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Tue, 21 May 1996 15:29:28 -0400 |
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Kathleen A.,
I am concerned that using the imprecise term genius when telling health
professionals about IQ studies would undermine our credibility. Here are the
intelligence classifications from the Weschler Intelligence Scale for
Children-Revised (the Wisc III is more current, and has slightly different
scores in each category, but I don't have a copy of that one.)
69 and below Mentally Deficient
70-79 Borderline
80-89 Low Average (Dull)
90-109 Average
110-119 High Average (Bright)
120-129 Superior
130 and above Very Superior
The standard deviation from the mean in this test is 15 points. 100 is the
mean. Other tests such as Stanford-Binet have the same mean (100) but may
have different standard deviations. The scores of 95% of all children fall
within 2 standard deviations below or above the mean. 99.9% fall within three
standard deviations either way. This gives the typical bell shaped curve. My
understanding is that the term genius is rarely used by psychologists and then
only applies to the very tip of the curve, and carries the connotation of
being a very creative thinker as well. If there are any psychologists/testing
experts on Lactnet, please give us your input.
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC NYC [log in to unmask]
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