Are Americans Stupid?

Styxman wrote:USA scores the lowest in national average IQ among the developed countries of the world, at a national average score of 98. The data is obtained from IQ and Global Equality by Dr. Richard Lynn (professor of Psychology, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland) and Dr. Tatu Vanhanen (University of Tampere, Finland) who have done extensive research on the subject spanning several years. The national average IQ score of Americans at 98 is below 22 countries (including Switzerland, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, North Korea and China). The low Intelligence Quotient (IQ) score of United States puts the Americans at a lower intelligence level on an average as compared to the other industralised nations.

The mathematical skills and abilities to process mathematical problems put America on a weak spot. American high school students scored 483 in the test Program for International Student Assessment. The average scores of American students were way below those of top scoring countries like South Korea, Japan, Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, etc. all of whom scored between 503 and 544 (significantly higher than US scores). Mathematical skills, scientific temper and the ability to apply mathematical knowledge are essential in the present world and they are the roots of logical and scientific reasoning. If this becomes a weak point, a person’s ability to fare well in science, logical and anaytical thinking would suffer as well.

Another study as a special report by ABC showed that in scientific and mathematical skills, an average Belgian kid scored better than a skilled American. By age fifteen Americans fell behind 25 countries in this test. They scored worse than countries which spend much less in education. The report also states that in US, mediocrity is encouraged by monopoly of public school and opportunity based scholarships, which is hurting the academic ability of Americans when compared to the rest of the world. Yes, monopoly hurts because there is no competition to better oneself against, but when it comes to countries with lesser quality of education it says something. Those countries are not well off either but in spite of that they do better than US.

“American adults in general do not understand what molecules are (other than that they are really small). Fewer than a third can identify DNA as a key to heredity. Only about 10 percent know what radiation is. One adult American in five thinks the Sun revolves around the Earth, an idea science had abandoned by the 17th century.” This is an excerpt from an article by New York Times which did a study and survey of Americans to determine their awareness. Coming from a nation where half the schools do not teach the science of evolution, scientific outlook is discouraged and a lot of emphasis is laid on religious education, the results are hardly surprising.

Now with all these statistics and research data it is up to you, the reader to decide if Americans really deserve the ’stupid’ tag. As with any nation, there are always exceptions which means not all Americans fit these statistics. But a majority of Americans do which creates the average data at a lower level than the other countries.

DISCUSS

Styxman wrote:Coming from a nation where half the schools do not teach the science of evolution

Is this correct????

Styxman wrote:

Ed meets up with ya Yul - you'll have no fuckin' teeth dude - so don't be a wise ass

Deb wrote:Yes!
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except for when it comes to hockey.

Deb wrote:Yes!
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especially when it comes to music.

Rick wrote:
It has also lost it's sense of community and civic duty. When I was a kid, we were either going to church, visiting the grandparents or neighbors, the keys were left in the car and the front door of the house was unlocked until bedtime. Now we barricade ourselves in our homes and don't get involved with anything. I remember my dad was involved in everything, from the Jaycees to the Kiwanis club, to going to city council meetings. I don't know anyone anymore who's involved in the community like that.

Styxman wrote:

Rick wrote:
It has also lost it's sense of community and civic duty. When I was a kid, we were either going to church, visiting the grandparents or neighbors, the keys were left in the car and the front door of the house was unlocked until bedtime. Now we barricade ourselves in our homes and don't get involved with anything. I remember my dad was involved in everything, from the Jaycees to the Kiwanis club, to going to city council meetings. I don't know anyone anymore who's involved in the community like that.

I'd go with this for sure. However in an earlier article they talked about the image Americans portray when on Holiday abroad and how we view them - I think Europeans think they're a cut above Americans on Culture and intellect - I think that daft fucker Borat has a lot to do with categorising the Americans as being stupid.

Lynn wrote:
Well, if anyone in Europe thinks that a comedians fictional character is a depiction of Americans as a whole, then I have to question who may be more daft...

Europeans will always think they are a cut above. That's exactly how we Americans perceive them. As pompous and arrogant! See, it goes both ways! What's funny is, America is full of people from cultures and countries all over the world. So who do we blame??

Styxman wrote:

Lynn wrote:
Well, if anyone in Europe thinks that a comedians fictional character is a depiction of Americans as a whole, then I have to question who may be more daft...
Europeans will always think they are a cut above. That's exactly how we Americans perceive them. As pompous and arrogant! See, it goes both ways! What's funny is, America is full of people from cultures and countries all over the world. So who do we blame??

It's not taken from Fictional characters ya MORON It's holiday makers for real - you ever followed a group of American Tourists around in London - you'd get what I'm on about! Even the Saatchi Gallery had an exhibit of modern art depicting a American tourist and it did take the piss of your stero typical American with the cap, sneakers, chinos and Hawaiian shirt
I'm sure it's the NY Times that wrote this article so it's not from a European standpoint.
Don't worry us Bristish are the same abroad and the immigration and society breakdown is rife here also. Bring back Ronald Reagan

Styxman wrote:It has nothing to do with intelligence, you're absolutely right but it just adds to the mind thought of others - stupid I know.

I thought in Florida, they just wore bikini's and head phones and pumped iron on the beach - now there's an intelligent bunch for sure. Shouldn't you be at the Beach now?????