Today, a new subject is arousing a lot of interest in the field of psychology, in schools and society in general. In this essay, we will talk about the High Intelligence Quotient or High Potential. In fact, today the definition of the HIQ is established by the result of an IQ test which has to be equal or higher than 130 (Wechsler, 2011). This number is defined by a Gauss pattern based on the sample of general population results in which 100 is the average and 1.5 is the standard deviation. Some studies pointed that the High Potential (HP) population represents 3 % of the global population.
First of all, in psychology, the IQ is a fundamental subject, a higher IQ defined another way of thinking and this could lead to change the way we see cognition. Psychologists want to understand how these brains work. It is important for science and even more for this high IQ population who really wants to understand their functioning.
Then, at school, a lot of teachers declare that they are not trained enough (or not at all for some of them) in including all the differences in one class at the same time. That is a relevant problem and like Dyslexia or autism, HP needs some adjustments. Furthermore, today, it is the area of inclusion, so why are we so late to help teachers dealing with all these types of children? Is it a problem of money, a problem of time? The inclusion means that all children should be integrated in the same class with all their differences. School may adapt for the well-being of these children and open-mindedness but they will only be able to do so if the government gives them financing. Despite the fact that scientific literature does not highlight any HQI specific profile, some behaviors at school are often described by parents or teachers. For examples, some of them finish their work quicker and are bored or bother the other children; some of them suffer from bullying, but solutions exist like giving them some other exercises on a subject they are interested in or asking them to do a presentation of what they like in front of the class.
Finally, to our mind, these people reflect the non-adaptation because of the normality required by society. The development of our mind is questionable, as the stereotypes and the narrow mindedness of our society. Should society be adaptable or should people be adaptable to society? Are we afraid of differences? They make people feel scary and go out of their comfort zone because they shake people’s way of thinking. Society disable people more than they are and HP are often disabled in society because of a different way of acting, thinking and functioning. In a nutshell, this subject stresses upon how everyone thinks and lives in this world.
Vocabulary :
Arouse = susciter
Be trained in = être formé à
Adjustment = aménagement
Reflect = renvoyer à
Shake up = bousculer
Financing = financements
To stress upon = mettre l’accent sur
Bibliography : Wechsler, David. (2011). WAIS V : Échelle d’intelligence de Wechsler pour adultes-4ème Édition (4e éd.). Paris : Les Éditions du Centre de Psychologie Appliquée (ECPA).
Iris Gogeon and Marie Richard