IQ and Motivation

A recent study finds that motivation is a key component of performance on standardized IQ test. Researchers compared IQ scores with and without a material incentive to perform well. They found that everyone performs better with the incentive, but those with lower baseline IQ scored have a larger effect. They conclude from this that performing well on an IQ test requires both intelligence and motivation, but that those who score poorly may lack either one or both – and some simply lack motivation.