Intelligence is a complex term that has no single universally accepted definition. Intelligence is defined in a lot of ways; one definition is that it is the person’s capacity to learn, to reason, and to understand. It also includes similar forms of mental activity; the aptitude to grasp truths, facts, meanings and relationships. According to the Theory of Multiple intelligence, a person has 8 different intelligences and these are the Bodily-kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Verbal-Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Naturalistic, Intrapersonal, Visual-spatial and the Musical Intelligences. With such a multipart and broad definition, how do we measure intelligence?
Intelligence tests like Intelligence Quotient (IQ) Tests are used as means to gauge our mental ability. These assessments aim to find out whether a person possesses an intellectual potential that may be beneficial to an educational or business institution. In an IQ Test, the average score is 100; anything higher than that would mean a high IQ and conversely, those lower than 100 would mean a low IQ.
In the field of education, an IQ Test is used for college and university entrance exams. They are being used by educators to categorise a student’s intelligence. When applying for a job, an examination is necessary before an applicant can be accepted by a company. It always follows that an employee with a high IQ will become more productive than those with a low IQ. It is a common notion that people who are intelligent, those who usually score higher in an intelligence test, are the ones who are likely to succeed in life. But there are other factors that may also affect a person’s capacity to succeed and may not necessarily be bound to one’s cognitive abilities. More often, success would mean that a person should also have a high emotional intelligence. It is in fact considered a fuel for one’s achievements. Some may score high in an intelligence test but would still find it difficult to manage people and situations. Therefore, it would be safe to say that for a person to climb the echelons of success there has to be a balance between emotional and mental intelligence.
Measuring one’s intelligence would really boost confidence, and would motivate those who get low scores to work harder in order increase their intellectual potential. As a very important tool to determine one’s aptitude in direct relation to scholastic abilities, work performance, and even social behavior, an IQ Test has become invaluable to society.
