Question

mensa is an elite organization that admits as members people who score in the top 2% on iq tests. what score on the wechsler adult intelligence scale would an individual aged 20 to 34 have to earn to qualify for mensa membership?

Answer 1

To qualify for Mensa membership, an individual aged 20 to 34 would need to earn an IQ score on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale of around 130 or higher, which corresponds to the 98th percentile, or the top 2% of the population.

Step-by-step explanation:

To qualify for Mensa membership, an individual must score in the top 2% on an IQ test, such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). Given that the average score on an IQ test is 100 with a standard deviation of 15, scoring in the top 2% typically means achieving an IQ score significantly above the mean. More precisely, a person needs to score at or above the 98th percentile of the population.

On most modern IQ tests, the 98th percentile corresponds to an IQ of approximately 130 or above. Therefore, on the WAIS, an individual aged 20 to 34 would likely need to earn an IQ score of around 130 or higher to meet the requirement for Mensa membership.

Examples and Probability Statement

To illustrate this further, imagine a bell curve where the mean IQ is 100, and scores are distributed with a standard deviation of 15 points. The top 2% of scores would fall to the far right of the bell curve. A score of 130 would be two standard deviations above the mean, sufficiently high to be within the top 2%, satisfying the criteria for Mensa membership.

Answer 2

An individual aged 20 to 34 would need an IQ score of approximately 130 or higher on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale to qualify for Mensa membership, which represents the top 2 percent of IQ scores.

Step-by-step explanation:

To qualify for Mensa, an organization for individuals with high IQs, a person would need to score within the top 2 percent on an IQ test. Specifically, on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), individuals aged 20 to 34 would need to achieve an IQ score that is two standard deviations above the mean. Since the average IQ score on the WAIS is 100 with a standard deviation of 15 points, scoring in the top 2 percent typically requires an IQ of approximately 130 or higher. This score indicates superior intelligence and is used as a qualifying standard for Mensa membership.