One of Mensa’s aims is to bring together “gifted” children because their general cohort may find them a little odd. The Mensa spokeswoman claims there is a strong correlation between high IQ and good health, longevity and career success, but she also accepts a high IQ can produce social isolation. Some swear by them all we can say with certainty is that they test a particular, narrow definition of intelligence – the ability to problem-solve under pressure. Psychologists differ wildly on whether IQ tests are reliable. Having zero spatial awareness, I despise them, since they expose me as a complete thicko – I once came plumb bottom in an army intelligence test to determine whether I was potential officer material. The aim of an IQ test is not to measure knowledge, but the individual’s ability to learn and their speed in absorbing information. “It’s easier to get into Mensa than into certain golf clubs,” she counters. Rather elitist, I suggest to a Mensa spokeswoman. Mensa only accepts members who are in the top 2% of those tested. Only 2.5% are reckoned to have an IQ above 130. The benchmark for the whole group is 100, and most people (estimates very) fall into a range between 70 and 130. The numbers are purely normative: the test-taker’s performance is scored against the average for the same age group, based on a series of tests that usually concentrate on pattern recognition, logic and problem-solving ability.
