been experimentally proven that in highly intelligent families, children grow up more developed than their peers. Indicators of memory, thinking, speech literacy and ability to concentrate are usually higher in such children.
Environment. It is this that forms a person’s system of values, aspirations and goals. The ability to correctly choose your life task helps the intellect to develop to the proper extent.
Race, gender and age. A number of studies confirm that some races exhibit signs of low intelligence to a much greater extent than others. So, for example, Europeans are, on average, smarter than people from Africa, and men are smarter than women. Age also affects intelligence - the peak development of mental abilities occurs around the age of 25. Later, with age, intelligence gradually fades away.

What does IQ depend on?

It is important to remember that IQ does not determine intellectual abilities, but the speed of thinking processes. And they depend, to a greater extent, on the psychological qualities and physiological characteristics of a person.

To solve test tasks well, it is important for a person to:

be able to concentrate and have perseverance;
quickly analyze the text and highlight the main thing;
have a large vocabulary;
be fluent in spoken language;
possess logical thinking and spatial imagination.

Intelligence depends on heredity and social environment, with the contribution of genes, according to scientists, ranging from 40% to 80%. At different times, attempts were made to find the dependence of IQ on nationality, gender and other physiological data, but all of them were unsuccessful.

Statistics show that residents of developed countries have a higher average IQ. It is influenced by factors such as access to education, variety and quality of food, and level of medical care.

Intelligence levels change with age. The highest peak occurs around age 26, after which testing shows a decline in results.

Is it possible to increase the level of IQ? Good results are obtained by completing tasks to develop logic, memory, attention, and analytical thinking. To do this, you can solve crossword puzzles, play chess or poker, study foreign languages, read fiction, and study exact sciences.

Classical music, heavy and metal rock have a positive effect on the brain, which is confirmed by a number of studies. However, hip-hop and R'N'B, according to scientists, reduce the speed of thought processes.

The result of passing an IQ test largely depends on the person’s well-being. The level of intelligence decreases due to poor health, fatigue, excitement, and haste. To maintain high brain activity, it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle and monitor the condition of the body.

Interesting facts about low IQ

There are certain facts that indicate that a person has low intelligence. An individual with low mental abilities may be identified by one of the following signs:

Does not understand the feelings and emotions of other people.
Believes that others are too sensitive.
Never accepts a point of view different from his own.
Blames others for all his problems and mistakes.
The character is characterized by sharp and sudden emotional outbursts.
Cannot cope with tense situations.
Empathy is almost completely or completely absent.
Doesn't know how to maintain friendly relationships with people.

It is important to remember that determining the level of intelligence by just a few indicators is biased and cannot be an argument proving the lack of developed mental abilities in a person.

A few more characteristics of people with low EQ levels

They are not interested in people, they do not want to understand what their character is, what is hidden behind their actions.
They experience negative emotions, but often cannot understand the reason for them.
They are focused on themselves and do not always notice that others need help.
They are afraid of mistakes and do not draw conclusions from them, have a hard time recovering from failure, often become fixated on mistakes, and engage in self-flagellation.
They don't trust intuition and think it's stupid.
They adapt poorly to new conditions and do not like change.
They do not know how to listen and hear.

In order to determine your level of emotional intelligence, you can also take a test developed by psychologist Nicholas Hall.

IQ is just a reflection of social conditions

Intelligence is a complex phenomenon that is determined by both genetics and environment. Environmental conditions can, to some extent, suppress the intellectual potential hidden in a child's genes.

For example, in cases where there is not enough food for brain development. Or when the brain does not receive the necessary resources, because some of them are absorbed by parasites in the body, which is also found in developing countries.

But studies of twins and DNA directly confirm R. Plomin, IJ Deary. Genetics and intelligence differences: Five special findings / Molecular Psychiatry that intelligence is inherited. A significant portion of the variation in IQ scores is due to genetics. Scientists have already begun identifying specific genes G. Davies, N. Armstrong, JC Bis et al. Genetic contributions to variation in general cognitive function: a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in the CHARGE consortium (N=53,949)/Molecular Psychiatry responsible for these differences. Therefore, it is impossible to say that IQ reflects only the conditions of the social environment.