Can one have a low IQ due to anxiety?

[gustavofring]

I wouldn't say I'm a dumb person at all, I've always been good at languages, history, culture and those sorts of things. But when it comes to technical, mathematical or logical insight (which are probably the most important in IQ tests), I think I have built up a lot of anxiety with makes me panic each time I have to think about numbers or calculating something and it takes me longer then it would take most regular people.

I always dreaded math classes in elementary school and highschool too. I think I may have some form of dyscalculia.

What I'm asking is, can you truly measure your intelligence with IQ tests when you're not really able to think clearly? That's why I fear to do one, because anxiety will kick in and make me go into panic mode.

 

[mikebird]

You have a great point!!

Anyone's life changes over time due to many factors; not necessarily born exactly the same from day one.

My education was so important. Moving home and school three times was not good for me. Then university - all the same link of passion for language, learning everything mathematical & scientific. After graduating, my life went down the drain, never expecting to have to be mummy-daddy luvvy with everyone, in any office. I don't understand. iQ lost.

Was it wrong to expect the next environment to be like a school? Seems reasonable. Expecting to be an engineer on oil / gas drilling rigs, fixing escalators or elevators... designing robots... In an office, all I see is people talking on a phone. People, however their height, weight, glamour, all I see is the mind of a child before starting school. Maybe office managers need to pay the absolute minimum. Paper. Pen.

I WISH I could have been in the Armed Forces. Then I could deal with people.

 

[bleach]

you are probably just not very smart in those areas. people get nervous taking tests in subjects they are not good at. you said you have confidence in the subjects you are good at, like language, so it stands to reason you would be anxious about subjects you dont understand. there have been may studies on psychometrics and after childhood they dont tend to change much for individuals.

 

[Gaucho]

i made a IQ test not so long ago online, and i failed so miserable, its unbelievable(embarrassing). i wonder how i mastered high school. and my teachers always told me and my mother i could be a good student if i wanted, haha, bullsht. i never did homework and nearly didn't study, i always got my minimum grade to approve the exam.
the funny thing is until 5th or 6th grade i actually was one of the best students, even if i didnt study.
i think i turned retarded over the years of severe isolation,SA. i try to accept the situation as it is, but there are many people who only want to interact with smart persons. on one hand i feel the need to go to university to feel social approval, on the other hand i know deep in me that I'm not made for university and i will fail in every try.

 

[oscarwilde]

Anxiety does reduce cognitive abilities. There's a psychological term for it: debilitating stress (or anxiety). It means that in given stressful situations (in our case, basic interaction with ppl) your performance is way below your actual level of potential, abilities and skills. Believe me, I know the phenomena all too well.

 

[Gaucho]

Anxiety does reduce cognitive abilities. There's a psychological term for it: debilitating stress (or anxiety). It means that in given stressful situations (in our case, basic interaction with ppl) your performance is way below your actual level of potential, abilities and skills. Believe me, I know the phenomena all too well.

hey, but is it also possible to turn into long term stupidity even when not interacting with other people, were no anxiety is felt?

i can read the news and forget what i read after 15mins. well i keep the general facts(maybe), but not enough to explain to someone, hahahaa, just remember how i try to explain some information to someone hahahahahaahahahaha. fking miserable.

 

[Remus]

When I get moments of high anxiety, I have always got the brain fog!

 

[gustavofring]

you are probably just not very smart in those areas. people get nervous taking tests in subjects they are not good at. you said you have confidence in the subjects you are good at, like language, so it stands to reason you would be anxious about subjects you dont understand. there have been may studies on psychometrics and after childhood they dont tend to change much for individuals.

But I believe a large part is because of anxiety blocking cognitive abilities. Instead of working out a problem, there's a panic reaction going on in the body and mind. It's kind of like a fear or failure too. It developed sometime in childhood and since then I have tried my best to avoid it as much as possible, so I've never really learned my potential.

But you're possibly right. I'm just thinking that anxiety blocks a lot of my potential to learn these things.

 

[Reaching-Zen]

The anxiety will hinder it, but if you practise those particular things, for example, memory and maths, just a little each day, you will improve gradually. In time it will improve alot and may diminish the anxiety triggered by the unknown. The brain has areas used for different things. If you practice language alot including reading, you will do well in those IQ questions. If you play games, quizzes and memory challenges alot, again you will excel in that area.

If you did extremely well in school in mathematics but was a poor reader, do you think the same stress levels will occur in IQ tests with language based questions? I think you would then breeze through all the maths questions and puzzles, but start stressing with language, spelling and literature questions.

 

[gustavofring]

The anxiety will hinder it, but if you practise those particular things, for example, memory and maths, just a little each day, you will improve gradually

That's why I think IQ tests are not entirely true or set in stone.

What if a person practiced a lot in the different areas before doing one or is in a profession that requires him to deal with a lot of the questions in IQ tests?

Then they would do a lot better then a depressed person who has a lot of blocked neuropathways due to anxiety and depression. But what if this depressed person got out of his depression and slowly but surely improved cognitive skills? Then they would score higher.

I'm not saying people would suddenly be geniuses, but I think IQ-tests depend a lot on the state a person is in and this state is not set in stone.

 

[Reaching-Zen]

This is correct. It focuses on a limited element; what we practice. So if identicle twins were separated at birth, with one twin completing all schooling, and regularly practicing maths, English and puzzles, while the other was a homeless orphan, and they both took the test, one twin may get higher than average results and the other twin lower than average results even though they are biologically identicle.

IQ tests focus on whats practised, not the full brain potential, or potential of that individual. It misses unpractised elements, social skills, humour, balance, motor skills and many other things. IQ tests can vary and can be increased by everyone willing to put in effort. It will vary if you are tired or stressed, happy with full concentration etc. Not an exact number...

 

[Daniel089]

I can read the news and forget what i read after 15mins. well i keep the general facts(maybe), but not enough to explain to someone, hahahaa, just remember how i try to explain some information to someone hahahahahaahahahaha. fking miserable.

I'm the same when interacting people, I guess my anxiety makes me forget what some other people say, or just makes me forget some details which may be important, but maybe because my interest is elswhere at that very moment...

 

[psych]

I experience a form of dyslexia, with mathematics especially...
But, I know for a fact that my IQ is at least average. If it weren't, my autistic friend with the genius IQ wouldn't be able to tolerate spending time with me. I'm not that great looking. ::

 

[OnlymeOnlyou]

There is a saying someone told me once about anxiety. "When the emotions flow the intellect does not." Its so true and its always stuck with me.