When I was a kid, I was very good at frustrating my school psychologists. When I was 11, my parents wanted me to try out private school since I didn't seem to be receiving much enjoyment from the public school I was attending. They consulted a school psychologist to determine the best placement. I remember the day quite vividly, the day when I took an IQ test.
So why do I tell such a personal story to introduce my new blog? These early experiences I had in school fueled in me a curiosity about what the heck intelligence is all about. Then I discovered science-a way to actually answer these questions, and get closer and closer to the truth. Through this blog, I want to share findings about the nature of human intelligence and creativity, and how these abilities and ways of thinking impact on our daily lives, education, and society at large. My research has led me to surprising findings. For instance, as much as I wanted to find that IQ doesn't matter, I haven't found much support for that idea. More on that later...
For now, I just want to say that my search for the truth wherever it leads me has in fact led me to a new conceptualization of human cognition far different than when I first entered graduate school, yet ultimately more satisfying and supported by facts. I am eager to share all of this with readers of this blog and receive feedback in return.
I was always the kid on the playground who befriended at least one person from every clique. With the punk rockers, I'd throw on my jean jacket and complain about the oppression of society. With the nerds, I'd whip out my calculator at lunchtime and share new calculator games (Tetris was the bomb, wasn't it!?) with my fellow owners of the awesome TI-92. With the jocks, I'd seriously bruise myself playing basketball but always wore long jogging pants so the bruises wouldn't show. Now, as a graduate student in cognitive psychology, I like hanging out with people from as many perspectives as I can to more completely understand the nature of human intelligence and creativity. Therefore, in my posts I hope to mix multiple perspectives, such as philosophy, cognitive science, evolutionary psychology, and social psychology to get closer to the answers to such questions as, "What's the link between intelligence and creativity?", "What level of IQ do you need to be a genius?", "What is giftedness?", "How many minds do we have in one body?", "What is the implication of the fact that we might have multiple minds for understanding intelligence and creativity?", "what is the role of intelligence and creativity in human mate selection?", "Can beautiful minds be just as sexy as beautiful bodies?", etc. etc.
Lots of questions. That's OK, because there is lots of fascinating research out there. I am excited and optimistic that we are on the verge of more fully understanding the nature of human intelligence and creativity, but only if we listen to multiple perspectives and keep an open mind.
I would like this blog to be as interactive as possible. Please post comments. Even personal ones. Or if you are shy and don't wish to post your ideas to the world, email me at beautifulminds@scottbarrykaufman.com. Of course, I don't have all the answers. I will share as much as I know at the moment about the nature and nurture of human intelligence and creativity. And hopefully, through this journey, we will all learn more about these fascinating topics.
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As an aside, if you too would like to create your own placement on the IQ spectrum, check out the very creative website GlassGiant.com where you can make your own pictures!
© 2008 Scott Barry Kaufman, All Rights Reserved
Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., is a cognitive psychologist at NYU, Co-founder of The Creativity Post, and Chief Science Officer of The Future Project.
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