Are gamers smarter?

[Xeriar]

The bad news is, the research showed that--contrary to, and with all respect to, Mr. Gygax's claims--gamers are not any smarter, on average, than non-gamers of comperable backgrounds and education levels.

(But they're not less so, either.)

What is the comperable background and education level then? Not many high school dropouts in the gamer crowd.

There was a point where the average IQ of the on-line community was 133 (this was before the Web) - the number of gamers in that group was disproportional.

 

[barsoomcore]

The fact that online gamers have a higher IQ offers no evidence that gamers as a group have a higher IQ.

 

[Trickstergod]

I'm with Mouseferatu.

While I haven't done any in-depth research into the matter, just from general socializing and experience with other gamers, I find for every intelligent one, there's at least one mentally deficient opposite.

If the general intelligence level is higher than average, I'd say the difference is negligable.

 

[Umbran]

Please resist the urge to turn this thread into a debate about what intelligence is or isn't.

Right. You want us to tell you if gamers have more of a thing, without having a handle on what the thing is? Might as well ask if gamers have more
"golchinthorgleswack", hm?

Unless, you'd prefer we answer using whatever our own personal working definition of intelligence is, but I don't see how useful that would be. If we don't agree, our statements aren't terribly informative.

However, if that's what you want, then my answer is "no". Gamers are not more intelligent than most other folks. They are as apt to be thick of skull and numb of wit as everyone else on the planet. I have the distinct impression that liking RPGs is a matter of what one likes to do, rather than what one is capable of doing.

 

[barsoomcore]

Unless, you'd prefer we answer using whatever our own personal working definition of intelligence is, but I don't see how useful that would be.

Just to be clear, my own personal working defintion of intelligence is "a small, vice-like object."

 

[Mercule]

My experience is that the gamers I've known have tended to be higher in intelligence than the non-gamers I've known. By intelligence, I mean just that -- in D&D terms, what the Int stat covers, not Wis or Cha.

Actually, as I think about it, I'm not so sure. I think it depends on how you define "gamer".

If you say that a "gamer" is simply one who games (RPGs), then I don't think gamers are any more intelligent than anyone else. I can think of several people I've gamed with over the years who would certainly bring down the average.

On the other hand, if you define "gamer" as someone who is passionate about games, then my answer is different. To clarify, I'm talking about "gamer" in the same way that someone might talk about "jock". Not everyone who plays sports in high school, even every sport, could be considered a "jock". Likewise, not everyone who games could be considered a "gamer". If you use this definition, then my experience is that gamers tend to be above average in the intelligence department.

 

[Agamon]

There are far too many true idiots in this world, more than those that would be considered intelligent, IMO. Perhaps on average, gamers are bit more intelligent, but there are good proportion of dull-witted gamers too. I could name quite a few I know personally, in fact.

 

[Piratecat]

Right. You want us to tell you if gamers have more of a thing, without having a handle on what the thing is? Might as well ask if gamers have more "golchinthorgleswack", hm?

As it turns out, gamers have less golchinthorgleswack than the average person. That, at least, I'm sure of.

 

[Angcuru]

well, the majority of gamers i've personally met were intellectual, but complete morons/arrogant jerks.

I'd say that we are'nt more likely to be intelligent, but more likely to be intellectual.

 

[Mark]

Gamers - "Now with more Golchinthorgleswack!"





Beats the old slogan: Gamers - "The all-too-often, other pasty-white meat!"





Good to have Carroll, Groening, 'n Uendo doing our PR again...