What is IQ?
Intelligence quotient, most often abbreviated as IQ, is defined as a measure of one’s mental and reasoning abilities, determining how well one uses information and logic in their daily life. In other words, it is considered to measure one’s intelligence, yet nowadays, it is very controversial due to modern concepts such as emotional and spiritual intelligence. Additionally, another source of disagreement is represented by whether differences in people’s IQ levels are caused by genetics or simply environmental influences.
The term was originally used in the year of 1912 by the well-known psychologist William Stern, being linked to the German “Intelligenzquotient”. At that time, IQ was calculated as a ratio of one’s mental age to chronological age, multiplied by 100. However, the evolution of technology and psychological sciences implied new, modern methods of measuring one’s intelligence and intellectual potential.