In "Internet Explorer users have lower IQ says study" the BBC reports that when consulting firm AptiQuant did a study of 100,000 thousand internet users, they found strong statistical correlations between the type of internet browser being used and the average intelligence of the users, as measured by IQ (2011). According to the article, users of Internet Explorer, whose average IQ for version 6 users is "around eighty. That's borderline deficient, marginally able to cope with the adult world" ("Internet Explorer Users", 2011) are so angry at the results that they have made legal threats against the firm, although it has been careful to explain that the results do not mean that IE users are mentally below average, but that the less intelligent are more likely to be using IE. The BBC also notes that a Cambridge University professor of statistics finds the results hard to believe.
Whilst I can understand that IE users are angry, I did laugh when I read saw the headline and then read the article. But I almost never use IE, and strongly recommend using the alternative Firefox browser at AUA - not because of any concern with intelligence, but for the more boring reason that Firefox works better than IE on the oddly configured AUA computers. However, it really doesn't worry me which browser you use when we are working in room 201.
Fun aside, like Cambridge's Professor Spiegelhalter, I was a bit sceptical, which is why I wanted to check the original report from AptiQuant. The BBC very annoyingly does not provide sources, but Google usually gives what we ask for, as long as the search term is well chosen. The AptiQuant report is only six pages long, and it's not particularly difficult language (AptiQuant Psychometric Consulting Co., 2011). It is clear that they do not like IE, accusing it of being "highly incompatible with modern web standards" (p. 6), and they do suggest that less intelligent internet users are more likely to "keep using outdated versions of antique web browsers" (p. 2), which is unlikely to please IE users, even if it's true. And the study does seem to have done reasonably well, although I can think of at least one other possible explanation that would invalidate their results: perhaps less intelligent people are more likely to rush to do a free IQ test. It's nice example of how academic work is done: someone has an idea; they do some research; their results and conclusions annoy other people, who think they must be wrong; so further research is undertaken to verify or refute the initial study.
I'm looking forward to the next round in this research topic.
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References
Internet Explorer users have lower IQ says study. (2011, August 2). BBC News. Retrieved August 3, 2011 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14370878
I think your topic is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteIn the past, I never heard about our choice of browser can resolve intelligence. However, I doubt this report. The reason I mistrust it is that we can not judge a person smart only by their choices of browser. It is too narrow. We should analyze people whether smart overall.
In my opinion, the choice of browser does not completely indicate the authentic intelligence of the user. According to the fact of the word "intelligence" that I found from the websites, intelligence has been defined in different ways including the ability for abstract thought, understanding, communication, reasoning, learning, planning, emotional intelligence, and problem solving. So, it means that the individual with low level of reasoning or planning, similar to the Internet Explorer user, does not always have a lower IQ because he or she may be good at something-else. The person may be good at mathematics-one of the complex subject- but he or she may prefer to use the old browser style likes Internet Explorer. Moreover, although focusing on only the sense of choosing the browser, but there is no a strong evidence for proving this hypothesis; because the user may prefer using the existing browser one and he or she may find no trouble with it. So, why does the user need to change and step forward whilst the original one still works?
ReplyDelete(I forgot the references..)
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Intelligence. (2011, August 1). Wikipedia. Retrieved August 3, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence
I realized that Choosing Internet Browser is not related to people's IQ. I'm agree with Gloria and Tang that we shouldn't value people like this way. I think it's stupid idea!
ReplyDeleteI really disagree with this way. Like everyone said that it can't interpret that if you use IE, you have lower IQ than others who use other browser such as Firefox or Google chrome. Many people use IE because they prefer it more than others or they prefer old style, not necessary that they have low IQ.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm glad I was sceptical of this report - it now appears that it was all a sophisticated hoax!
ReplyDeleteSomeone set up a phony website to publish the report, which was probably just made up - all lies.
See the BBC's new story "Internet Explorer story was bogus" at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14389430
There is a good lesson here - just because something is fun doesn't mean it's true.
But what would it have meant if the results were true? Should we disbelieve just because we don't like something?
A more useful lesson is perhaps that it explains why we must be very careful about the sources we use to support our ideas - the best are results published in academic journals. Why are they the best?
But I've just found another fun story on the BBC to blog next. And I'm sure this one is not a hoax - it includes comments from police and professionals involved in it.
ReplyDeleteSo Sleepy, See you guys tmr morning
ReplyDeleteGood night all
Because this report is true, I wonder will you use IE as you browser hereafter?
ReplyDeleteDo you think that avoid using IE can stand for your IQ is high?
As Tang said that intelligence is defined by many abilities. And Intelligence Quotient(IQ) is a way we scale these abilities. Testing all these in front of computer may be possible, but a problem here is how to make people accept the test result? we can see many disagreements. I think to create a standardized IQ test is very hard and needs very long time. I am one person who will not accept if someone ask me some questions and then say to me that you are stupid.
ReplyDeleteBy the way I do not use IE.
What a great choice! Peter, the article you choose out of curiosity just turned out to be a made-up one. I will always remember this special article.
ReplyDeleteEven though it is a made-up one and most of our classmates doubted about the result, I do somehow agree with the result. I am just taking my friends as an example. Among all my friends, those dynamic young people with higher IQ tends to choose and use new things, such as electronic devices. They are also more likely to use new browsers or try new programs
I think that is only research. Nobody said that it's true or false. So,we should read for studying that has the research like this in the world. Don't be serious about it if you use IE. However, I prefer to use Google Chrome more than IE.
ReplyDeleteWell, in my opinion, I think that we should not measure people by using the browser. I do agree with Tang's comment that we should understand clearly first what the meaning of the word "intelligent"'. My suggestion is the writer should change the word from intelligent to be IQ.
ReplyDeleteI agree. The writer could use the word IQ for using Internet Quotient. :)
ReplyDeleteI think the internet browser we use completely has nothing to do with our brain! We cannot judge people to be stupid only if they use IE.
ReplyDeleteSome people choose IE because they get used to it, and it can help them get things done faster than any other browsers. In this case, will you judge them stupid? For me, they are clever!! as a concept of "right person-right thing" said.
I'm impressed with Tang's comment and also have realised that Oun has also given us a good suggestion. The combination of both ideas would be beneficial for the researchers of this report, at least for them to be more accurate on the choice of words used in the article and definitely may need to reconsider a wider range of parameters for the determination of human intelligence. I do think the conductors of this research could be someone from the IE rivals and they probably got paid heaps to present this doubtful result to the world.
ReplyDeleteWow!!! such an interesting discussion! This research is very perfect case to explain how research methodology is important and relates to my personal reason why I want to do Ph.D. in social research methodology.
ReplyDeleteIn general, when people read research results, mostly they only read from news or abstracts but not from the original research papers. Hence, they only get partial information which usually do not provide research methods or the process that researchers use until they get the research results.
In this case, I suggest you to focus on how AptiQuant got the subjects. The subjects of this research participated this research online which means the participants did the tests by chance and without the researchers’ control. So who can tell the subjects can represent a whole population which consist many different category i.e. sex, race, age, occupation, education and who can guarantee that all subjects submitted the real information one hundred percent? The subjects in this research, as far as I know, is called “nonprobability sampling” that is normally not perfect to represent the entire population.
For this reason, I believe that if I have more ideas about research methodology, it will help me understand research accurately and keep me away from over-interpretation.
However, without bias from sampling I may agree with June. IE is spread out wider than other internet browsers. According to my experience, IE seems more basic and it is installed in every computer while others need to be downloaded and installed by users intentionally. Thus the chance that general people can access IE is higher whereas Chrome, Safari or Opera need users who are up-to-date and have higher computer skill.
Nevertheless, the last point that I want to mention here is I posted this comment from Safari....LOL!!!
Actually, I am not good at technology and I don't think that IQ level depends on IE. As Pear's said that some people choose IE because they've got used with it. I am the one who is using IE because there has been set up in my computer and i have got used with it. However, I haven't had IQ test for long long time, maybe I m a lower IQ right now :)
ReplyDeleteGood night!!
oooh great discussion here...
ReplyDeleteI agree with P'Dew and Pear that people may use IE because they feel familiar with it. I was one of IE fidel user; however, I had to change to other browsers instead because I cannot open many websites by using IE.
I wonder if people using other browsers have higher IQ? If they do not rush into free internet IQ test, we will never know.