Why IQ testing and MENSA can bite me

[garote]

I saw this question once, on a test from MENSA:

Which one is most different: A, F, N, H, E

It was a multiple choice question. Apparently there was one correct answer, and four that were wrong.
I considered each letter in turn for a couple seconds:

• A, because it’s the only letter that creates an enclosed space
  
• F, because it’s the only letter that doesn’t have symmetry
  
• N, because it’s the only letter that can be drawn in one stroke
  
• H, because it’s the only letter with symmetry on both axis
  
• E, because it’s the made up of four lines (all the others use three)
  

This question neatly encapsulates everything that I think is wrong with using a standardized test to judge ""intelligence"". Regular tests are all about recalling a fact, or applying a procedure to arrive at a solution. But an ""intelligence"" test is supposedly designed to test precision and cleverness, and be as independent of cultural bias as possible. Instead, every ""intelligence"" test I've come across has been an exercise in divining which approach, among many, the entity scoring the test expects you to use. Which can easily become a matter of cultural bias.

What is the point of questions like this? Of tests like this?

Comments

[graue.livejournal.com]

Did you just write that?

Your critique seems familiar to me. I think I read something years ago criticising the same question on the same grounds.

[beatings.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing the "correct" "answer" is F, because it's asymmetrical; my "tricky-dar" tells me that's the answer they expect. But, like you said, who the hell really knows?!

The point of MENSA, I think, is to make a few people feel better about themselves. And they can whip out their allegiance in internet arguments, in an attempt to impress people -- "I'm a member of MENSA, so I know what I'm talking about." I've seen it happen. The guy was patently fucking wrong.

[thegoodreverend.livejournal.com]

I've never taken the MENSA test, but I've aced plenty of standardized tests in my day - I'm just GOOD at them. It's certainly not the only way, or perhaps the "best" way to measure intelligence, but it is one way, and I think it's best seen that like that.

That said, MENSA and other test designers are usually very careful about questions that are as clearly ambiguous as your example. Some are bound to slip through, but then again, standardized tests often have 50-200 questions, so no single one makes or breaks the results. Standardized testing as a sole means evaluation is wrong, and unfortunately the case in some locations. But in some situations, it's really the only good choice.

As for MENSA, I can take it or leave it - so far I've not joined because it's primarily a social club, and my social card is full with other activities and groups that feature people like me - just like most people enjoy. That's all MENSA is. My Atheist group requires atheism as a condition for membership, most LUGs require some computer expertise or desire to learn, and MENSA requires a test. No problems there.

[akki.livejournal.com]

Actually, I wasn't thinking of how they look, but rather how they sound. If that's the case, my answer is H because you have to aspirate it.

but yeah, standardized testing can suck it.

[caffeina.livejournal.com]

I think the point of inane intelligence tests is to reward and encourage conformist thinking.

And those letters piss me off because they don't anagram out to a damned thing. (ocd issues, sorry)

[mommadona.livejournal.com]

but the things is... N isn't symmetrical

[conflictdswitch.livejournal.com]

What is the point of questions like this?
To mess with your mind.

Of tests like this?
So some people can make themselves feel and seem superior than other people. And having a "standardized" test that says so is a real ego boost as well.

BTW, I would pick N because it doesn't have a horizontal stroke like all the other letters.

MENSA

[ex-zeugma416.livejournal.com]

As has been well-established, intelligence is not the same thing as pure ratiocination. My question about MENSA has always been, why would somebody with truly superior intelligence even want to BELONG to such a club in the first place? Snobbery is an enormous character flaw. Doesn't its existence in a given individual bespeak a fairly low wattage in some area that the famous IQ test does not cover?

[graue.livejournal.com]

I agree with what everyone said by the way.