Should lawyers file a class action against
psychologists for malpractice on behalf of all those who took flawed IQ
tests and discovered that they were idiots? Could they make a successful
"faulty design" argument and establish mental pain and suffering, loss of
self esteem, and loss of
confidence in their mental activity? If they could, I bet there are
millions of Americans out there eager to take their revenge, including
those who were matched by MENSA with partners presumably sharing comparable IQs and
then ending up with shared nightmares and divorce. I bet that the IQ Tests
have contributed to sales of the Complete Idiot's Guide or Incomplete
Imbecile's Guide (is coming soon!) series by convincing millions that they
are indeed Idiots and Imbeciles.
I do believe that IQ tests measure some intellectual
capabilities of individuals, sure with reasonable margins of error. But,
out of curiosity, I have checked several IQ tests and found them riddled
with flawed questions. I am not writing this criticism because I got low
scores. To the contrary, I have received very high scores on each test I
have taken so far (even my zealous religious opponents have conceded my
high IQ in their books and articles). Furthermore, I do not claim that it
is easy or even possible to design a flawless IQ test, and I am not
dreaming or suggesting to design a test to test the test makers either.
But I believe that many IQ tests on the market could be improved easily,
if only the test designers had subjected them to trials and considered the
results. Or they simply could have handed them to lawyers for
cross-examination! Even if a lawyer who does not obtain good score on an
IQ test, he or she is professionally skilled to smell flaws as long as it
is presented as the evidence of an opposing party. (I am not practicing
law, but I still feel a duty towards my comrades; they always need
clients, especially psychologist ones!).
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