Probably not exactly right at below average, but close enough for jazz imo.
people of averagish intelligence confusing mean and medians over here.
2 Likes
But maybe not?
2 Likes
Semi-serious question - is there a known explanation for why people think that intelligence is likely to be normally distributed? This seems like a dumb assumption to me, ironically enough. And paradoxically eugenicists seem believe this more than anyone! They literally have a book called the Bell Curve. Surely someone smart has written about this, Iâm just too lazy to look it up.
Isnât it rarer for something to not be normally distributed than the reverse?
4 Likes
I donât know of a single human characteristic that is normally distributed.
There are a lot of distributions that are not normal or the reverse of normal!
Central Limit Theorem?
2 Likes
Well, now we really know Iâm not a math guyâŚ
I donât consider myself a math guy either, but from what I know Central Limit Theory deals with samples. I am talking about the distribution if intelligence. Assuming IQ is reasonably defined and quantifiable why should I assume that the population distribution has a gaussian distribution, or even something close to it? That seems a very strange assumption to me. whatâs even weirder is that people who donât believe it still claim it as true! Not very smart imo.
Because IQ test results are normally distributed even though IQ is not?
Is there any proof of this?
Not that it would matter as most people donât take IQ tests. Nor do IQ test takers represent a random sample of the population I would imagine. If IQ test results are normally distributed (I assume they are not btw) then that may actually be evidence that they donât do a good job!
I think the Army administers some type of intelligence test. Not a random sample, but maybe closer to it when there is a draft.
So I canât check the citations on that, but this sounds exactly like what I am talking about. You start with a model distribution that you just made up and when the empirical data from your sample doesnât match that model you âtransformâ it so that it does. Sounds a lot like begging the question to me!
The question for me is why is it important for me to think that IQ is normally distributed. Why is that assumption important to make?
For sure the army sample will be subject to systematic bias (I will let others elaborate), but what does the raw data look like? Whos got that data?
First thing that came to mind about people that is easily quantifiable.
1 Like
Anything thatâs a combination of random variables tends to be Gaussian (thatâs why Gaussians are everywhere), right? Same reason heights are normally-distributed. The more complicated it is, the more likely the distribution is to be Gaussian.
1 Like
This first made me ahead of the curve fat. Then I realized Iâm just off the chart old.
3 Likes