Yes, the reporter stating that an IQ of 140+ was designated as genius probably did not do any research.
In just a few clicks, I found a handy summary in a wikipedia article: "
IQ Classification."
While the crowd-sourced wikipedia articles vary widely in quality and stability, they often include citations and links to sources, as this article does.
Terman's Stanford–Binet original (1916) classification
...
above 140 "Near" genius or genius
...
The second revision (1937) of the Stanford–Binet test retained "quotient IQ" scoring, despite earlier criticism of that method of reporting IQ test standard scores. The term "genius" was no longer used for any IQ score range.
It appears that the reporter (or Mensa UK) coulda/woulda/shoulda looked into IQ score classifications/interpretations/meanings and become aware that:
- genius or near genius applied to SB scores of 140+ in 1916,
- the assessments being currently administered are not SB, therefore the term genius would not necessarily apply to these scores,
- the term genius was retired in 1937, therefore the term genius would not apply to
any current scores.
In summary, the use of the term genius was dated, misleading, and an apples-and-oranges comparison... as you said: click-bait!
