By Dr. Fabiano de Abreu Agrela Rodrigues, Post-PhD in Neuroscience
The recent demonstration by members of high IQ societies, who expressed disappointment in finding among their peers people who did not meet their expectations of intelligence, highlights a recurring distortion: the limited understanding of what intelligence really is.
The first point necessary for this analysis is the technical definition. The IQ, when assessed by supervised and scientifically validated tests, such as the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, is a reliable measure of logical, analytical, processing, verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed intelligence. To date, it is the most solid tool for quantifying fundamental aspects of cognition, within the parameters of the intelligence to act and resolve issues.
However, IQ does not encompass the entirety of human intelligence. It does not accurately assess emotional intelligence, subjective creative capacity, or complex social skills. Subjective creativity, defined as the ability to generate ideas that have not been formally learned, is a clear example of an intellectual dimension that goes beyond the limits of traditional tests.
It was based on this observation that I conceived the concept of DWRI — Development of Wide Regions of Intellectual Interference. True intelligence, from this perspective, is the result of efficient integration between the brain regions that support not only logic, attentional focus, and working memory, but also emotional intelligence, social adaptability, and original creativity.
Thus, the misperception among some members of high IQ societies lies in the rigid belief that intelligence manifests itself in a uniform and predictable manner. When they expect to find only expressions of immediate logical reasoning or evident technical skills, they ignore the fact that intelligence also manifests itself in the ability to abstract, to understand emotionally, to create new references, and to interact with the unexpected.
Another relevant aspect is the understanding of double exceptionality. Gifted individuals with conditions such as ADHD or autism may display specific dysfunctions, such as attention or social processing difficulties, without this negating their superior intellectual capacities. In the case of ADHD, attention and working memory deficits may obscure the demonstration of full intelligence. In autism, rigidity of thought and difficulty interpreting emotions may limit the communication of intelligence to the social environment.
Intelligence, therefore, is not an absolute or linear attribute. It requires rigorous technical assessment and interpretative sensitivity. The supervised IQ test is a valid and necessary reference, but not the only one. Integral intelligence should also be assessed by expressions of spontaneous creativity, the capacity for emotional abstraction, and the subjective understanding of the world.
Rapid tests, such as the Raven and similar tests, assess only restricted aspects of intelligence, such as abstract logical reasoning and the ability to identify visual patterns. Although useful for estimating the performance percentile in comparison to the population average, they do not reveal the IQ score nor do they offer a comprehensive measure of total intelligence.
Intelligence, understood as the integration of logic, efficient processing, working memory, verbal comprehension, subjective creativity, and emotional intelligence, goes far beyond what such instruments can capture. Behaviors such as persecution of other people, the conscious desire to harm others, fanaticism, and rigid judgment actually expose significant deficits in fundamental components of intelligence. These behaviors indicate imbalances in the emotional, social and adaptive dimensions, suggesting that, despite possible preserved specific abilities, general intelligence is compromised in its broadest and most integrated definition.
I conclude that the true measure of intelligence includes the ability to recognize its multiple dimensions, including in others. A restricted or rigid perception of intelligence reveals, paradoxically, a cognitive limitation in those who hold it.
Dr. Fabiano de Abreu Agrela Rodrigues MRSB holds a post-PhD in Neuroscience and is an elected member of Sigma Xi – The Scientific Research Honor Society (more than 200 members of Sigma Xi have received the Nobel Prize), as well as being a member of the Society for Neuroscience in the United States, the Royal Society of Biology and The Royal Society of Medicine in the United Kingdom, the European Society of Human Genetics in Vienna, Austria, and the APA – American Philosophical Association in the United States. He holds a Master’s degree in Psychology and a Bachelor’s degree in History and Biology. He is also a Technologist in Anthropology and Philosophy, with several national and international degrees in Neuroscience and Neuropsychology. Dr. Fabiano is a member of prestigious high IQ societies, including Mensa International, Intertel, ISPE High IQ Society, Triple Nine Society, ISI-Society, and HELLIQ Society High IQ. He is the author of more than 300 scientific studies and 30 books. He is currently a visiting professor at PUCRS in Brazil, UNIFRANZ in Bolivia and Santander in Mexico. He also serves as Director of CPAH – Centro de Pesquisa e Análises Heráclito and is the creator of the GIP project, which estimates IQ through the analysis of genetic intelligence. Dr. Fabiano is also a registered journalist, having his name included in the book of records for achieving four records, one of which is for being the greatest creator of characters in the history of the press.