Ronald K. Hoeflin

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Ronald K. Hoeflin
BornFebruary 23, 1944 (1944-02-23) (age 80)
Ocklocknee, Georgia, U.S.
Alma mater The New School
OccupationPhilosopher
Parent(s)William Eugene Hoeflin
Mary Elizabeth Dell

Ronald K. Hoeflin (born February 23, 1944) is an American philosopher by profession, creator of the Mega [1] [2] [3] and Titan [4] intelligence tests. In 1988, Hoeflin won the American Philosophical Association's Rockefeller Prize for his article, "Theories of Truth: A Comprehensive Synthesis." [5] His article argues for the interrelated nature of seven leading theories of truth. [6]

Contents

Biography

Hoeflin was born on February 23, 1944, to William Eugene Hoeflin (July 1, 1902 — 1993) and Mary Elizabeth Dell Hoeflin (born May 15, 1913 in Ocklocknee, Georgia), who married in 1938. Hoeflin has one sister (born 1939), who eventually pursued a career in ballet, and one brother (born 1942), who is now a computer programmer specializing in actuarial work. [7] Hoeflin grew up in St Louis, Missouri. As a young child he memorized pi to 200 places. [8] He received a PhD in Philosophy from The New School for Social Research. [8] For over a decade, he has been working on a thirteen-volume treatise titled "The Encyclopedia of Categories", which has now been published online and is available for free download. [9] [10] [11]

Intelligence tests and societies

For over sixty years, psychologists such as Leta Stetter Hollingworth, author of the book Children Above 180 IQ, have suggested that people with extremely high IQs are radically different from the general population. Identifying such people would require IQ tests with reliability not currently available for extreme ranges of IQ. [12]

Ronald Hoeflin has stated to have been a member of Mensa, Intertel, the International Society for Philosophical Enquiry and the Triple Nine Society, which he co-founded, as well as the Prometheus Society and the Mega Society, both of which he founded. [13] He claims an IQ of 164, admitting his scores have ranged from 125 to 175, depending upon the cognitive abilities tapped into. [14]

Hoeflin attempted, along with Kevin Langdon, to develop an IQ test that could measure adult IQs greater than three standard deviations from the population median, or IQ 145 (sd 15). Hoeflin's Mega Test was an unsupervised IQ test without time limit consisting of 48 questions, half verbal and half mathematical. It was published in Omni magazine, in April 1985, and the results were used to norm the test. Hoeflin standardized the test six times, using equipercentile equating with SAT and other scores, and some extrapolation at the highest level. [15]

Societies Founded by Ronald Hoeflin

Believing that people at the highest IQ levels would be able easily to communicate with each other and have much in common, Hoeflin founded several societies for those with the highest scores. [16] All are active today. [17] [18] [19] [20] These societies are (along with year founded, percentile, and minimum IQ (sd 16)):

SocietyYear foundedAcceptance PercentileAcceptance IQ (SD 16)
Prometheus Society 198299.997164
Mega Society 198299.9999176
The following four groups belong to the Ronald K. Hoeflin Society
Top One Percent Society 198999137
One-in-a-Thousand Society 199299.9150
Epimetheus Society 200699.997164
Omega Society 200699.9999176

Individuals with top scores on Hoeflin tests

The highest scorers on the Mega Test had their names printed in the Guinness Book of World Records [21] and were also profiled (along with Hoeflin) by Esquire under the title The Smartest Man in America. [22] The Guinness book of World Records has since retired the category of "highest IQ" after concluding that IQ tests are not consistent enough to designate a single world record holder. [23] One such individual of former World Record acclaim, Marilyn vos Savant was additionally profiled in New York magazine. [24] This article also discusses Hoeflin and the Mega Society [25] (the author of the Esquire article, Mike Sager, later used it as part of a book. [26] ) The Mega Test has been criticized by professional reviewers of psychological tests. [3] In 1990, Hoeflin created the Titan Test, also published in Omni. [4]

Related Research Articles

Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for the future, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabilities of competitors. Genius is associated with intellectual ability and creative productivity. The term genius can also be used to refer to people characterised by genius, and/or to polymaths who excel across many subjects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mensa International</span> Largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world

Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. It is a non-profit organisation open to people who score at the 98th percentile or higher on a standardised, supervised IQ or other approved intelligence test. Mensa formally comprises national groups and the umbrella organisation Mensa International, with a registered office in Caythorpe, Lincolnshire, England, which is separate from the British Mensa office in Wolverhampton.

The Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scales is an individually administered intelligence test that was revised from the original Binet–Simon Scale by Alfred Binet and Théodore Simon. It is in its fifth edition (SB5), which was released in 2003.

Marilyn vos Savant is an American magazine columnist who has the highest recorded intelligence quotient (IQ) in the Guinness Book of Records, a competitive category the publication has since retired. Since 1986, she has written "Ask Marilyn", a Parade magazine Sunday column wherein she solves puzzles and answers questions on various subjects, and which popularized the Monty Hall problem in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prometheus Society</span> High IQ society

The Prometheus Society is a high IQ society, similar to Mensa International, but much more restrictive. The entry criterion, achievable by a number of tests, is designed to be passable by 1 in 30,000 of the population, while Mensa entry is achievable by 1 in 50. The society produces a magazine, Gift of Fire, published ten times per year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triple Nine Society</span> High IQ society

The Triple Nine Society (TNS) is an international high-IQ society for adults whose score on a standardized test demonstrates an IQ at or above the 99.9th percentile of the human population. The society recognizes scores from over 20 intelligence and academic aptitude tests. TNS was founded in 1978 and, since 2010, is a non-profit 501(c)(7) organization incorporated in Virginia, USA. It is the second-largest high-IQ society after Mensa. As of February 2024, TNS reports a member base of over 1,900 adults in 50 countries.

The Miller Analogies Test (MAT) is a standardized test used both for graduate school admissions in the United States and entrance to high I.Q. societies. Created and still published by Harcourt Assessment, the MAT consists of 120 questions in 60 minutes. Unlike other graduate school admissions exams such as the GRE, the Miller Analogies Test is verbal or computer based.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Langan</span> American autodidact (born 1952)

Christopher Michael Langan is an American horse rancher and autodidact who has been reported to score very highly on IQ tests. Langan's IQ was estimated on ABC's 20/20 to be between 195 and 210, and in 1999 he was described by some journalists as "the smartest man in America" or "in the world".

The Differential Ability Scales (DAS) is a nationally normed, and individually administered battery of cognitive and achievement tests. Into its second edition (DAS-II), the test can be administered to children ages 2 years 6 months to 17 years 11 months across a range of developmental levels.

A high-IQ society is an organization that limits its membership to people who have attained a specified score on an IQ test, usually in the top two percent of the population or above. These may also be referred to as genius societies. The largest and oldest such society is Mensa International, which was founded by Roland Berrill and Lancelot Ware in 1946.

The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC) is a clinical instrument for assessing cognitive development. Its construction incorporates several recent developments in both psychological theory and statistical methodology. The test was developed by Alan S. Kaufman and Nadeen L. Kaufman in 1983 and revised in 2004. The test has been translated and adopted for many countries, such as the Japanese version of the K-ABC by the Japanese psychologists Tatsuya Matsubara, Kazuhiro Fujita, Hisao Maekawa, and Toshinori Ishikuma.

The Culture Fair Intelligence Test (CFIT) was created by Raymond Cattell in 1949 as an attempt to measure cognitive abilities devoid of sociocultural and environmental influences. Scholars have subsequently concluded that the attempt to construct measures of cognitive abilities devoid of the influences of experiential and cultural conditioning is a challenging one. Cattell proposed that general intelligence (g) comprises both fluid intelligence (Gf) and crystallized intelligence (Gc). Whereas Gf is biologically and constitutionally based, Gc is the actual level of a person's cognitive functioning, based on the augmentation of Gf through sociocultural and experiential learning.

The Otis–Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT), published by the successor of Harcourt Assessment—Pearson Education, Inc., a subsidiary of Pearson PLC—is, according to the publisher, a test of abstract thinking and reasoning ability of children pre-K to 18. The Otis-Lennon is group-administered, multiple choice, taken with pencil and paper, measures verbal, quantitative, and spatial reasoning ability. The test yields verbal and nonverbal scores, from which a total score is derived, called a School Ability Index (SAI). The SAI is a normalized standard score with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 16. With the exception of pre-K, the test is administered in groups.

The Army General Classification Test (AGCT) has a long history that runs parallel with research and means for attempting the assessment of intelligence or other abilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mega Society</span> High IQ society

The Mega Society is a high IQ society open to people who have scored at the one-in-a-million level or more on a particular test of general intelligence, called the Mega Test, claimed to be able to discriminate at that level. It was founded in 1982 by Ronald K. Hoeflin to facilitate psychometric research.

Richard G. Rosner is an American television writer and reality television personality known for his alleged high intelligence test scores and his unusual career. There are alleged reports that he has achieved some of the highest scores ever recorded on IQ tests designed to measure exceptional intelligence. He has become known for taking part in activities not usually associated with geniuses. Rosner claims that he has worked as a stripper, roller-skating waiter, bouncer, and nude model. He has appeared in numerous documentaries and profiles about his activities and views. He has also appeared in both a Domino's Pizza commercial as well as one for Burger King and sued the quiz show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire over an allegedly flawed question he missed as a contestant in 2000. He wrote and produced for quiz shows and several programs produced by Jimmy Kimmel, including The Man Show, Crank Yankers, and Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) is a nonverbal measure of general ability designed by Jack A. Naglieri and published by Pearson Education. The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test - Individual Form was first published in 1998. Two versions were published in 2007 and 2008, respectively. This includes the group administered Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test - Second Edition and the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test - Online version. The most current version is NNAT3. Like all nonverbal ability tests, the NNAT is intended to assess cognitive ability independently of linguistic and cultural background.

Noesis is a philosophical term, referring to the activity of the intellect or nous. Noetic is the relevant adjective.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to human intelligence:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intertel</span> Second-oldest high-IQ society in the world

Intertel is a high-IQ society founded in 1966, that is open to those who have scored at or above the 99th percentile on one of various standardized tests of intelligence. It has been identified as one of the notable high-IQ societies established since the late 1960s with admissions requirements that are stricter and more exclusive than Mensa.

References

  1. ↑ Morris, Scot. "The one-in-a-million I.Q. test". Omni magazine, April 1985, pp 128-132.
  2. ↑ Republic Magazine, November 1985, "Beyond Mensa," by Catherine Seipp
  3. 1 2 Carlson, Roger D. (1991). "The Mega Test". In Keyser, Daniel; Sweetland, Richard (eds.). Test Critiques. Vol. VIII. Kansas City (MO): Test Corporation of America. pp. 431–435. ISBN   0-89079-254-2. ISSN   1553-9121. Although the approach that Hoeflin takes is interesting, inventive, intellectually stimulating, and internally consistent, it violates many good psychometric principles by overinterpreting the weak data of a self-selected sample.
  4. 1 2 "Mind Games: the hardest IQ test you'll ever love suffering through", Omni magazine, pp 90 ff, April 1990
  5. ↑ Prizes and Awards (American Philosophical Association
  6. ↑ Proceedings, "News from the National Office". Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association, Vol. 62, No. 4. (Mar., 1989), pp. 691.
  7. ↑ Hoeflin, Ronald. "About the Author." Noesis, Issue #176 February 2005.
  8. 1 2 "The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World" by A. J. Jacobs (Simon & Schuster, 2005)
  9. ↑ "Encyclopedia of Categories [Volume 1-13]". USIA: United Sigma Intelligence Association. 2020-11-17. Retrieved 2021-05-09.
  10. ↑ Aviv, Rachel (2006-08-02). "The Intelligencer". Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2007-02-11. Retrieved 2006-08-02. This article is primarily a biography of and interview with Dr Hoeflin
  11. ↑ Knight, Sam (2009-04-10). "Is a high IQ a burden as much as a blessing?". Financial Times (London). Retrieved 2006-04-20. This article has a section which contains a biography of and interview with Dr Hoeflin
  12. ↑ Perleth, Christoph; Schatz, Tanja; Mönks, Franz J. (2000). "Early Identification of High Ability". In Heller, Kurt A.; Mönks, Franz J.; Sternberg, Robert J.; et al. (eds.). International Handbook of Giftedness and Talent (2nd ed.). Amsterdam: Pergamon. p.  301. ISBN   978-0-08-043796-5. norm tables that provide you with such extreme values are constructed on the basis of random extrapolation and smoothing but not on the basis of empirical data of representative samples.
  13. ↑ Hoeflin, Ronald (July 1987). "About the Editor" (PDF). Noesis, the Journal of the Noetic Society. 16: 11. I have been a member of all six high-IQ societies listed in the Encyclopedia of Associations: Mensa, Intertel, the International Society for Philosophical Enquiry, the Triple Nine Society, the Prometheus Society, and the Mega Society — but I currently belong to only three of these: Mensa, Triple Nine, and Prometheus. I am the founder of Prometheus and of the Noetic Society (formerly called the Titan Society). I consider myself the founder of the Mega Society, although some argue that Chris Harding has at least equal claim to that status. I am also a co-founder of the Triple Nine Society. Thus, I have been at least partly responsible for the establishment of four of the seven currently active high-IQ societies.
  14. ↑ Sager, Mike (November 1999). "The Smartest Man in America". Esquire . Retrieved 2011-01-07.
  15. ↑ Membership Committee (1999). "1998/99 Membership Committee Report". Prometheus Society. Archived from the original on 2006-07-17. Retrieved 2006-07-26.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  16. ↑ A Short (and Bloody) History of the High I.Q. Societies Archived 2013-09-22 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ↑ "TOPSociety groups.io Group". groups.io. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  18. ↑ "OATHSociety groups.io Group". groups.io. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  19. ↑ "Epimetheus groups.io Group". groups.io. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  20. ↑ "OmegaSociety groups.io Group". groups.io. Retrieved 2021-08-19.
  21. ↑ Guinness Book of World Records, Bantam Books 1988, page 29
  22. ↑ Sager, Mike (November 1999). "The Smartest Man in America". Esquire . Retrieved 2009-12-06.
  23. ↑ Knight, Sam (10 April 2009). "Is a high IQ a burden as much as a blessing?". Financial Times. Financial Times Ltd. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  24. ↑ Baumgold, Julie (February 6, 1989). "In the Kingdom of the Brain". New York magazine.
  25. ↑ "New York Magazine". 6 February 1989.
  26. ↑ Mike Sager, Wounded Warriors, p. 121-36
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