danielwang wrote:I am conducting a survey comparing factual knowledge (like the SAT), inductive/process logic (IQ, Mensa-type), and appreciation for anime/computer geekyness. I was wondering if there are any existing research studies on this, I couldn't find any and I am having problems coming up with good control questions...
Anyways, so far, people who responded [ Anime Is: a form of art ] actually were more intelligent than the average! ALso, people who were computer geeks or anime fans have a tendency to be in the other group as well, instead of having our 50/50 statistical distribution.
I think you need to go back and figure out what you're
really doing, because you're throwing around buzzwords again.
Is your thesis as follows: people who have an appreciation for anime and computer tech stuff know more facts about computers and are better at process and inductive reasoning?
If so, do you realize what you're trying to make here is a cause-effect relationship?
If so, do you realize that you need a
huge sample size to prove validity in that manner (far bigger than the number of people registered on this site), otherwise your samples can be attributed to concidence?
If you _are_ going to do that, you need to realize that the IQ test -- nor any other test -- cannot measure the huge entity that we call "intelligence".
There is no accepted, singular psychological test to measure "intelligence".
The IQ test, by design, only tests inductive reasoning (and pretty poorly at that, IMO, but opinions aren't needed here) and sensory abilities (e.g. there are a number of questions that deal with spatial ability). Mensa's test is the same way.
There's about eight or nine different measures of intelligence out there (Spearman's general intelligence + specific intelligence theory, Gardner's multiple-intelligence theory, Carroll's three-stratum (e.g. three-level) theory, which is basically a refined version of Spearman, the PASS model, and so on). What you're trying to do is fundamentally flawed. (And yes, you specifically wrote "intelligence" in your post, so I'm not sticking words in your mouth.)
Some other notes:
The SAT tests not only factual knowledge; it also tests inductive reasoning (mathematics section).
About your results:
Substantiate them. Cite the study or studies. Give me the research methodology.