To find the relationship between head size and intelligence requires a bit of a historical journey. The dates we need to go first are the 19th and 20th centuries. These are the years when science is trying to progress, or rather crawl, with methods that can be considered primitive today.
Phrenology and craniometry (phrenology and craniometry) were one of the most popular theories in these years, when scientists such as Paul Broca, Franz Gall, Carl Wernicke were not content with a single field and were interested in both psychology, anthropology and physiology.
In those years, it was enough to measure a person’s head to find out his personality traits and intelligence level.
What you see above is a head size measuring device from 1902. First of all, let us state from the beginning that the theory of phrenology is not a scientifically valid theory today. However, in those years, that is, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the theory that states that it is necessary to measure the size and shape of the brain regions in order to determine the personality traits and intelligence level of a person is the theory of phrenology.
Craniometry, on the other hand, is a technique still used by anthropologists today, unlike phrenology. In this technique, measurements of the size of the brain, weight of the brain and other physical characteristics are measured. But the critical point here is; This technique is not used to measure intelligence and determine personality, but only to conduct research on human evolution.
This is how you can measure the size of your head.
Today, head measurement is mostly done by health personnel in order to follow the development of babies. You can still do this with a tape measure that you take to measure the circumference of your own head.
The measurement of the circumference of a person’s head is usually taken above the eyebrows and ears. Head size is thought to be affected by many factors, such as genetic and environmental factors.
We’re assuming you’ve learned that you shouldn’t rely on intelligence tests you find on the internet.
Intelligence (IQ) is a complex trait that develops with education, consisting of a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Generally; It is measured by cognitive ability tests that assess a wide range of cognitive abilities, such as memory, problem solving, and language skills.
These tests have separate training and certification, and certain professional groups, such as psychologists, can administer these tests. The so-called tests on the Internet that show how smart you are in 10 minutes have no validity or reliability.
Let’s take a look at some of the studies examining the correlation between head size and intelligence.
In a meta-analysis study published in 2015 in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (that is, the research that compiled the research published until that time), the correlation between the size of the human brain and intelligence was examined. According to the results of this study, in which 88 studies were examined, there may be a positive relationship between brain volume and intelligence, although there is no relationship between the size of the head circumference and intelligence.
A similar study was published by Michael A. McDaniel in the journal Intelligence in 2015. In this study, the relationship between brain size and intelligence was examined. Likewise, it was found that the size of the brain volume may have a positive relationship with the level of intelligence.
So both studies show that no matter how big your head is, the size of the brain inside matters. Studies show that the larger the brain size, the higher the intelligence level.
- Sources: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Intelligence
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