In a nutshell: Intelligence vs IQ

From numeracy to confidence, your intelligence is defined as your capacity to take in, understand and interact with your environment. The term refers to your ability to function in society through problem solving, reasoning, numeracy, emotional sensitivity, verbal communication, physical dexterity, and a host of other skills. In this way, intelligence can be linked to personality.

Your IQ, or intelligence quotient, however, uses an aptitude test to measure your spatial, verbal and mathematical dexterity, the results of which give a measure of your relative intelligence compared with that of your peers. Interestingly IQ is affected by factors relating to the concepts of ‘nature’ versus ‘nurture’. So while your genes will inevitably impact on your IQ score, what’s also interesting is that social factors, such as good nutrition as a child, will also improve scores.

While research has shown that damage to the brain’s frontal lobes – also known as the ‘seat of intelligence’ – may affect an individual’s ability to concentrate or make rational decisions, that damage won’t necessarily affect their IQ. This suggests that other parts of the brain are also concerned with IQ and intelligence.

IQ Scores

<55: Severely challenged (<1% of test takers) 55-69: Challenged (2.3% of test takers)

70-84: Below average

85-114: Average (68% of test takers)

115-129: Above average

130-144: Gifted (2.3% of test takers)

>144: Genius or extraordinary genius (<1% of test takers)