“National Mean IQ Estimates: Validity, Data Quality, and Recommendations”, 2022-12-19 ():
Estimates of mean IQ scores for different nations have engendered controversy since their first publication in 2002. While some researchers have used these mean scores to identify relationships between the scores and other national-level variables (eg. economic and health variables) or test theories, others have argued that the scores are without merit and that any study using them is inherently and irredeemably flawed.
The purpose of this article is to evaluate the quality of estimates of mean national IQs, discuss the validity of different interpretations and uses of the scores, point out shortcomings of the dataset, and suggest solutions that can compensate for the deficiencies in the data underpinning the estimated mean national IQ scores.
My hope is that the scientific community can chart a middle course and reject the false dichotomy of either accepting the scores without reservation or rejecting the entire dataset out of hand.
[Keywords: international differences, IQ, national IQs, validity]