Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums GT Research Anyone know what % of prison inmates are GT?

But you're smart enough that you wouldn't annouce that on a public forum so they could catch you.

Oh, wait...

LOL!

ROFL!

Here's a link to a book by Anthony Walsh & Lee Ellis, "Criminology: an Interdisciplinary Approach" and it includes a discussion on IQ. It mentions a 9-14 point gap in IQ between offenders and non-offenders. However, only a 1 point difference between less serious offenders and non-offenders compared to 17 points between serious persistent offenders and non-offenders.

http://books.google.com/books?id=u07ci3cidVsC&pg=PA173&lpg=PA173&dq=prisons+high+IQ&source=bl&ots=uBZpbQjIPX&sig=I_-hiJF0Mxn1cSTFt-4OnRcWgI0#PPA171,M1

The part I found most interesting was in the section of "Intellectual Imbalance". The imbalance is when there is a 12 point difference between VIQ and PIQ. Criminals are significantly more likely to have a VIQ<PIQ imbalance.

LOL! That's the same book I linked to in that monstrous link!

You guys and I google alike!

I guess I was too busy reading the info I found to read the new posts. Hate it when that happens

Oh, no I see. It was in your original post. How silly of me.

Nah. No worries! I appreciate your helping!

It was hard to tell that's what I was citing from that icky long link I posted and just the little factoid I pulled out of it. Plus you're helping to confirm to me that I found pretty much everything that's out there...and the info just doesn't exist. (So he should stop stating it like it's a fact!)

BTW, I think you're right about the VIQ<PIQ imbalance being fascinating. I read that also, so I'm glad you posted about it.

I was able to do a quick search on my medical journal database. I found an article from UK that states average IQ of inmate there is 87 and many suffer from learning disabilities.

Another study from Chicago prisons compared IQ as a predictor of violent behavior states average IQ for Caucasians as 93.4 and African Americans as 85.4. They considered an IQ of 101 as high at it was a incredibly small group (less than 1%, if I remember correctly) that were qualified as high.

Study from the 80s used BETA I and BETA II IQ test and found a mean IQ of 95.4 among about 6,000 inmates. 2.6% scored 120 and above.

I also found two references that IQ test when repeated after long continuous imprisonment usually yield a lower score due to lack of mental stimulation. The longer you are in prison, the lower the score.

Sorry I can't give you references since these are password protected journals, but I can get pdf's copied if needed.

I didn't see any references to the same information as in the OP. I find that contradicting to many studies in fact.

Jen

WOW very, very interesting! Did they speculate for any reasons why?

Mommy2MyEm - interesting! That supports the info kids kept in orphanages will have higher IQs once placed with good, nurturing families and that if put back in the orphanage environment, IQ drops once again.

When they look at prisons, are they also including white-collar prisons? Those would have significantly higher IQs I would think.