The size of the brain does not on its own determine an individual’s intelligence.


According to Paul Manger, a professor of health science at the University of Witwatersrand, individual intelligence is determined by how the neurons or nerve cells and synopsis are organized.

 

Traditionally we have believed that having a, ‘big brain’ was directly correlated with having superior intelligence. However, it appears as though a new school of thought has superseded this perception. When brain-scan tests were carried out amongst young children it was found that brain size had very little to do with what comes out from standardized intelligence tests. It would appear as though the correlation between having a big brain and being an intelligent person is somewhat negligible.

 

A study carried out over ten years ago, that examined the recognition of 26 imaging studies, concluded that the correlation between IQ and brain size is consistently in the range of 0.3- 0.4 range, showing that there is only a weak to moderate linear relationship between size and intelligence. The weak correlation between IQ and brain size is not difficult to envision, particularly considering that whales and elephants for example have larger brains than human beings, but are clearly are not as intelligent as human baings.

 

Although brain size, or more appropriately the size of brain parts, can be considered a reasonable indicator of skill, research and evidence shows that there is clearly more to intelligence than brain size.