RichardKennaway comments on Is g a measure of ability to absorb information in a non-inductive way? - Less Wrong

-3 Post author: whpearson 05 July 2011 01:46AM

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Comment author: RichardKennaway 05 July 2011 07:40:01AM 5 points [-]

Those with high IQ are not known for their keen social skills.

This is a popular stereotype, both among those without high IQ and those with, but is there any evidence? I cannot say I have noticed this among the people I know. On the contrary, if anything, the keenest minds I have been fortunate enough to meet have generally been socially successful as well.

Comment author: gwern 05 July 2011 02:24:44PM 2 points [-]

Alright, I'll put it another way. This theory suggests an extremely high correlation between social skills and intelligence, perhaps as high as 1. Let's say 0.9. The average LWer, if I remember the survey results right, tends to have IQs in the 120-150 range, putting them in a high percentile of the populace, perhaps in the top 3% or so. Would you say the average LWer is even in the top 10% of the populace for social skills?

Comment author: whpearson 05 July 2011 04:09:52PM 1 point [-]

Something has gone wrong somewhere if you think that is my theory.

Social information is not supposed to be equal to body language/subtext.

I'll change the wording.

Comment author: RichardKennaway 05 July 2011 03:18:09PM 1 point [-]

I don't know what theory you're referring to, or where that figure of 1 or 0.9 comes from. It certainly doesn't come from me. Neither do I know enough LWers well enough to form any judgment of their average competence.