Are You Brainy?

IQ and EQ Defined

For many years, people used IQ tests to try and determine someone’s intelligence. There are a number of different methods which purport to measure intelligence, the most famous of which is perhaps the IQ, or 'Intelligence Quotient' test. The 'Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale' began life in early 20th century Paris, as part of Alfred Binet’s efforts to educate children with learning difficulties. Those that obtained a score below their age were considered "retarded".

Emotional intelligence, or EI is the ability to understand your own emotions and those of people around you. The concept of emotional intelligence, developed by Daniel Goleman, means you have a self-awareness that enables you to recognise feelings and helps you manage your emotions.

On a personal level, it involves motivation and being able to focus on a goal rather than demanding instant gratification. A person with a high emotional intelligence is also capable of understanding the feelings of others. Culturally, they are better at handling relationships of every kind.

So?

High IQ people may lack the social skills that are associated with high EQ. Savants, who show incredible intellectual abilities in narrow fields, are an extreme example of this. Why would Bill Gates chose a marketing manager as his lifetime companion? (2004 Richest Man @ Forbes Magazine)

Most people would agree that Mozart was a genius - but Mozart would probably have struggled with Einstein’s theories just like the rest of us. This doesn’t mean that one man was more clever than the other – they just thought in very different ways!

And?

Both emotional and intellectual problems are more easily resolved when in a good mood, which to some extent depends on emotional intelligence. Self-motivated students tend to do better in school exams.

Low emotional intelligence can affect intellectual capabilities. Depression interferes with memory and concentration. Psychological tests show feelings of rejection can dramatically reduce IQ by about 25%. Rejection increased feelings of aggressiveness and reduced self-control.

It is this quality of self-control, rather than being impulsive, which is regarded as necessary to perform well in IQ tests. So a low emotional intelligence may limit intellectual performance.

Recipe for Intelligence

Better schooling, parenting and increased leisure time for activities are believed to have influenced improved IQ scores. Good nutrition means an individual is able to function well both physically and mentally.A balanced diet will provide all the foods required to maintain the correct balance of neurotransmitters (body cells that transmit signal waves to the brain).

Ok. Forget about all the IQ and EQ tests. Give a try for BBC's Brain Sex Quiz to determine which side of sex does your brain lies on.

Also, what about your personality like?

Also, can you spot the fake smiles?

Also, a simple interesting five senses test here.

I'm an Intrapersonal thinker. Intrapersonal people spend a lot of time thinking about and trying to understand themselves. They reflect on their thoughts and moods, and work to improve them. They also understand how their behaviour affects the relationships with others. What kind of thinker are you?

Information courtesy of bbc.co.uk