[gurps] IQ revisited (more stuff)

[hal at buffnet.net]

At 09:50 AM 7/14/2006 -0700, you wrote:
>hal at buffnet.net wrote:
>
>> Once you account for what IQ is supposed to be in GURPS via the advantages
>> that modify IQ - then perhaps we can see what it is at its most basic
level?
>
>IQ at its most basic level does not exist -- it's just a cluster of 
>related abilities.

So humor me.  If you strip the cluster of "related abilities" based on all
of the actual "advantages" and/or disadvantages in GURPS at present - what
is left?

For example - suppose you have a cluster of 11 abilities.  Of those 11
abilities, 9 can be modified directly with advantages and/or disadvantages.
 Subtracting those 9 abilities from the original 11, will leave you with 2
abilities that are DIRECTLY related to the IQ stat itself.  Those last
remaining "abilities" should be what is considered to be strictly IQ in its
lowest common denominator.  We know that IQ is no longer "Will" (not only
because it has its own stat, but before this occurred in GURPS 3e, it had
its own advantage/disadvantage that could raise or lower it irrespective of
what the actual stat was.  In essense, each time you took an advantage that
modified IQ in some way, it essentially took SJGame's GURPS 4 stat system
and turned it into a 5, 6, or more stat system.  Don't believe me?  Take
the original GURPS 3e rules.  You could have a hearing stat, a Will Stat,
and a Vision Stat.  How?  By having the basic IQ stat, then modifying it by
the disadvantages or advantages inherent in Keen hearing, Keen Vision, and
Weak Will.  An IQ 12 character with +2 Acute Hearing, +5 Acuting Vision,
and Weak Will 2, would have added the following:

Willpower: 10
Vision: 17
Hearing: 14
IQ: 12

This added three more "stats" in essense.  So, using Sean's article
"Alternative IQ Calculation" where he lists those elements that were part
of IQ in his opinion (and considering he's the line editor, it is a good
bet that what he wrote is close to the mark), we have:

Adaptablility
Alertness
Analytic Thinking
Creative
Formal Education
Memory
Practical Experience
Sanity
Social Ability
Synthetic thinking ability (Intuition)
Willpower

Alertness and Willpower have been separated out as actual stats.  That
leaves us with 9 remaining attributes to separate out from the "cluster" of
abilities.  How many more can we separate out is the question.  Once you
have what has been separated out - that "core" I spoke of before - it
should be relatively easy (cough cough, hack, cough!) to discuss it in a
manner where we're comparing apples to apples, oranges to oranges.  Those
people who were trying to figure out what the IQ levels should be in a
general population can now say "Ok, We know it isn't alertness, nor is it
creative, nor is it formal education, nor is it memory, nor is it sanity
etc.  If for example, we separated everything out EXCEPT say, Adaptability
and synthetic thinking ability - might that not be useful for those who
want to discuss the distribution of IQ across a given population?  If
people discuss the taking of IQ tests as an attempt to measure education,
adaptability, and synthetic thinking ability - it at least gives them a
foundation to work off of in their discussion.  At least, that's how I see
it.  Your mileage may vary.