I believe that the IQ tests that Terman and Hollingworth were using were effectively scaled differently from modern IQ tests. They may have corresponded to “mental age” as opposed to “standard deviations. In particular, they discuss IQ scores of 180, and there definitely aren’t enough people who are 5+ SD above the mean to get reliable scores in that range.
Thanks for pointing this out. Also, I think the important thing about the numbers was not that the modern and historical IQ scores be comparable, but that IQ correlated with maladjustment in Terman and Hollingworth.
See my discussion of aesthetic discernment here: it hasn’t been established as a valid psychometric construct, but I have very high confidence that that’s simply because psychology researchers investigated it carefully.
Maybe I’m misinterpreting, but do you mean ”...that that’s simply because psychology researchers haven’t investigated it carefully.”?
Relatedly, Benbow and collaborators also found that children who scored high on verbal and not math have greater social maladjustment than those who score high on math and not verbal (don’t have the references immediately on hand, can dig them up later if you want.)
There’s a link to that study in my comment that you just replied to.
Thanks for pointing this out. Also, I think the important thing about the numbers was not that the modern and historical IQ scores be comparable, but that IQ correlated with maladjustment in Terman and Hollingworth.
Maybe I’m misinterpreting, but do you mean ”...that that’s simply because psychology researchers haven’t investigated it carefully.”?
There’s a link to that study in my comment that you just replied to.
Yes, thanks, fixed.