Study: Internet Explorer users have lower IQs than Safari users

15 years ago

A Vancouver based Psychometric Consulting company, AptiQuant, has released a report on a trial it conducted to measure the effects of cognitive ability on the choice of web browser

AptiQuant offers online tools to other companies to better assess their existing/potential employees based on their mental aptitude, skills, motivation and performance.

AptiQuant offered free online IQ tests to over a 100,000 people and then plotted the average IQ scores based on the browser on which the test was taken. And the results are really not that surprising. Clearly, Internet Explorer users scored lower than average on the IQ tests.

Chrome, Firefox and Safari users scored higher than average IQ scores. And users of Camino, Opera and IE with Chrome Frame had the highest IQ levels.

AptiQuant’s Intelligence Quotient and Browser Usage report (.pdf) here.

MacDailyNews Take: One thing that’s also immediately apparent is that the rarer the browser, the higher the IQ scores. So, it seems that the more knowledgeable the user is about alternatives, the more likely they are to use them and, obviously, the more likely they are to register higher IQ scores in AptiQuant tests.

In our experience, the people who are more curious, more aware, and more willing to try new things tend to be more intelligent than the average bear. That’s why Mac users, in general, are smarter than Windows PC sufferers.

FYI, The top 7 browsers used to visit MacDailyNews.com, January 1 – July 29, 2011:
• Safari – 67%
• Firefox – 11%
• Mozilla Compatible Agent – 7%
• Internet Explorer – 6% (We assume some of you are stuck with it at work. Our condolences.)
• Chrome – 6%
• Opera – 0.4%
• Camino – 0.28%