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Study Compares IQ With Browser Choice

Posted by samzenpus on from the using-a-stupid-blocker dept.

rennerik writes "A recent study of 100,000 people taking IQ tests compared the scores with which browser the person uses on a regular basis. On average, Internet Explorer users fared the worst, with IE6 users at the bottom of the pile and IE8 users performing slightly better. Firefox, Chrome and Safari fell in the middle with little difference between them. IE with Chrome Frame and Camino landed on top, along with Opera, whose users scored the highest"

49 of 380 comments (clear)

  1. All of those studies are the same by Sun · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The smaller the sample group, the more intelligent the average in it, in all recent "technology vs. intelligence" studies. Can we just deduct that the less intelligent flow with the crowd, the more intelligent actually pick what's best for them, and call it quits?

    Shachar

    1. Re:All of those studies are the same by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 5, Funny

      No. If it makes me feel superior to IE users, the story must run.

    2. Re:All of those studies are the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The last paragraph sums it up nicely.

      Whatever the reason for these results, I wouldn't take them too seriously. They are, after all, comprised only of people who feel compelled to take IQ tests. But if you ever want to argue that Internet Explorer 6 users are too stupid to upgrade, at least now you've got some empirical evidence.

    3. Re:All of those studies are the same by sakdoctor · · Score: 3, Funny

      How do you explain the change over time then?
      There is only one conclusion: Using IE6/7 actually reduces your intelligence by around 5 points per year.

    4. Re:All of those studies are the same by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Smarter by ego, not by definiton.

    5. Re:All of those studies are the same by JamesP · · Score: 2

      Well, they forgot lynx users...

      Unless it was a web-based IQ test

      --
      how long until /. fixes commenting on Chrome?
    6. Re:All of those studies are the same by sakdoctor · · Score: 2

      Really? I'm pretty sure I've had IE run on windows before.

    7. Re:All of those studies are the same by houstonbofh · · Score: 2

      The smaller the sample group, the more intelligent the average in it, in all recent "technology vs. intelligence" studies. Can we just deduct that the less intelligent flow with the crowd, the more intelligent actually pick what's best for them, and call it quits?

      Shachar

      Begin "social media" Facebook vs G+ flamewar in 3... 2... 1...

      I use usenet, you insensitive clod! I out-think you all! Muahahahaha!

    8. Re:All of those studies are the same by Jurily · · Score: 5, Insightful

      > We're geeks: we're smarter than average (in terms of IQ at least) basically by definition.

      Bullshit. We've just invested significant time and effort into understanding computers. Does that make us smarter than people getting really good at other areas of their life?

    9. Re:All of those studies are the same by Spy+Handler · · Score: 5, Insightful

      no, but it does put us in a group which develops a good understanding of something. So while we might not necessarily be smarter than the medical group or the junk bond group, we're definitely smarter than the average joe that doesn't have a good understanding of anything.

    10. Re:All of those studies are the same by Sun · · Score: 2

      That, or people for whom English is not their first language.

      Slashdot USA bias at its best...

      Shachar

      P.S.
      That, and the fact I was trying to get an intelligent "first post" under strict marital time constraints (aka "dinner's on the table"). Wasn't sure about that word, but decided (wrongly) to rely on the spell checker.

    11. Re:All of those studies are the same by Zencyde · · Score: 2

      Well played, sir.

      --
      What day is it? Could you please tell me?
    12. Re:All of those studies are the same by Artifakt · · Score: 2

      Deduce is preferred, but for a few similar usages of deduct, see A. C. Doyle's "The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes" or several other works in the canon. Deduct is at least technically acceptable, in the manner of saying "Ruffles are Rugose" instead of the standard potato chip motto.

      --
      Who is John Cabal?
    13. Re:All of those studies are the same by jasomill · · Score: 2

      (disclaimer: I am a Mac user, though I have over a decade's experience maintaining and developing for both Windows and *nix and tend to use bash more than the Finder)

      people who find Linux or Windows "too complicated" tend to gravitate towards Macs

      In my experience, these are some of the "smartest" people in fields of "knowledge work" — natural and social sciences, liberal and creative arts, in both academia and the private sector — not primarily interested in "computers for their own sake." Hell, it's not unusual for researchers in computer science to "gravitate towards Macs" in IT support-poor environments where they're expected to maintain their own systems.

      For that matter, I worked in business IT administration and software development for a decade and have had a Mac as my primary personal system since the release of OS X, and as my exclusive choice of personal system since the Intel transition. The average client isn't delighted with the excuse that you were "eating your own dog food" when you deliver a project late, and Apple's offerings have always been geared more towards "self-support" in ordinary, run-of-the-mill senses that don't involve kernel modifications and hardware hacks (of course, in the "middle years," they were also crap — during this period, I was using a combination of FreeBSD, Windows NT, and NeXTSTEP on a slab I recovered from a uni dumpster).

      Do you honestly think PhD biologists, say, are "bringing down the averages" because they don't give a damn about device drivers?

    14. Re:All of those studies are the same by woolio · · Score: 2

      The average joe probably knows all the details of the a particular play during 1984 by a Pittsburg NFL team.

      [I for one, have no understanding of why the rest of the United States is so damn fond of watching 'football']

    15. Re:All of those studies are the same by rajafarian · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, I like the fact that geeks tend to better at logical reasoning than average plebes. A real geek would never say something silly like "Keep your government off my Medicare!" or "The universe is too complex FOR ME to understand therefore God exists!"

    16. Re:All of those studies are the same by RobbieThe1st · · Score: 2

      Yup, exactly. Some people would choose chrome, some Firefox. Not many would choose IE.

      Oh, and if you're looking for intelligence, just look for the users running Linux. While not true in all cases, generally the people you find running Linux will be more intelligent and interesting to talk to, and certainly more willing to learn new things.

    17. Re:All of those studies are the same by RazorSharp · · Score: 3, Interesting

      [I for one, have no understanding of why the rest of the United States is so damn fond of watching 'football']

      Do you understand why many geeks are so fond of chess? How about Starcraft? It's the same reason football is so popular. Believe it or not, these games have a whole lot in common. In each case Sun Tzu's Art of War can be used as a strategy guide. Football fans are no different than S. Korean Starcraft fans despite the vast differences in lifestyle.

      People - men in particular - love simulating war.

      --
      "From the depths of my skeptical and rationalist soul, I ask the Lord to protect me from California touchie-feeliedom."
    18. Re:All of those studies are the same by rtb61 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The reality is they have very little in common. Computer games are all largely participatory based, participation being largely driven by enjoying the game play. Jock strap games are largely spectator based, with spectator numbers largely driven by mass marketing (you know the crap, watch the "heroes", watch the ladies in revealing outfits, drink beer, drink more beer, drink even more beer and pretend your a hero out there on the field). The pretending for mass media jock strap games doesn't even stop there, barracking for a team somehow makes you a winner when they win, discussing the action on the field somehow makes you part of the "hero" action (beer drinking also helps this activity) and, watching jock strap douche sports shows somehow provides you with intellectual understanding (beer helps here too).

      Hmm, it really seems the big difference between computer gaming and jock strap (well failed versions) spectator sports is beer. It seems beer in for drinkin' not for thinkin'.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    19. Re:All of those studies are the same by ceoyoyo · · Score: 2

      Sure, because none of those South Korean games plays for an audience, and nobody plays sports without an audience and mass marketing. You have a strange view of the world.

    20. Re:All of those studies are the same by Vasheron · · Score: 2

      I should also point out that geeks are not limited to computer geeks. There are all kinds of geeks: science geeks, math geeks, business geeks, political geeks, law geeks, medical geeks, car geeks, bike geeks, boat geeks, martial arts geeks, sports geeks etc... The best people in their fields are typically geeks of one kind or another. Being a geek is not about the subject matter, it is about the approach.

    21. Re:All of those studies are the same by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2

      we're definitely smarter than the average joe that doesn't have a good understanding of anything.

      And what sorts of 'average' joes are those? The guy who fixes your car, your HVAC system, finds you the right kind of insurance, keeps the supply lines operating to your grocery store, does the lighting for the TV show you're watching, or does the hiring for your local hospital?

      If you mean 'hamburger flippers and grocery store clerks', fine, but they're well below average. The middle class is what keeps a society running, makes up the vast majority of the area under the bell curve, and is described by specialization for division of labor.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
  2. Flawed study. by will_die · · Score: 5, Funny

    They break up the different versions of IE, if you combine all the IE versions then the IQ levels exceed the others.

    1. Re:Flawed study. by Teun · · Score: 4, Interesting

      According to your grasp of Lies, Statistics and more Lies you are either running IE6 or Opera.

      --
      "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
    2. Re:Flawed study. by hedwards · · Score: 4, Funny

      It was a joke, but he's an Opera user so he wouldn't expect you to understand it.

  3. Re:Just downloaded... by will_die · · Score: 4, Insightful

    or you brought down the average for the Opera group.

  4. Corrected for income? by vlm · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I read this a couple days ago (days ago? Come on /.) and I still don't know if they corrected for income.

    Dumb people tend to end up poor. Poor people use older stuff because thats all they can afford.

    Not thinking its insightful to learn that poor people have cruddier older hardware.

    Also smarter people are more likely to admin their own computer, thus be permitted to upgrade... Not sure how or if they accounted for that.

    Its possible, that above and beyond the effect of poverty or work I.T. configuration, dumb people do dumb things, but i dunno; that's a pretty cutting edge idea worthy of a Nobel.

    --
    "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
    1. Re:Corrected for income? by Noughmad · · Score: 5, Funny

      Poor people use older stuff because thats all they can afford.

      If only those web browsers wouldn't be so dawn expensive....

      --
      PlusFive Slashdot reader for Android. Can post comments.
    2. Re:Corrected for income? by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 2

      Dumb people tend to end up poor.

      I dunno about that - middle managers usually make decent incomes.

      --
      #DeleteChrome
  5. Conclusion by El_Muerte_TDS · · Score: 5, Funny

    Internet Explorer makes you stupid.

    This is how statistics work, right?

    (Typed in Internet Explorer)

    1. Re:Conclusion by El_Muerte_TDS · · Score: 5, Funny

      No you idiot. Correlation does not imply causation.

      (Posted with Firefox)

    2. Re:Conclusion by mikkelm · · Score: 5, Funny

      Haha, plebs.

      (Authored in Opera.)

    3. Re:Conclusion by woolio · · Score: 2

      They also know your real name, address, pet history, tax history, and the real reasons for all your social and romantic failures.

    4. Re:Conclusion by Lehk228 · · Score: 2

      Unemployed louts

      (blackberry browser 5)

      --
      Snowden and Manning are heroes.
  6. And those of us who use SeaMonkey by countertrolling · · Score: 2

    have pegged the meter...

    Still the best

    --
    For justice, we must go to Don Corleone
  7. Losers by wumpus188 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I use lynx. Does this make me a God?

    1. Re:Losers by Urkki · · Score: 3, Funny

      I use lynx. Does this make me a God?

      Yes, absolutely! Now wait there while your IP is tracked, and nice people dressed all in white will come and take you to meet other deities in... Mt. Olympus institute for... gods.

    2. Re:Losers by pipedwho · · Score: 2

      I use lynx. Does this make me a God?

      Only if you'd first downloaded lynx using a direct HTTP/HTML incantation into netcat, followed by a hand scripted decode to an executable file.

  8. Does it run Linux? by Teun · · Score: 4, Funny
    My first thought was, yeah sure, of course those running Linux compatible browsers are smarter!

    But then I realised of all IE browsers it's IE6 that runs on Linux...

    :)

    --
    "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
  9. Full report by Ironix · · Score: 2

    The full report can be found here.

    --
    Still #1 -- Lonely Gay Geek
  10. Methods in report are impossible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    As a professor of psychology who has used intelligence tests in research, have given them clinically, and have taught students to use them, I just wanted to say to be very skeptical of this report.

    The report is very sketchy.

    It claims, for example, to have given the WAIS-IV online, the WAIS-IV being probably the most commonly administered intelligence test in existence.

    The problem with this claim is that the WAIS-IV can only really be given in person, by a trained examiner. There are subtests on the WAIS-IV that would be impossible to actually give online. I.e., not only would it be a bad idea to not given them online, without a trained examiner, it would be physically impossible.

    It's possible the firm claiming this study gave tests similar to the WAIS-IV, or gave portions of the WAIS-IV, but it is actually not possible to do what they actually claim in the report. They also don't give enough details to actually know what they really did, either, so you can't know.

    I actually think the results they report are what I would expect, if I were forced to make a prediction, but the whole thing has a cloud cast over it by the fact they're claiming methods that are impossible (and actually perhaps illegal, given that the WAIS-IV is copyrighted and strictly controlled).

    Keep in mind this report is being released by a for-profit company trying to benefit from publicity, using methods that are sketchy at best. Take it with a huge grain of salt, if at all.

    1. Re:Methods in report are impossible by dogmatixpsych · · Score: 2

      It's beyond sketchy. From the report: "The age-appropriate Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (IV) test was given. Mazes, an optional subtest, was omitted from the WISC-iV [sic]." Which is it, the WAIS (adult intelligence scale) or the WISC (intelligence scale for children)? They are for different age groups (adults vs. kids). Further, Mazes was from the WISC-III, not the WISC-IV (it wouldn't be given to adults in the first place).

      Some of the WAIS-IV could be given in an online format but it hasn't been designed for it, nor has it been authorized for it. The test administrators might have designed some tests similar to the WAIS but it couldn't have been the WAIS. Given the fact that they are saying that's what they gave (when they don't mistakenly say they gave the WISC), the test results are not to be trusted. If this was a report given in court, I as an opposing expert witness (my training is as a neuropsychologist) would tear it to shreds.

  11. The perfect troll. by westlake · · Score: 4, Insightful
    This is a PR stunt by a company that wants to sell personality testing to your boss.

    Visitors arrived either through organic searches or through advertisements on other sites, and Aptiquant made a note of which browser each test taker was using.

    This is add-driven self-selected polling. Manipulative and fraudulent.

    The chats do not distinquish between the browser at home and the browser at work. That matters a lot when you looking at Internet Explorer.

  12. And in other news... by j33px0r · · Score: 2

    "The study showed a substantial relationship between an individual's cognitive ability and their choice of web browser," AptiQuant concluded. "From the test results, it is a clear indication that individuals on the lower side of the IQ scale tend to resist a change/upgrade of their browsers."

    AptiQuant also conducted several studies looking into possible correlations between intelligence and beer choice and favorite ice cream flavor. Results forthcoming courtesy of News Corp.

  13. I use Lynx! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    And you are :)

    Though Firefox 5 isn't a steaming pile of shit either.

    I wonder if they made any comparisons of versions there. Firefox 3 is much worse than Opera 11.5.

    I use Lynx which makes me superior to all of you! And many times, I just use telnet as my browser which makes me a God compared to all of you! Your pathetic intellects are just .... pathetic!

    Pray to me! Pray to me as your God!

    Oh praise Anonymous Coward! Superior because he used Lynx! Praise to be the Lord AC!

    AMEN!

    next up: why Emacs users are the World's greatest - God's gift to computer programming!!!

    P.S. Everyone on this thread are pretty stupid for getting sucked into this ridiculous article.

  14. And then... by fuego451 · · Score: 2

    Next up: Comparison of penis length and brand of toothpaste. Don't ya love 'science'?

  15. Re:Opera user by Artifakt · · Score: 2

    Now when people ask me why I use Seamonkey I can tell them it's because we have a horde of unpaid Beta Testers called Opera uses, who debug all the features for a full year before we adopt them. ;-)

    --
    Who is John Cabal?
  16. It is a prank... by jorlando · · Score: 2

    The "study" was realeased one week after the domain being created, by a gatech student. This guy must be ROFL.. look at this: Domain Name: aptiquant.com Registered at http://www.dynadot.com/ Registrant: Gill Web Services Tarandeep Gill 7867 138 St. Surrey, BC V3W7b5 Canada Administrative Contact: Gill Web Services Tarandeep Gill 7867 138 St. Surrey, BC V3W7b5 Canada taran@gatech.edu +1 7782429002 Technical Contact: Gill Web Services Tarandeep Gill 7867 138 St. Surrey, BC V3W7b5 Canada taran@gatech.edu +1 7782429002 Record expires on 2012/07/14 UTC Record created on 2011/07/14 UTC

  17. Here is the actual report by Rhabarber · · Score: 2

    Here is the actual report: http://www.aptiquant.com/IQ-Browser-AptiQuant-2011.pdf

    Yes, the whole thing is a PR stunt. So what. It made me smile ;)

    The summary is a summary of a summary. Figure 2 in the original report is much more informative. The majority of the highest scoring people use Firefox (35%) or Chrome (20%). The majority of the lowest scoring people use IE7 (35%) or IE9 (20%). Opera and ChromeFrame are not used by people scoring lower than average.

    As for correlations I would guess the following:

    IE7 -> low score.
    Firefox -> average to high score.
    Opera and ChromeFrame and Camino -> high score.
    Safari -> not much correlation at all.
    Other IEs -> not much correlation, tendency to lower scores.

    Anyways, it's nothing but a joke.