Web browsers and IQ
AptiQuant Psychometric Consulting Co., an online psychometric testing firm based in Canada, recently published the findings of a study which said that users of Internet Explorer (IE) have a lower IQ on average than those browsing the web with other software.
The report, which is subtitled “Measuring the Effects of Cognitive Ability on the Choice of Web Browser,” states that the study is based on the responses of 101,326 individuals from English-speaking countries that indicated they were 16 or older.
Over the course of four weeks, respondents were given an age-appropriate Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (IV) test and the results stored in a database with relevant demographic data (age, gender, location as determined from IP).
According to AptiQuant, they hypothesised that choice of web browser is related to cognitive ability since cognitive scores are related to tech-savviness. They believe that their study showed a substantial relationship between IQ and the choice of web browser.
There was no significant difference in the IQ scores of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari users, AptiQuant said. However, on average they were higher than that of IE users.
Users of Opera, Camino and IE with Chrome Frame scored a little higher on an average than others, AptiQuant said.
Average user IQ score by browser
“These data support the hypothesis that the IQ score and the choice of web browser are related,” AptiQuant said in their report.
They added that their data identifies the reasons behind the continuous use of outdated browsers “that has been bugging the web developers and IT companies” for the last decade.
Correlation cartoon (image courtesy of XKCD)
At this point it is worth noting the statistical principle that correlation does not imply causation. However, given the number of respondents to AptiQuant’s study their results are interesting.
One can’t help but wonder how well each of the countries in the English speaking world are represented – and how they compare.
Update: This seems to have been a hoax: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14370878
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