From: gmark@cbnewse.cb.att.com (gilbert.m.stewart)
Subject: Re: IQ Test? 
Organization: AT&T
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 23:14:27 GMT

In article <1993Jan12.123204@massima.com> ajr@holly.massima.com (ARNOLD J RIMMER) writes:
>
>From: <01GTEV4BIAO2BDJFRV@ccfvx3.draper.com>
>>
>>>From: Arnold J Rimmer <ajr%ice.massima.com@surname.draper.com>
>>>Message-ID: <1993Jan11.103830@massima.com>
>>>
>>>People People People...
>>>
>>>What is all the fuss about?
>>>IQ tests are not true indicators of intelligence or of mental accuity...
>>>Outside of academic pursuits, does anyone really care what your IQ, SAT,

[.....]

>>I concur with your sentiment, but harsher judgements are made

Ditto.

[.....]
>
>Listen... I agree. It is not fair... that's my point.
>But studying to be a doctor and actually being a doctor are two different shades
>all together.  And as far as tests for continuing competency... where?
>At McDonalds? Food Lion?  To become a lawyer, one must pass the bar,
>to become a doctor one must get a medical degree, to become a professional
>engineer or accountant or even a beautician, one must pass some sort of 
>test to be qualified.  These are all tests of competency in a specfic area
>of life, whereas the IQ test is a sweeping generality of overall intelligence.
>For example, in order to lawfully drive a car in the US, one must have a
>driver's license.  To get a driver's license, you must pass the guidelines
>set up by Department of Transportation which includes a test.  The test
>determines whether the individual is competent to drive an automobile.

Please read this carefully and give it some careful thought.

You have to realize that cars are not a resource in short supply and that
driving is a PRIVILEGE, NOT A RIGHT.  If there were a shortage of cars
or highways, you can bet there would be a method of maximizing their
value.  And if there were not, you can bet that they would be doled out
to those with "extra clout", and that would be LESS FAIR.  Look at the
Soviet Union for an example of getting the "special favor" of buying
a car, and the cries of unfairness.

If you were to say, "everyone can go to college,"  how would you support
the cost?  If anything is not fair, it's that less intelligent rich people
can go, while those of the same intelligence without money often get
passed by.  But having people with a high probability of success being
denied college is simply not practical.

>This is an example of competency exam. A competency exam determines whether
>an individual has the skills to perform a certain tasks, ie drive a car.
>What does the IQ test measure?  The capacity of thought, intelligence,
>or just good test taking skills.  Well, actually, if you think about, the

Apparently, it works for the people that use them.

>IQ is supposed to measure mental competency.  But, what is the a measure of
>mental comptency, can you actually assign a value to someone's intelligence
>or grade them on scales of "ditch-water dumb" to "genius". How can you attain
>mental capacity or intelligence from a test?  Is it fair label people

People do that.  Other people.  Not the tests.  If you don't believe the
test is an indicator of a person's worth, you don't have to believe their
value for anything other than scholastic success.

But if you want to remove the testing in the cause of "fairness", then
be advised that you will create more unfairness than you are trying
to cure.

>as "idiots" or "genius" because of some answers they put on bubble sheet. 
>How can anyone possibly comprehend something as metaphysical as intelligence.
>The human mind is such an uncharted area in science as far as intelligence and
>capacity to learn and store information.
>
>The whole thing just disturbs me.

Understandable.  But the real world is, always will be, and always has
been competitive, because population always increases to fill the
available resources.  That's Parkinson's Law, and it is true.


GMS
Newsgroups: rec.org.mensa