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Based on Catharine Morris
Cox. (1926) The early mental traits of three
hundred geniuses.
Genetic Studies of Genius (Vol. II). Stanford
University Press.
20 Selected Geniuses...
[More]
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Name
|
Dates |
Years Lived |
Nationality
|
Eminence
|
Average Reliability Grade** |
Obtained Est. IQ* |
Corrected Est. IQ* |
|
Adams, John Quincy |
1767-1848 |
81 |
American |
statesman |
3.0 |
165 |
175 |
|
Balzac, Honoré de |
1799-1850 |
51 |
French |
writer |
3.5 |
145 |
155 |
|
Beethoven, Ludwig van |
1770-1827 |
57 |
German |
musician |
5.5 |
140 |
165 |
|
Copernicus, Nicolas |
1473-1543 |
70 |
Prussian*** |
scientist |
5.5 |
130 |
160 |
|
Da Vinci, Leonardo |
1452-1519 |
67 |
Italian |
artist |
6.0 |
150 |
180 |
|
Descartes, René |
1596-1650 |
54 |
French |
philosopher |
4.5 |
160 |
180 |
|
Emerson, Ralph Waldo |
1803-1882 |
79 |
American |
writer |
3.5 |
145 |
155 |
|
Franklin, Benjamin |
1706-1790 |
84 |
American |
statesman |
4.5 |
145 |
160 |
|
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von |
1749-1832 |
83 |
German |
writer |
3.0 |
200 |
210 |
|
Handel, George Frideric |
1685-1759 |
74 |
German |
musician |
4.5 |
155 |
170 |
|
Jefferson, Thomas |
1743-1826 |
83 |
American |
statesman |
4.0 |
150 |
160 |
|
Johnson, Samuel |
1709-1784 |
75 |
English |
writer |
4.0 |
155 |
165 |
|
Kant, Immanuel |
1724-1804 |
80 |
German |
philosopher |
5.5 |
145 |
175 |
|
Lincoln, Abraham |
1809-1865 |
56 |
American |
statesman |
4.0 |
140 |
150 |
|
Mill, John Stuart |
1806-1873 |
67 |
English |
philosopher |
3.0 |
170 |
180 |
|
Napoleon Bonaparte |
1769-1821 |
52 |
French |
soldier |
3.5 |
140 |
145 |
|
Newton, Isaac |
1642-1727 |
85 |
English |
scientist |
4.5 |
170 |
190 |
|
Pascal, Blaise |
1623-1662 |
39 |
French |
scientist |
3.5 |
180 |
195 |
|
Rembrandt van Rijn |
1606-1669 |
63 |
Dutch |
artist |
5.5 |
135 |
155 |
|
Spinoza, Baruch de |
1632-1677 |
45 |
Dutch |
philosopher |
5.5 |
145 |
175 |
|
Voltaire, Arouet de |
1694-1778 |
84 |
French |
writer |
3.5 |
180 |
190 |
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* IQ scores are based on ratings of
individual case histories of the behavior
and performance of 301 eminent young men and
women, between 17 and 26 years of age,
born 1450 to 1850, prepared from 1,500
biographical sources, reported as estimated
intelligence quotients based on
The Stanford Revision of the Binet-Simon
Intelligence Scale, and corrected for
regression to the mean. (See
Genius: An Overview)
** These are the average grades
assigned by raters who rated the reliability
of the data of each of the cases on the
following seven point scale:
|
Grade 1. Rating
based on data equal to a Stanford-Binet
test.
Grade 2. Rating based on data for which
standardize norms are available or which are
closely correlated with Stanford-Binet
norms. (Example: Galton.)
Grade 3. Rating based on documentary
evidence combined with diagnostic
descriptive material. (Example: John Quincy
Adams.)
Grade 4. Rating based on less satisfactory
documentary evidence and descriptive
material, or on descriptive material
(definite statements as to school rank,
etc.) without documents. (Example:
Melanchthon.)
Grade 5. Rating based on general descriptive
material. General statements of superiority
(or inferiority) or of school standing,
intellectual interests, etc. (Example:
Fénelon.)
Grade 6. Rating based on slight evidence.
Standing of the family combined with a
statement as to school attendance. (Example:
Bernadotte.)
Grade 7. Guess, based on no data. (Example:
Drake.) |
*** Cox
listed Copernicus' nationality as Prussian,
a designation that is not without
controversy, since he is regarded today as
one of Poland's greatest geniuses. His
birthplace, Torun (Thorn), was in Royal
Prussia, now Poland, and was part of the
Prussian Confederation at the time of his
birth. According to
Wikipedia, his native language was
German, his working language was Latin, and
there are no extant letters written by
Copernicus in Polish, only German and Latin.
Sources: Wikipedia.com
Copernicus' Nationality and
Answers.com
Royal Prussia
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Issues
The Flynn
Effect
Charles Graham and Jonathan Plucker
Indiana University
In his study
of IQ tests scores for different populations
over the past sixty years, James R. Flynn
discovered that IQ scores increased from one
generation to the next for all of the
countries for which data existed (Flynn,
1994). This interesting phenomena has been
called "the Flynn Effect." Many of the
questions about why this effect
occurs have not yet been answered by
researchers. This site attempts to explain
the issues involved in a way that will
better help you to understand the Flynn
Effect. It also provides references for
further inquiry.
More on the Flynn Effect
Renorming
IQ tests due to Flynn effect may have
unintended consequences
Making IQ tests
harder has educational, financial, legal and
military recruiting implications
WASHINGTON --
The steady rising of IQ scores over the last
century – known as the Flynn effect – causes
IQ tests norms to become obsolete over time.
To counter this effect, IQ tests are
"renormed" (made harder) every 15-20 years
by resetting the mean score to 100 to
account for the previous gains in IQ scores.
But according to new research, such
renorming may have unintended consequences,
particularly in the area of special
education placements for children with
borderline or mild mental retardation. The
findings are reported on in the October
issue of American Psychologist, a journal of
the American Psychological Association
(APA).
More on Renorming IQ Tests
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