Not an expert in the area, but the data on National IQ seems shoddy at best, fraudulent at worst. Due to the number of potential confounds, I don’t put much stock in cross-country regression analyses, especially when run on such poor data.
Can you point me to a measure of cognitive ability that is both better and does not show a moderate-strong correlation with NIQ scores? From the article, I provided several studies that use testing data like PISA to create scores of mental ability (some calling it “harmonized learning outcomes” or “universal basic skills”), but these have a moderate to strong correlation with NIQ scores anyway. What other good data on cognitive ability are you using to inform your beliefs? I provided an estimate of NIQxlog(GDP/c) at 0.82. What do you think the actual value is and how do you reach that number?
Would you at least concede that the topic is worthy of open-minded study? It seems like the potential is huge if there is any truth to it.
And furthermore
if it is true, it seems like no amount of burying ones head in the sand is going to help
and if it is not true, further research should show this.
Seems like the only reason not to do the research would be to hide from uncomfortable facts—facts which could be used to hugely improve human welfare, and which will not go away if they are not faced.
In principle any topic is worthy of further study. However, given the cost of information processing and amount of biased noise written on the topic by the likes of Charles Murray, I would need studies far stronger than ones done on interpolated national IQ values to update my beliefs about the topic’s importance.
What have you read from Murray that you found biased? What views do you think he holds that are out of line with mainstream opinion of intelligence researchers?
Not an expert in the area, but the data on National IQ seems shoddy at best, fraudulent at worst. Due to the number of potential confounds, I don’t put much stock in cross-country regression analyses, especially when run on such poor data.
Can you point me to a measure of cognitive ability that is both better and does not show a moderate-strong correlation with NIQ scores? From the article, I provided several studies that use testing data like PISA to create scores of mental ability (some calling it “harmonized learning outcomes” or “universal basic skills”), but these have a moderate to strong correlation with NIQ scores anyway. What other good data on cognitive ability are you using to inform your beliefs? I provided an estimate of NIQxlog(GDP/c) at 0.82. What do you think the actual value is and how do you reach that number?
I refer to Bob Jacobs’ excellent reply for covering some of my concerns in more depth (and adding many I didn’t know about).
Would you at least concede that the topic is worthy of open-minded study? It seems like the potential is huge if there is any truth to it.
And furthermore
if it is true, it seems like no amount of burying ones head in the sand is going to help
and if it is not true, further research should show this.
Seems like the only reason not to do the research would be to hide from uncomfortable facts—facts which could be used to hugely improve human welfare, and which will not go away if they are not faced.
In principle any topic is worthy of further study. However, given the cost of information processing and amount of biased noise written on the topic by the likes of Charles Murray, I would need studies far stronger than ones done on interpolated national IQ values to update my beliefs about the topic’s importance.
What have you read from Murray that you found biased? What views do you think he holds that are out of line with mainstream opinion of intelligence researchers?