Chapter 2 Cognitive Partitioning by Occupation
Different jobs generally have different average IQ levels, meaning that people in some professions, like lawyers, tend to have higher IQs than those in other jobs, like bus drivers. A person's childhood IQ score can help predict their job status as an adult. As the job gets harder, having a higher IQ becomes more important. For example, physically demanding jobs don't need a high IQ, but professions like law and engineering require a higher level of intelligence. Over the years, especially since the 1940s, more people with high IQs have started working in these challenging fields. This trend shows how jobs are now sorting people based on their IQs, affecting their social circles and communities.
Jobs and Intelligence
Jobs and intelligence are often connected, meaning people with higher intelligence test scores tend to have better jobs. Many studies around the world support this idea. Experts argue about whether this connection is because intelligence helps people get better jobs or if it's mostly about education. Research shows that intelligence scores from childhood are closely linked to the jobs people have as adults, suggesting that intelligence measures more than just education.
In families, members often have similar job statuses, with closer relatives usually working in similar jobs. A study in Denmark looked at adopted people who grew up apart from their biological siblings and found that they still had job statuses similar to those biological siblings, indicating that genetics might play a role. However, adopted siblings who grew up together did not show a connection in their job statuses, emphasizing how inherited intelligence can affect job success.
The Growth of High-Iq Professions
The relationship between IQ and occupations varies with job complexity. While many people can do manual labor or craft jobs, a narrower IQ range is required for more cognitively demanding professions like law. As the number of high-paying law jobs has increased, more individuals with high IQs have pursued careers in law instead of less complex jobs.
There are certain high-IQ professions, such as accountants, architects, engineers, and doctors, where the average IQ of entrants is about 120. Studies suggest that occupations like medicine may have even higher average IQs. While there is variability within each profession, 120 serves as a useful guideline for estimating the cognitive ability of those in high-IQ fields.
Over the twentieth century, the number of people working in high-IQ professions has grown but still accounts for only one out of fifteen workers as of 1990. Among the top 10% of individuals in cognitive ability, the proportion in high-IQ professions increased from one in twenty in 1900 to one in four by 1990. The trend shows that the most intelligent workers have increasingly moved into these professions, especially after 1940. Data from historical studies indicate that exceptionally gifted individuals have always been more concentrated in high-IQ jobs, a trend likely to have intensified in recent decades.
Cognitive Screens in the Executive Suite
There has been a significant increase in how high-IQ people are grouped into certain professions, especially among business executives. While it is not clear what the average IQ is for all business workers, it seems that those who become top leaders in large companies tend to have higher IQs, and this trend has grown stronger over the years. In 1900, many of the top executives did not have college degrees because practical experience was often considered more important than formal education. However, from the 1950s onward, education became more important for becoming a CEO, with a lot more graduates holding degrees in fields like finance and law that are linked to higher intelligence.
By 1976, the background of CEOs had changed, and being from a wealthy family was less crucial compared to earlier times. Educational qualifications now played a key role in getting to the top. This change mentioned a shift in the kinds of people who became CEOs, with more from diverse backgrounds instead of just the wealthy elite.
By 1990, many of the smartest people were working in high-IQ professions. With a large workforce, it is estimated that a big percentage of executives likely have IQs above 120. Overall, the way people with higher intelligence are selected for certain jobs has become very effective, especially in fields that rely on education and merit. As a result, more people with high IQs are now found in high-IQ professions and executive roles, which is different from the patterns seen in America in the mid-20th century.
Different jobs generally have different average IQ levels, meaning that people in some professions, like lawyers, tend to have higher IQs than those in other jobs, like bus drivers. A person's childhood IQ score can help predict their job status as an adult. As the job gets harder, having a higher IQ becomes more important. For example, physically demanding jobs don't need a high IQ, but professions like law and engineering require a higher level of intelligence. Over the years, especially since the 1940s, more people with high IQs have started working in these challenging fields. This trend shows how jobs are now sorting people based on their IQs, affecting their social circles and communities.
Jobs and Intelligence
Jobs and intelligence are often connected, meaning people with higher intelligence test scores tend to have better jobs. Many studies around the world support this idea. Experts argue about whether this connection is because intelligence helps people get better jobs or if it's mostly about education. Research shows that intelligence scores from childhood are closely linked to the jobs people have as adults, suggesting that intelligence measures more than just education.
In families, members often have similar job statuses, with closer relatives usually working in similar jobs. A study in Denmark looked at adopted people who grew up apart from their biological siblings and found that they still had job statuses similar to those biological siblings, indicating that genetics might play a role. However, adopted siblings who grew up together did not show a connection in their job statuses, emphasizing how inherited intelligence can affect job success.
The Growth of High-Iq Professions
The relationship between IQ and occupations varies with job complexity. While many people can do manual labor or craft jobs, a narrower IQ range is required for more cognitively demanding professions like law. As the number of high-paying law jobs has increased, more individuals with high IQs have pursued careers in law instead of less complex jobs.
There are certain high-IQ professions, such as accountants, architects, engineers, and doctors, where the average IQ of entrants is about 120. Studies suggest that occupations like medicine may have even higher average IQs. While there is variability within each profession, 120 serves as a useful guideline for estimating the cognitive ability of those in high-IQ fields.
Over the twentieth century, the number of people working in high-IQ professions has grown but still accounts for only one out of fifteen workers as of 1990. Among the top 10% of individuals in cognitive ability, the proportion in high-IQ professions increased from one in twenty in 1900 to one in four by 1990. The trend shows that the most intelligent workers have increasingly moved into these professions, especially after 1940. Data from historical studies indicate that exceptionally gifted individuals have always been more concentrated in high-IQ jobs, a trend likely to have intensified in recent decades.
Cognitive Screens in the Executive Suite
There has been a significant increase in how high-IQ people are grouped into certain professions, especially among business executives. While it is not clear what the average IQ is for all business workers, it seems that those who become top leaders in large companies tend to have higher IQs, and this trend has grown stronger over the years. In 1900, many of the top executives did not have college degrees because practical experience was often considered more important than formal education. However, from the 1950s onward, education became more important for becoming a CEO, with a lot more graduates holding degrees in fields like finance and law that are linked to higher intelligence.
By 1976, the background of CEOs had changed, and being from a wealthy family was less crucial compared to earlier times. Educational qualifications now played a key role in getting to the top. This change mentioned a shift in the kinds of people who became CEOs, with more from diverse backgrounds instead of just the wealthy elite.
By 1990, many of the smartest people were working in high-IQ professions. With a large workforce, it is estimated that a big percentage of executives likely have IQs above 120. Overall, the way people with higher intelligence are selected for certain jobs has become very effective, especially in fields that rely on education and merit. As a result, more people with high IQs are now found in high-IQ professions and executive roles, which is different from the patterns seen in America in the mid-20th century.