IQ scores in relation to web browser choice

This is the first time I've ever heard of ads for a "free IQ test" actually leading to the real thing!<p>The paper uses the word "significant" quite a few times, but never mentions the significance level, or confidence intervals, or any other indication of the statistical quality (or lack thereof) of this data. The large number of subjects (100K) suggests that the results may be valid, but it would be nice to see this quantified.<p>Also, the author says "the test worked properly in all of the major browsers", but doesn't explain how he established that, which is important to rule out the possibility that a problem with the test in some browsers skewed the results.<p>Still, the graph at the end (showing distribution of browser usage across IQ percentiles) is entertaining.

A couple of points. First: In the paper, Aptiquant claims that over 100,000 took a Weschler (IV) test in 4 weeks. According to wikipedia, a Weschler test takes about 15 minutes. That's an awful lot of people looking for free IQ tests, and spending 15 minutes each on the site. Second: Check out Aptiquant's site. Maybe I'm stupid, but I was unable to find a single active 'Free IQ Test' link.<p>And another - Aptiquant's results (if they are real) are from a self-selected group. Does the need to take a free online IQ test relate to your IQ?

This study almost seems believable until you read the last paragraph. Since when are Web Standards "common knowledge"? How does understanding how IQ relates to browser choice help IT companies save the extra money they spend making websites work in IE? And does this conclusion mean that only IT companies have websites, or only IT companies invest the extra money to make them work in IE?<p>I didn't click on the IQ test... but I did click on the study. Dang.

Amusing, but it's kind of a truism. Changing your browser requires cognitive capacity. Those who change it the fastest have the highest cognitive capacity. Even without other explanations, that explains variations of version within a single browser, and to some extent Chrome and Firefox.<p>The really surprising thing for me was Opera. You can't explain that with mere willingness to update or try something new.

IQ will be lower the more market share, so this is silly.

Who uses Opera and why?

&#62; it is a clear indication that individuals on the lower side of the IQ scale tend to resist a change/upgrade of their browsers.<p>AptiQuant needs to review their correlation/causation definitions. Resisting change is one plausible explanation, but the only thing the data clearly show is that the people who scored low on this IQ test tended to be using out of date browsers at the time they took the test. "Resistance" implies agency, which correlation studies do not establish.<p>I choose to go with the reverse explanation: older browsers actively reduce user intelligence.

Excellent. Now I can convert all of the people I know who still use IE to opera. "SMART PEOPLE USE OPERA, YOU WANT TO BE CONSIDERED SMART, DON'T YOU?!"

Perhaps some browsers are particularly hard to use and you need to use those extra IQ points figuring out how to get them installed or running. In other words, this might be a dubious accomplishment.

The study mentioned that they collect operating system data as well; the subsequent writeup on that might prove quite interesting.

&#60;sarcasm&#62; In a similar study, they do an association study between IQ and shower frequency... &#60;/sarcasm&#62;

Lynx?<p>Or using telnet on port 80?

HAHAHAHAHA - I can't believe anyone is taking this seriously !!!

The aptiquant.com site now says this was all a hoax.

hahaha... judging by the IQ score, only the Opera devs are still using Opera :p

<i>It is common knowledge, that Internet Explorer Versions to 6.0 to 8.0 are highly incompatible with modern web standards. In order to make websites work properly on these browsers, web developers have to spend a lot of unnecessary effort. This results in an extra financial strain on web projects, and has over the last decade cost millions of man-hours to IT companies</i><p>So, dumb people keep IT employed.

I would think IQ in relation to websites being visited would be a better. Rupert Murdock websites = lower score, that sort of thing.