Intelligence of the Batswana

Abstract

Key Words: Batswana; IQ; Progressive Matrices; Math; Science; Literacy. The IQ of the Batswana is estimated from the scores obtained by Batswana high school pupils on the Progressive Matrices, and from the EQs (educational quotients) of Batswana school students in international studies of attainment in mathematics, science and literacy. The IQ is estimated 72 and the EQ as 69.2. These can be averaged to 70.6 rounded to 71 as an IQ for the Batswana. IQs for all the 192 nations in the world have been provided by Lynn & Vanhanen (2006). In the case of 113 nations, these IQs are derived from intelligence tests administered to samples and scaled in relation to an IQ of 100 (sd = 15) for Britain. In the case of the remaining 79 nations for which no studies of intelligence could be found, IQs were estimated from culturally and racially similar geographically adjacent nations. Measured IQs are preferable to estimated IQs, so we are engaged on a research program designed to provide measured IQs for the nations for which these have not been available hitherto. As part of this program, we present data for measured IQ of the Batswana. This was previously estimated at 70, derived as the average of measured IQs in South Africa (72), Zambia (71) and Zimbabwe (66). Data for measured IQ of the Batswana are presented from two sources, namely from a study of the Standard Progressive Matrices, and from a study of the abilities of school students in mathematics and science. The Standard Progressive Matrices is widely regarded as one of the best measures of non-verbal reasoning ability and has been used in numerous studies throughout the world. This test has used by Maqsud (1997) in a study of the intelligence of Batswana high school pupils in the northwest province of South Africa. This province is divided from Botswana by the Molopo river, and the Batswana peoples live on both sides of the river. The same language (Setswama) is spoken by the Batswana peoples in the north-west province and in Botswana. Thus, the Batswana peoples are racially and culturally the same in both countries, and the intelligence of Batswana peoples in the north-west province of South Africa should be similar to that of these peoples in Botswana. Maqsud's study entailed the administration of the Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) to a sample of 140 (80 boys, 60 girls) standard 9 school students (their ages ranged between 17-20 years) from two randomly selected high schools in the north-west province of South Africa. They all belonged to the Batswana tribe and spoke Setswama as their native language. Their median score on the SPM was 39. This is at the 5th percentile of the British 1993 standardization sample (Raven, Raven, & Court, 2000), and represents an IQ of 75. It is reasonable to assume that the data were collected about 1995, two years before the publication date, and therefore at approximately the same time as the British 1993 standardization sample. The sample was also given a test of mathematics and scores on this were significantly associated with the SPM scores, although the value of the correlation is not given. This significant association shows the validity of the SPM for this sample. This IQ of 75 for Batswana cannot be accepted as representative of the population because a number of studies have shown that high school students have higher IQs than the general population and than those not in school (e.g. Ceci, 1991; Ceci & Williams, 1997; Christian, Bachman & Morrison, 2001). The likely reasons for this are that the more intelligent tend to remain in school while the less intelligent leave, and that schooling improves their IQ. …