[dirtboy]

The psychologist Oliver James said that too much reliance had been put on IQ measures as objective assessments of brainpower. “The IQ test is heavily culturally conditioned,” he said.

Wealthy countries developed the IQ test - so intelligence traits valued in those countries will of COURSE be weighted more heavily. But since the bias in the test is in line with the national trait being measured, it is therefore an accurate predictor of national wealth.

DUH....

[prognostigaator]

here comes the Bell Curve bump

[68skylark]

This is very interesting. Great post.

It's also very politically incorrect -- I'm surprised an article like this can be published without some kind of charges of "hate speech."

[marty60]

As with all socialist/fascist/commie/evil dum policies, the less educated, free and empowered the population, the more POWER theyhave. The evil dums have tried for 40 years to convince blacks that they are so downtrodden and stupid (Repubs fault don't ya know) that only some fascist Elitist Dum can take care of them. Luckily most Blacks didn't fall for it.

The teachers UNIONS hate the idea of testing. They might have to educate children instead of using them as political pawns.

[avg_freeper]

These researchers are suffering from a common ailment of statisticians, causality inversion.

It doesn't take a great deal of brains to bring wealth to a nation. The Wealth of Nations comes about from embracing free trade and vigorous capitalism. I even believe there's a book about that somewhere.

Wealth is created by a nation that makes a commitment to objective truth and private ownership while trusting its inhabitants to manage their own affairs. This will naturally be followed by increased education of the masses and a higher IQ.

[blam]

I thought that an IQ of 70-75 was considered mentally retarded. Is this correct?

[DoctorMichael]

REAL political incorrectness Bump.

[TRY ONE]

"The wealth of nations is mapped by their IQ"

All the kids of the world know this!
They know that Santa Clause brings expensive gifts to all the rich kids and crappy gifts to all the poor kids.

Conclusion: The rich kids are smart enough to ask for the expensive stuff!

[Sloth]

(The authors) are confusing IQ with education. If a country has a good education system, their economy will benefit.

True. People with no education in, say, geometry or math will NOT do as well on typical non-verbal IQ tests, regardless of their innate intelligence.

[Age of Reason]

international aid agencies should do more to improve the nutrition of pregnant women and infants — the most important environmental determinant of intelligence — to help to lift developing nations out of poverty.

Oh sure, good idea.

Then we can outsource American jobs to them.

[Blood of Tyrants]

This guy will be labled as a racist before the day is over.

[Indie]

If this is the case, our GDP will be going down the tubes since this nation is so dumbed-down now.

[underbyte]

I would like to see a comparison of Rep. vs. Dem. I.Q.

(I already know the answer, just want to know what the spread is. :) )

[Montfort]

“In this country it tests your middle-classness and how well you know how to please the testers. The IQ of a working-class child adopted by a middle-class family will rise by about 12 points. (The authors) are confusing IQ with education. If a country has a good education system, their economy will benefit. It is rich countries that are likely to have those systems.”

Of course when assessing the quality of an "education system," a lot depends on the students themselves. So even if you were to transport the facilities and teachers from the best schools in the US or Singapore to some poor community, it would not necessarily amount to a great "education system." If you transported the staff and facilities from the best school France to Haiti, I am not convinced that it would amount to a great education system.

You could send some of the most mediocre teachers in America to Singapore, and the students would keep learning a lot, because their parents would insist on it.

Hong Kong has virtually nothing in the way of natural resouces (oil, other minerals, arable land). Yet is is pretty wealthy. You could say that drug smuggling (opium to China) gave it a good start, but the same could be said about Haiti, and they have nothing to show for it.

Hong Kong has a good port, but Haiti must have at keast one good port, perhaps somewhere near its capital.

The difference lie largely in the economic system, the laws, the incentives, the work ethic, and the education system that has developed over time. Education by itslef is not necessarily all that helpful for an economy. In more-or-less socialist Uruguay, there is great education, but not enough jobs for all the college educated young adults there. Education is important, but so is the overall culture and economic system.

[ZULU]

EVOLUTION in action.

[cyborg]

Pseudoscientific BS article...moving along now

[LiteKeeper]

WV - SOCIOLOGY - ECONOMICS

[tcuoohjohn]

I am very chary of these sorts of " analyses"

" Yacht is to a boat as mansion is to a ____________"

If you happen to be from Papua New Guinea you may well not know what a yacht or a mansion is. I can assure you that if they plopped you in the jungle among papuans you would look relatively retarded to them. After all you don't know what a weri or a kasu is or the soil drainage requirements for yams are..

[Publius6961]

Well! That simply verifies the obvious.
Just look at the IQ if the sandmaggot... errr... Arab League: 220!

all 58 of them put together, of course.