A funny thing I read in my text about an IQ test criticized in Canada for being biased...

Spoooon

Lifer
Mar 3, 2000
11,563
203
106
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale was criticized in Canada because some of the items on one of its subscales seemed to be biased in favor of US citizens. One item asks the respondent to name four men who have been president of the United States since 1950. As a result, some items were Canadianized. The presidents question was chanced to "Name four men who have been prime minister of Canada since 1900." Ironically, Canadian citizens performed better on the presidents version than on the prime minister version.
 

sandorski

No Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
70,791
6,350
126
Not too surprised, Canadians know about as much, if not more, about the US as Americans do. It's a side effect of being a mouse living next to an elephant.
 

charrison

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
17,033
1
81
Originally posted by: Spoooon
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale was criticized in Canada because some of the items on one of its subscales seemed to be biased in favor of US citizens. One item asks the respondent to name four men who have been president of the United States since 1950. As a result, some items were Canadianized. The presidents question was chanced to "Name four men who have been prime minister of Canada since 1900." Ironically, Canadian citizens performed better on the presidents version than on the prime minister version.

I was not aware history knowledge had anything to do with intelligence.
 

Skyclad1uhm1

Lifer
Aug 10, 2001
11,383
87
91
Originally posted by: charrison
Originally posted by: Spoooon
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale was criticized in Canada because some of the items on one of its subscales seemed to be biased in favor of US citizens. One item asks the respondent to name four men who have been president of the United States since 1950. As a result, some items were Canadianized. The presidents question was chanced to "Name four men who have been prime minister of Canada since 1900." Ironically, Canadian citizens performed better on the presidents version than on the prime minister version.

I was not aware history knowledge had anything to do with intelligence.

A lot of IQ tests are (at least partially) based on local cultural knowledge. If you ask me which US state is the grass state I would not have the faintest idea. A bit broader international knowledge I most likely would know.

Knowledge indeed does not have all that much to do with intelligence, even D&D knew to distinguish between intelligence and wisdom ;)
 

WinkOsmosis

Banned
Sep 18, 2002
13,990
1
0
Originally posted by: Skyclad1uhm1
Originally posted by: charrison
Originally posted by: Spoooon
The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale was criticized in Canada because some of the items on one of its subscales seemed to be biased in favor of US citizens. One item asks the respondent to name four men who have been president of the United States since 1950. As a result, some items were Canadianized. The presidents question was chanced to "Name four men who have been prime minister of Canada since 1900." Ironically, Canadian citizens performed better on the presidents version than on the prime minister version.

I was not aware history knowledge had anything to do with intelligence.

A lot of IQ tests are (at least partially) based on local cultural knowledge. If you ask me which US state is the grass state I would not have the faintest idea. A bit broader international knowledge I most likely would know.

Knowledge indeed does not have all that much to do with intelligence, even D&D knew to distinguish between intelligence and wisdom ;)

IQ tests like that are total crap. But then again the idea of an IQ test is flawed for the very same reason.