Genius

Genius is a psychological designation used to describe a person who has an extraordinarily high level of intellectual power. Levels of genius are typically measured by standardized intelligence tests, which measure intelligence quotient (IQ). Beyond using a test to distinguish genius, it is designated by exceptional creative ability and achievement. Genius should not be confused with talent, a natural aptitude for a specific kind of work that generally involves quick and easy acquisition of skills. True genius incorporates elements of originality and creativity, with the ability to think outside what has already been explored to create and discover new concepts and ideas.

Defining genius using IQ changes depending on which expert uses the scale. In 1916, Lewis Terman established 140 and above as the level for potential genius, which covers about one of every 250 people. In 1942, Leta Hollingworth's posthumously published work, Children Above 180 IQ, Stanford-Binet: Origin and Development, set the genius level IQ to 180, narrowing the number of people who meet the criteria. Experts do agree that children who have above average IQ tend to be healthier and better adjusted socially, although some geniuses do struggle with mental illnesses.

Background

Human intelligence and mental ability have been extensively studied throughout human history, but it was Francis Galton in the late nineteenth century who started the systematic study of genius. His theory stated that every person had various grades of three traits—intellect, zeal, and power of working—and that geniuses naturally have an extreme degree of all three. He also theorized in his 1869 work, Hereditary Genius, that genius is linked to genetics and tends to run in families. Many scientists have since disagreed with this theory and have argued the degree to which genetics influences genius, as opportunity and education play a role in mental development.

Different perspectives on genius have been theorized since Galton first started studying it intensively. One well-received contemporary theory of intelligence is the theory of multiple intelligences conceptualized by Howard Gardner in the 1980s. His theory states that there are at least eight different types of intelligences that are represented evenly throughout the population. The eight intelligences include linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, and spatial-visual intelligences. Each type of intelligence correlates to a strength and a style of learning. He theorized that geniuses have a higher level of specific intelligences. For example, great artists have stronger spatial-visual intelligence; great writers have stronger linguistic intelligence; and great scientists have stronger logical-mathematical intelligence.

Another prominent theory contemporary to Gardner's is Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's theory of flow. The experience of flow involves an individual feeling a sense of challenge, timelessness, and unanimity with his or her work or a project. He also theorized that geniuses and other highly intelligent, creative individuals have a few common attributes that they all share. One trait is autonomy, the ability to work independently, as well as think outside the norm and express ideas that are beyond the standard conceived thought. Another trait is endurance, which pertains to follow through and the ability to complete a task despite hardship and challenges. Csikszentmihalyi found, through his study of prominent people considered to be highly intelligent, that true genius cannot exist without training, mastery of the necessary skills, and the personality traits needed to succeed. Research on geniuses, analyzing how their minds work and how they develop skills, is an ongoing field of study that is constantly being researched.

Topic Today

Geniuses, and those approaching the genius demarcation, are heavily researched. Considering the ways they learn can help increase learning potential not just for other geniuses but also for average and below average intelligence individuals. Gardner's theory on multiple intelligences is particularly important for learning styles. Figuring out the way individuals learn best can help them succeed and learn information more quickly. Most classrooms use a mix of verbal-linguistic intelligence and logical-mathematical intelligence, involving a great deal of reading, listening, and logic and numbers. By diversifying learning methods and including lessons that utilize the other intelligences, teachers can create lessons that are accessible to students who learn best in ways that are not the standard.

One issue that remains at the forefront of education is how best to educate gifted children, defined as having an IQ of 130 or higher. In some schools, gifted children are separated from non-gifted children to learn more at an accelerated rate, but in other schools they remain in regular classrooms and, if provisions are made, receive a higher workload. Testing students for giftedness is usually done through the standard IQ test, which assigns a number to express a person's relative intelligence. IQ was originally figured by taking the mental age of an individual and dividing it by their chronological age and multiplying it by 100. Therefore, if a ten-year-old had a mental age of ten, his or her IQ would be 100, but if he or she had a mental age of twelve, the IQ would be 120. Using this method, 100 should be the average IQ; however, the computation for IQ tests has changed and now takes into account more than just the mental age of the individual. Many tests for determining whether a student is gifted also involve other tests of intelligence and creativity. Helping these gifted students learn more effectively and giving them the opportunity to learn beyond the average level is important to their development and is something that in the United States is determined by individual states and the school districts within those states.

Another issue that can affect geniuses is mental health. While it is true that many people with above average intelligence tend to be better adjusted physically, emotionally, and socially, many extreme geniuses tend to be affected by mental health disorders. One of the most common mental illnesses to affect geniuses is bipolar disorder, which is characterized by extreme mood swings ranging from manic excitement to depression. Bipolar disorder can be particularly challenging because of the vast mood swings, which can usually only be controlled by medication and therapy. Although the disorder heavily affects most people who have it, it can contribute to the extreme creativity and criticalness geniuses experience. During manic states, many people exhibit great creativity, and during depressive states, they are able to critically look at their work and revise it. Other less common mental disorders also affect geniuses, but not all geniuses are affected by mental disorders.

Bibliography

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