Intelligence is often misunderstood, leading to many misconceptions about what it really entails. As a result, much of what we think we know about intelligence is actually inaccurate. Here are 18 widely believed “facts” about intelligence that scientists have debunked.
Gender Affects Intelligence
Gender does not affect a person’s intelligence. This is supported by the Expert Editor, which tells us that there’s no difference between men and women when it comes to logical thinking and it’s even been backed up by research. Stereotyping intelligence based on gender can have negative impacts on a person’s education and career.
Left-Brained People Are More Intelligent
There has been a theory that left-brained people are more intelligent compared to right-brained people, but science has proven it’s inaccurate. Intelligence requires the use of all areas of the brain, as it involves multiple brain functions. The intelligence of a person isn’t determined by which side of the brain they use.
Intelligence Is Fixed at Birth
The Harvard Gazette tells us that intelligence is not a fixed trait. Instead, research has shown that if parents encourage their children to adopt a growth mindset, they’ll have better educational outcomes. A child needs options available to always be able to learn to improve their cognitive abilities.
IQ Tests Measure Absolute Intelligence
IQ tests are able to identify different types of cognitive abilities, but they don’t reveal the overall intelligence of a person. A person’s educational and cultural backgrounds can impact IQ tests, which doesn’t make them 100% reliable when it comes to assessing a person’s intelligence.
Brain Games Increase Intelligence
There is no strong scientific evidence that shows brain games increase a person’s intelligence. Instead, these games increase specific task performance rather than a person’s general intelligence. If a person wants to improve their intelligence, there are other tasks to try out, such as reading a variety of books.
More Brain Usage Equals Higher Intelligence
There’s a common myth that people only use 10% of their brains. This is false, and science has shown that there’s widespread activity throughout the brain when carrying out a simple task. It’s the efficiency of the brain, not the amount of brain used, that gives a person higher intelligence.
Emotional Intelligence Doesn’t Affect Career Success
If a person wants to work towards leadership roles in their career, then they’re going to need emotional intelligence. It’s an important trait that will allow them to successfully manage a variety of different people. It can be just as important as having the correct technical skills needed for the job.
Intelligence Can Be Accurately Measured
ScienceDirect writes, “After conducting the largest online intelligence study on record, a Western University-led research team has concluded that the notion of measuring one’s intelligence quotient or IQ by a singular, standardized test is highly misleading.” This is because intelligence is a complex trait and there’s far too much to measure.
Higher Education Means Higher Intelligence
A person’s academic achievements don’t just reflect their cognitive abilities; they can also be due to other factors such as a person’s opportunities and having access to higher education. Also, a person’s intelligence isn’t just because they’re smart; it can also be measured through creativity and the ability to adapt to situations.
Intelligence Is a Human Trait
Animals can also be incredibly intelligent. They’ll reflect this through their abilities to solve problems and through social behaviors. We can observe their intelligence through their communication and memory methods. For example, dolphins are known to have similar social habits to humans and we’re also closely linked to apes.
Children Are More Intelligent
There has been no evidence to suggest children are more intelligent than adults due to schooling. Instead, children are most likely to become intelligent through learning positive behaviors from their parents, such as in social interactions and family dynamics. According to scientists, a child’s intelligence comes from environmental factors.
Intelligence Declines with Age
It’s a myth that intelligence declines with age. In fact, it can do the opposite, as a person’s vocabulary and knowledge become much higher. Learning is something that’s lifelong. What can decline with age is a person’s processing abilities, such as being able to think strategically.
High IQ Guarantees Success
A high IQ has never guaranteed a person’s success. It will also be measured by factors that are equally important, such as emotional intelligence, resilience, and social skills. Having an IQ can be an advantage, but what success really comes down to is a person’s values and motivations.
Mental Health Issues Diminish Intelligence
This has become a common misconception because anxiety is known to affect a person’s performance. However, it doesn’t affect their cognitive abilities or reduce a person’s intelligence. Conditions such as anxiety and depression can negatively affect how a person interacts with others in their everyday life, which can then lead people to think they aren’t smart.
Poor Memory Equates to Low Intelligence
Memory capacity plays just a small part in a person’s intelligence, as it can vary so widely for each person. Techniques can also be implemented to try and improve a person’s memory. Intelligence goes much further than how much a person can remember and instead involves the ability to understand, how to apply knowledge, problem-solving, and memory.
Intelligence Peaks in Early Adulthood
A person is constantly learning; it isn’t something that peaks in early adulthood. Many people believe this because it’s the time when someone goes to college, which is the peak of an academic career. Many people have discovered that both their emotional and practical intelligence grow as they age.
High Intelligence Means Better Rational Decisions
Just because a person is intelligent doesn’t always mean they’ll make the best, most rational decisions. Anyone can make these types of decisions, regardless of how intelligent they are. This form of decision-making involves recognizing what a person wants and making a sensible decision based on it.
Intelligence Is Genetic
Medline Plus writes, “Intelligence is also strongly influenced by the environment. During a child’s development, factors that contribute to intelligence include their home environment and parenting, education and availability of learning resources, and healthcare and nutrition.” While genetics can play a small role, environmental factors matter the most.