AP PSYCHOLOGY
DR. JOHNSON
B. Modern Tests of Mental Abilities (pp. 444–446) Student Project: Joining Mensa
Mensa, an organization of intellectually superior individuals, was founded in 1946 by two
British barristers who thought it might be an interesting experiment to gather together
people of exceptionally high intelligence. Mensa is a Latin word meaning “table” and
symbolizes the coming together of equals. Its original agenda was to discuss and arrive at
ways of preserving world peace. While the organization has been accused of elitism, its
membership, which now numbers about 100,000, in 100 countries, contends that it is no
more elite than any organization with a requirement for admission. In the United States
there are more than 50,000 members belonging to 138 local groups. It is estimated that
five million are eligible. Their activities range from parties to museum trips. Each chapter
is headed by a local secretary, and almost every group publishes its own newsletter.
Truck drivers, professors, housewives, bartenders, janitors, and priests are all represented. Mensa has a gifted-children’s program, a scholarship fund, a research
foundation, a national magazine, and a program in which members work with prison
inmates. There are over 150 “SIGs”—special interest groups—through which mensans
can get together by mail or in person to share a common interest.
To qualify for membership in Mensa, you must score in the top 2 percent of any standard
intelligence test, which means a minimum score of 132 on the Stanford-Binet and 130 on
the most current Wechsler scales, the two major tests of intelligence described in the text.
Each year about thirty thousand people apply for membership; only about 1 of every 25
applicants is admitted.
Students interested in joining Mensa can learn more by writing American Mensa, 1229
Corporate Drive West, Arlington, TX. 76006. The organization provides information on
how to qualify for membership either by taking an intelligence test or by submitting
“prior evidence” if such a test has already been taken.
Handout 11–9, provided by Abbie F. Salny, will tell students whether they are likely
candidates for Mensa.
Answers are:
1. Friday
2. a. P Y The alternate letters starting with S spell “silver anniversar,” and this sequence
completes the phrase “silver anniversary.”
3. 25
4. ANNIVERSARY
5. MENSA
6. b
7. b
8. b
9. TOM
10. HOUSE
11. JANE
12. 9 p.m.
13. b. Both grow in the ground.
AP PSYCHOLOGY
DR. JOHNSON
14. a. Alternate numbers go up by 2 and down by 1, starting with 1, and 10.
15. e is the only one that is not an artistic work made by man.
16. PARACHUTE
17. 5
18. c
19. LAND
20. c. The number of lines goes down opposite the stick, up on the side with the stick, and
the stick alternates from lower left to top right.
Respondents score one point for each correct answer. They should add 5 points if they
finished in less than 20 minutes, and 3 points if in less than 30 minutes. Scores range
from 0 to 25. On the basis of the scores of some Mensa members who took the test, Salny
pro-vides the following interpretation of scores.
25
20–24
14–19
10–13
Below 10
Excellent Candidate
You will most likely pass the Mensa supervised test
You’re a good candidate for Mensa.
Fair candidate.
Everyone has an off day!
Mensa members Marvin Grosswirth and Salny also have provided good advice in
interpreting scores of any intelligence test. While performing well is to a degree
predictive of school success, they state:
An intelligence test does not measure drive, persistence, creativity or any of the myriad
other skills that often count for more in achieving success out of school. A low score on
an I.Q. test does not mean probable failure in life. All it means is that the person taking
the test did poorly on that particular test. Most of us do not spend our lives in situations
that can be measured by paper- and-pencil tests. Since this is so, scores obtained on such
tests should be viewed with some restraint if they are high and with some skepticism if
they are low. They measure only one aspect of a total life pattern.
The Mensa genius quiz book. (1981). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 139.
Salny, A. (1988). The Mensa books of words, word games, puzzles, and oddities. New
York: HarperCollins.