IQ has little meaning
By far the most common concept associated with giftedness is IQ, primarily and probably only because provides a quantitative measurement. However, IQ provides merely a false sencse of certainty, though it is one that many people find appealing, particularly in terms of funding for youth or for convincing anybody doubting the idea that the individual in question needs to be challenged more. But as an underlying factor it is insignificant.
The value that was once attached to the IQ score, which was seen to serve as a comprehensive explanation for and predictor of success in life, disappeared way back in the 1980s and 1990s. This has most certainly been the case since the concept of the EQ became fashionable, a concept which, by the way, is just as difficult to specify.
Indirectly taking IQ into consideration may, in some cases, have some merit, but I hesitate to attach any real importance to it, primarily because:
- measuring IQ gives an incomplete result in terms of overall intelligence. At the most, an IQ test measures only aspects of logical-mathematical intelligence and verbal intelligence and this means that Dr Howard Gardner’s six other multiple intelligences (listed below) are not taken account:
- Visual-spatial;
- Intrapersonal;
- Interpersonal;
- Bodily-kinaesthetic;
- Musical-rhythmic;
- Naturalistic.
- it is unclear what an IQ test actually measures and what the result stands for, there is no psychological construct defined;
- this method for measuring intelligence results in a great number of false negatives, meaning that many people become labelled as not being gifted when they in fact are;
- potential for gifted behaviour requires more than just intellectual capacity: also motivation and creativity (Renzulli).
- whether potential for gifted behaviour is developed into actualised excellent behaviour and/or performance, requires an alighnment of a lot of other internal and external factors (Mönks, Heller, Gagné), often witch: not the case.