Intelligence: Conclusions and Tips from Studies and IQ Tests

Chapter 1: The Top 9 Signs You're Smarter Than You Think

You can toss a stone in any direction and then it might hit a person who is over-confident and thinks they're smarter than they actually are. But a lot more typical are those that do not recognize they're actually smarter than they think.

Is that you? Here are nine science-backed signs that you're not giving yourself enough IQ credit.

1. You're creative.

Dr. Katie Davis, a scientific neuropsychologist, told Business Insider that creativity is a conclusive indication of intelligence because it needs thinking flexibly/outside the box and demands the ability to move and change your patterns of thinking from one way to another.

I have worked with many ad agency creatives-- they're some of the smartest people I have ever met. Their ability to take an insight and translate it into a message that brightened my brand's benefits in a compelling, memorable way is a task few simply book smart people could do. I usually left after a brilliant ad campaign presentation thinking, Their brain just works differently. Creative skill is its own brand of smart.

2. You are sloppy.

Kathleen Vohs, from the University of Minnesota, claims that the messier you are, the smarter you are. A study Vohs released in Psychological Science featured 2 groups asked to develop creative uses for Ping-Pong balls. One group worked in an untidy, messy environment while the other worked in a neat setting. The untidy group brainstormed considerably more creative and fascinating ideas.

So before scolding yourself for your constantly messy desk, give yourself some IQ points instead.

3. You are very curious.

If you really love to learn, the more you will learn and the smarter you will get. Science backs this up. A study from Goldsmiths University of London discovered that how people invest their time and effort in their intellect (that is feeding their interest) plays a huge role in cognitive development.

However, it's not just learning more that makes you smarter, it is wishing to find out more, which is a quality common in intelligent people. A research study in the Journal of Individual Differences showed a connection between people who scored high up on IQ tests as a child and grownups that were more curious and open to new ideas.

Psychology research from Georgia Tech also showed that those with high curiosity are more tolerant of ambiguity, which needs a sophisticated thinking style.

4. You talk to yourself.

No, it is not a sign you're insane-- just the opposite. A study from psychologists Paloma Mari-Beffa and Alexander Kirkham of Bangor University revealed that talking aloud to yourself enhances self-discipline, an essential form of intelligence. They gave research study participants a set of tasks and accompanying written directions, asking to read the guidelines silently or out loud. Measured concentration and performance from those who read out loud was far better.

Talking out loud nets control, which is precisely why so many professional athletes talk with themselves out loud during games. Which brings us to the next sign.

5. You have high self-control.

Whether you work out self-control by talking with yourself out loud or just by prepared it, it's an ignored indication of intelligence. A 2009 psychology research study from Yale University gave individuals IQ tests and offered them reward cash they could receive immediately or later (for a higher amount). Those choosing to wait also had higher IQ scores, showing that withstanding making impulsive decisions and carefully weighing choices associates with intelligence.

6. You are okay with being on your own.

If you like your own company and aren't constantly in need of being around others, that signifies intelligence. A study published in the British Journal of Psychology showed a connection between contentedness with being on your own and intelligence. I use alone time to