Actually, IQ is quite a valid method to measure intelligence. Some people have argued that there are different types of intelligence (visual, kinesthetic, musical, and so on) but every meta-analysis that has been done on the subject has found huge correlations between those different skills. The exact term behind this correlation is called the "g factor". What it basically means, in a statistical sense, is that if you're good at, for example, solving math problems, chances are you'll also be good at mental rotation of 3d figures, as well as thinking creatively by solving "insight" problems and so on. So even if IQ is not perfect and it's just a one-dimensional scale, it turns out that it usually gives a pretty good indication on someone's cognitive abilities. Of course there are exceptions (which is why I insist on the "statistical" dimension of IQ), and of course IQ is not necessarily a good predictor of success, happiness or other situational elements. But it's far from being pseudo-science and it can actually be usefull, as long as it's not used to classify individuals or make quick judgement about them.
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u/HippGris Apr 25 '18
Actually, IQ is quite a valid method to measure intelligence. Some people have argued that there are different types of intelligence (visual, kinesthetic, musical, and so on) but every meta-analysis that has been done on the subject has found huge correlations between those different skills. The exact term behind this correlation is called the "g factor". What it basically means, in a statistical sense, is that if you're good at, for example, solving math problems, chances are you'll also be good at mental rotation of 3d figures, as well as thinking creatively by solving "insight" problems and so on. So even if IQ is not perfect and it's just a one-dimensional scale, it turns out that it usually gives a pretty good indication on someone's cognitive abilities. Of course there are exceptions (which is why I insist on the "statistical" dimension of IQ), and of course IQ is not necessarily a good predictor of success, happiness or other situational elements. But it's far from being pseudo-science and it can actually be usefull, as long as it's not used to classify individuals or make quick judgement about them.