When it comes to IQ, higher scores will often get the limelight. But the lowest recorded IQ in human history has been the deal with many great and significant characters in the society of men! Talk of science, arts, humanities, and many other human fields of knowledge and concern, the luminaries on these fields were considered to be human figures with what is termed as ‘lowest IQ’.
An IQ (meaning ‘intelligence quotient’) is a numerical score coined by the psychologist William Stern in 1912. According to Mensa International, the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world, IQ indicates how far above, or how far below, his/her peer group an individual stands in mental ability.
Many scientists have suggested there are many types of intelligence. However, one scientist, Charles Spearman suggests there’s one dominant general intelligence factor, or the ‘g factor.’ This is what’s primarily measured on IQ tests.
Standardized cognitive tests give us an individual’s IQ, or intelligence quotient, score. It gauges how well an individual can use information and logic to make predictions or answer questions.
The Lowest Recorded IQ in Human History
Well, for some egoistic reasons that are best known by the individual, the decision to want to know the lowest recorded IQ in human history may be outright personal! Therefore, you are free to have tried to make this research in the first place!
Lowest IQ Score
People with smooth brains or lissencephaly tend to get the lowest IQ’s, which is around 20.
There’s no record of the lowest IQ ever. However, the lowest IQ score possible is zero. Can someone actually get this low of a score? In theory, yes. But no one in recorded history has officially scored zero on an IQ test, even if that result is theoretically attainable.
Even determining the lowest IQ ever, it’s tricky territory. IQ scores below 75 points are often held by those with some form of mental or cognitive impairment, which typically aren’t asked or required to complete IQ tests.
Read Also: The IQ Level You Need for Different Jobs
Dignitaries with Recorded Lowest IQ
Even presidents aren’t immune to IQ comparisons. In the U.S., it seems that President Ulysses S. Grant takes the claim for the ‘President With the Lowest IQ’ with a score of 120. Then, comes James Monroe and Warren G. Harding.
With that being said, it’s important to remember that IQ tests only measure a very narrow set of traits. And those who score below the borderline category may have different learning styles or types of thinking.
And regardless of where you fall on the IQ spectrum, anyone with gumption and determination can achieve greatness. For instance, there are those with Down Syndrome who’ve gone on to open their own businesses. Or those who have a low IQ, but a high EQ.
Measuring Standards for a Working IQ
However, today’s IQ tests measure an adult’s intelligence based on these index scales:
- Verbal reasoning: How a person processes words, assesses them, and applies them.
- Perceptual reasoning: A person’s ability to assess visual details, identify details between similar images, and so on.
- Working memory: A person’s ability to register, maintain, recall, and manipulate information visually and auditorily in a short period of time.
- Processing speed: How quickly a person can process new information.
It’s also best to keep in mind that IQ tests are relative tests, not absolute ones. In a nutshell, it doesn’t measure intelligence the way a ruler measures height, but rather the way a race measures speed.
