To think general knowledge quiz shows do not give a measure of intelligence, just of memorisation skills?

[pennypinchh]

I am totally rubbish at all quiz shows, trying to play along on the couch and never know anything! But I don't understand why my family say I'm not that smart just because I don't know some obscure fact about the TV show Frasier, which I've never even seen! Has anyone else been shamed because of this?

totally disagree - I don't often watch it, but always find it fascinating that on Mastermind, one contestant can be 100% on top of a weirdly obsessive esoteric chosen subject, but a complete loss when it gets to the general knowledge round - and surpassed by someone that scored low on the specialist subject, but a reasonable grasp of general knowledge.

The people on University Challenge are very intelligent in the sense that they have an extraordinary ability to retain facts. They may not have good emotional intelligence or what we describe as 'common sense'
It is noticeable that when they have University Challenge programmes featuring old alumni of universities the contestants don't score that well. However these people are very successful in their careers

The people on University Challenge are very intelligent in the sense that they have an extraordinary ability to retain facts. They may not have good emotional intelligence or what we describe as 'common sense

I loved Monkman and Seagull from a few years ago.

always find it fascinating that on Mastermind, one contestant can be 100% on top of a weirdly obsessive esoteric chosen subject, but a complete loss when it gets to the general knowledge round

I used to wonder why some contestants were so poor at their specialist subject - but then I discovered that if you apply to Mastermind you have to give several options as specialist subjects and you might not get your preferred choice!

(Obviously, there's the stage fright factor too - that's why I wouldn't go on it, it's one thing to sit on your sofa shouting the answers but quite another, I expect, to do so in a TV studio knowing you're being filmed).

It is noticeable that when they have University Challenge programmes featuring old alumni of universities the contestants don't score that well.

Some of them do - Val McDermid is always brilliant.

YABU

A lot of quizzing is basic common knowledge and then it is coupled with educated guesses about things. Profesional quizzers of course do learn and revise facts as part of their job the average quizzer does not. Amateur quizzers tend to be curious, interested in learning and good problem solvers.

I can't understand how some people get on to quiz shows though, I have watched mainstream quiz shows where contestants though, George Bush was the first President of the USA, that Ecuador was in Europe and that Paris was a country.

I get that some people hate quizzes, but those people also tend not to be interested in current affairs or the world around them which is fine, horses for courses. However, to say it is because some are only good at it because of having a better memory is a bit demeaning.

@pennypinchh

I've honestly never thought about what marmalade was made from, it wouldn't cross my mind to look it up. I think what a previous poster said was right, it is about curiosity. But I look up scientific facts and information all the time, I just have no care for other stuff

I'm generally good with quizzes because I'm generally curious but not good with sports questions because that doesn't interest me at all. So I think you're right.

@pennypinchh

I googled it and Seville came up - how the hell am I supposed to know that? I've never even been to Spain so how could that be a measure of my intelligence?

Quizzing isn't always about knowing the answer, it is about educated guesses too. I guessed Seville as it is in the southern part of Spain and also begins with S. Obviously I could have been wrong but an educated guess as I say.

Sometimes you just don't know which is also ok, esp if it is a TV show or that you haven't seen and have nothing to go on. But I think Geog/History lends itself to 'coming up with an answer' based on existing knowledge.

I love the people on here denigrating sport as a subject. Snobbery at its finest.

I'm really, really good at quizzes. Pre-Covid I was in a team and we did really well in pub quizzes, made quite a bit of money and many bottles of wine between us.

I don't think it's a measure of intelligence, I just find it hard to forget useless information. DS1 is a dynamo at them - photographic memory - but devoid of common sense.

@derxa

I love the people on here denigrating sport as a subject. Snobbery at its finest.

Curious. I've read the posts and can't really see anyone who has denigrated sport as a subject.

There are people who've said they don't have much interest in sport.

@derxa

I love the people on here denigrating sport as a subject. Snobbery at its finest.

No-one has denigrated sport at all. Where did you misread that?

Well do you think sport questions are valid on University Challenge?

@derxa

Well do you think sport questions are valid on University Challenge?

Yes.

There are general knowledge questions about sport.

I think it's less about intelligence and more about intellectual curiosity about the world around you.

It makes me laugh on Pointless when the contestants try to excuse a lack of knowledge by saying that something is "before their time" and Xander and Richard get really cross because what people are really saying is that the only bits of life worth knowing about are those bits which relate directly to them and their life. It's a sort of laziness, I suppose.

We enjoy quizzes and are sometime baffled by what people don't know. Not TV questions like your OP, because that's so dependent on taste, but general knowledge type questions. That example earlier about identifying Scotland as a city is a good example.

Rugby is believed to have been started when someone picked up the ball. Who was he?

In 1932, there was a controversial cricket tour of Australia when fast leg arm bowling was used. What was the name of that tour?

Which country has hosted the most Olympic Games?

See - general knowledge questions

There haven’t been people denigrating sport on this thread

OP, your drip feed post about having an illness that caused memory loss was very misleading regarding your original post.

If you can't remember stuff like marmalade is made from oranges, and your family skit you for it, then they are abviously dickheads.

I hate it on quizzes when someone is asked a question, for example about The Beatles, but don't know the answer because it was ', before their time', like they only know about things from the year of their birth onwards.

Name one of Henry VIII's wives - oh I don't know. That was before my time 😠

Its good you have a great degree .However I think as you get a bit older maybe 30s/40s/50s you will gain a greater knowledge .My Friend is very good at the pub quiz (cancelled until further notice obv!) has a STEM degree ,and a wide knowledge of various subjects .However we dont normally win as many of the questions are about Sports (esp Football!) My own DS has a Masters in Physics ,but also knows Sports questions /footie very well!

@derxa

I love the people on here denigrating sport as a subject. Snobbery at its finest.

Nah, I just don't particularly like football, cricket, tennis or golf, which are the ones that the majority of quizzes ask (almost entirely male centric) questions about.

@chomalungma

Rugby is believed to have been started when someone picked up the ball. Who was he?

In 1932, there was a controversial cricket tour of Australia when fast leg arm bowling was used. What was the name of that tour?

Which country has hosted the most Olympic Games?

See - general knowledge questions

I liked the drama that was made about the Bodyline Tour.

I am good at quizzes and have good general knowledge and lot of people mock me - I get called Rain Man!

I don't think I am particularly intelligent but I am good at retaining pointless information

OTOH, my mother seems surprised that I'm a bit wooly on the order of prime ministers and other cabinet officials in the 70s and 80s... Personally I don't think a 34 year old not knowing that is abnormal, but her knowing them doesn't make her knowledge superior, since she worked for the government from the early 70s, including in the cabinet office at one stage. Same with popular culture from before you were born. The younger generation know different stuff to us.

I think tv quizzes are the ability to soak up information on a multitude of information. From animals to the Zambezi and including animals found on the Zambezi. To the Kardashians, to Royal Families . Including how royals are connected to the Royals

I work in a school
also agree that general knowledge should be covered more in school. In some shape of form

Also OP, not all facts are memorised. Things like American State Capitals or countries in the Allied Forces I just know. However, World Cup Winners I know the last 6 but I've had to learn and memorise the ones prior to those.

You don't seem to be interested in things around you which is fine, but you can't be cross when you have limited general knowledge.