65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence

[Sweden]

Well, as long as the insults are about the right people...

Insults about anyone are dull and boring, if a post consists of nothing else.

 

[psikeyhackr]

Insults about anyone are dull and boring, if a post consists of nothing else.

Some insults are quite entertaining. They do tend to go over the heads of the targets in those instances.

 

[RAMOSS]

There are too many posts like this on DP. Consisting only of a childish insult, dull and boring.

What a childish insult, dull and boring.

 

[Noodlegawd]

65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys

Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this “smarter than average” effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys​

Abstract​

Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this “smarter than average” effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether they agreed with the statement, “I am more intelligent than the average person.” After weighting each sample to match the demographics of U.S. census data, we found that 65% of Americans believe they are smarter than average, with men more likely to agree than women. However, overconfident beliefs about one’s intelligence are not always unrealistic: more educated people were more likely to think their intelligence is above average. We suggest that a tendency to overrate one’s cognitive abilities may be a stable feature of human psychology.
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Introduction​

The statement that a majority of people claim to be more intelligent than average is literally a textbook example of overconfidence and self-enhancement [1–6]. Here we ask whether such “intelligence overconfidence” is reliably found in large samples weighted to be nationally representative, differs by method of data collection (telephone or online), and varies according to demographic factors including sex, age, and race/ethnicity. The answers to these questions will help solidify the evidence base for popular claims in psychology and contribute to research on self-perceptions, overconfidence, and intelligence.
Most demonstrations of the “smarter than average” effect are conducted using convenience samples, a method that raises concerns about generalizability [7,8]. Some studies have improved upon convenience sampling by collecting nationally representative survey data from college [9] and high school [10] students to measure change in self-positivity and narcissism over time. However, student populations suffer the limitations of failing to represent older and less-educated people, differing from the general population in income, race/ethnicity, and sex, and potentially having difficulty imagining the “average person” outside of a university environment.

*Do you believe Americans in general are more intelligent than average?

I'm not all that surprised.

50% are right, and 15% are just stupid.

 

[Gordy327]

I'm not all that surprised.

50% are right, and 15% are just stupid.

I think you might have those numbers reversed.

 

[Noodlegawd]

I think you might have those numbers reversed.

I was only breaking down the 65%.

 

[What if...?]

Knowledge and intelligence are not the same thing. Good education can increase the former but not the latter.

I have noticed that there is some effect on intelligence that comes with education. Something to do with exercising the brain maybe? It’s anecdotal small sample, but it’s comparing kids in their first year of college and kids in their last from a decent cohort.

Intelligence is such a nebulous thing anyway. So much variance in both level and focus.

And from what is measured, it would seem that some elements could be trained.

As an illustration, when they tested my IQ in second grade in california they thought for a couple of weeks that I was a one in a billion prodigy.

Turned out I had a card file box of brain teaser puzzles with the question on the front and the answer on the back, every encyclopedia brown book in print, other puzzle books etc.

So I had been inadvertently practicing for the IQ test. They told us from some of the other metrics that I was smart but it wouldn’t be possible to get an accurate test for years because I had trained my brain to answer the kinds of questions they ask in those tests.

I agree you can’t learn to be a genius. But you might be able to train a near genius into a genius.

 

[Sweden]

I have noticed that there is some effect on intelligence that comes with education. Something to do with exercising the brain maybe? It’s anecdotal small sample, but it’s comparing kids in their first year of college and kids in their last from a decent cohort.

Intelligence is such a nebulous thing anyway. So much variance in both level and focus.

And from what is measured, it would seem that some elements could be trained.

As an illustration, when they tested my IQ in second grade in california they thought for a couple of weeks that I was a one in a billion prodigy.

Turned out I had a card file box of brain teaser puzzles with the question on the front and the answer on the back, every encyclopedia brown book in print, other puzzle books etc.

So I had been inadvertently practicing for the IQ test. They told us from some of the other metrics that I was smart but it wouldn’t be possible to get an accurate test for years because I had trained my brain to answer the kinds of questions they ask in those tests.

I agree you can’t learn to be a genius. But you might be able to train a near genius into a genius.

I 'liked' your comment not because I agree with all of it but because it is thoughtful and - well -intelligent.

 

[Slartibartfast]

I have noticed that there is some effect on intelligence that comes with education. Something to do with exercising the brain maybe? It’s anecdotal small sample, but it’s comparing kids in their first year of college and kids in their last from a decent cohort.

Intelligence is such a nebulous thing anyway. So much variance in both level and focus.

And from what is measured, it would seem that some elements could be trained.

As an illustration, when they tested my IQ in second grade in california they thought for a couple of weeks that I was a one in a billion prodigy.

Turned out I had a card file box of brain teaser puzzles with the question on the front and the answer on the back, every encyclopedia brown book in print, other puzzle books etc.

So I had been inadvertently practicing for the IQ test. They told us from some of the other metrics that I was smart but it wouldn’t be possible to get an accurate test for years because I had trained my brain to answer the kinds of questions they ask in those tests.

I agree you can’t learn to be a genius. But you might be able to train a near genius into a genius.

It does seem interesting that people think of intelligence as a static thing and not like literally everything else in the human body which fluctuates capacity depending on usage, quality of nutrition, and environment.

 

[Sweden]

It does seem interesting that people think of intelligence as a static thing and not like literally everything else in the human body which fluctuates capacity depending on usage, quality of nutrition, and environment.

You are correct, intelligence is indeed affected by environment. Twin studies, in many countries over many years show that intelligence is 80% to 85% inherited. The remainder being heavily influenced by nutrition.

 

[What if...?]

It does seem interesting that people think of intelligence as a static thing and not like literally everything else in the human body which fluctuates capacity depending on usage, quality of nutrition, and environment.

I think the things they’re attempting to measure do vary from person to person.

The size of the concept one can get their head around. How many numbers one can hold and recall, revers order of. But I think they can be “Honed” to a degree.

And there are multiple types of genius: math, music, spatial/conceptual (that’s the one I got)

Then of course there’s the “hobble”. The smarter one is the more likely one is to have some limiting flaw, as if they had to give something up to make room for the genius.

 

[dmpi]

Intelligence. How can something so vast, complex, & varied be distilled into one or two numbers?

 

[noonereal]

I disagree - the reason that some do better on IQ tests is that they have experienced a better education. There have been lots of studies published showing the correlation.

There are also differant kinds of IQ tests.
Some are more favorable to certain types of intelligence.

 

[noonereal]

I don’t know, Allan.

I’ve seen examples of this phrase; Expensively schooled, negligibly educated.

People confuse intelect with education.

 

[noonereal]

I am somewhat more intelligent than the average rock.

You may be but don't take it for granite.

 

[Slartibartfast]

You may be but don't take it for granite.

That was a terrible pun, don’t mica habit of it.

 

[noonereal]

Excactly every one knows paying $3,000i in rent for a appartment in San Francisco is way cheaper then renting a house in Alabama for $900 bucks

You can't earn any money in Alabama.

I have tons of friends who have or do work here in NY to earn the better salaries planning to retire in the south where that money goes much further.
They simply can't earn anything close to what they do in the south.

 

[noonereal]

That was a terrible pun, don’t mica habit of it.

Rotflmao

 

[noonereal]

Well, call it what you want, but it's not as bad as people make it out to be. Huntsville's a great place to live. I've been back here for a little over a year.

City of Huntsville, Alabama, ‘Best Place to Live’ in U.S. News & World Report survey

Great news! The City of Huntsville, Alabama, is the 2022-2023 best place to live in the United States, according to a ranking by U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News recently analyzed 150 large metropolitan areas in the U.S. to find the best places to live based on job market, housing...

www.huntsvilleal.gov

A great place to live?!

Wtf. Not if you enjoy life.

It's in the middle of nowhere, not neat a coast line. It has a terrible climate. Very limited cultural options. Restaurants just as limited. No quality healthcare. Should I go on?

 

[Slartibartfast]

A great place to live?!

Wtf. Not if you enjoy life.

It's in the middle of nowhere, not neat a coast line. It has a terrible climate. Very limited cultural options. Restaurants just as limited. No quality healthcare. Should I go on?

Thanks to NASA Huntsville is a small island of civilization in the Alabama wilderness.

 

[Superfly]

A great place to live?!

Wtf. Not if you enjoy life.

It's in the middle of nowhere, not neat a coast line. It has a terrible climate. Very limited cultural options. Restaurants just as limited. No quality healthcare. Should I go on?

Good. Guess that means you won’t be moving here. Will be far easier to get a table at some of the outstanding diverse restaurants that we have here. Culture, museums, music venues, etc.

You stay where ever you are. We are quite fine without you.

 

[Superfly]

Thanks to NASA Huntsville is a small island of civilization in the Alabama wilderness.

Exactly. Guess noone thinks he knows more than US News and World Report.

 

[noonereal]

Good. Guess that means you won’t be moving here. Will be far easier to get a table at some of the outstanding diverse restaurants that we have here. Culture, museums, music venues, etc.

You stay where ever you are. We are quite fine without you.

Outstanding diverse restaurants?

Lol

A city of 200,000 in the middle of nowhere filled with college kids and military retirees caters to better foods from around the world?

My guess, they have an impressive selection of shot and beer , hamburger restaurants.

 

[noonereal]

Exactly. Guess noone thinks he knows more than US News and World Report.

I can set criteria to make Camden NJ look like a jewel. That is easy to do.

 

[psikeyhackr]

Intelligence. How can something so vast, complex, & varied be distilled into one or two numbers?

Psychologists are geniuses. They can do it.