What exactly is being an HPI?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), people who have an IQ above 130 are considered HPI, which represents approximately 2% of the population.

The final episode of the hit series HPI is broadcast on Thursday, October 3, in the evening on TF1. Its main heroine, Morgane Alvaro, with an IQ of 160, has shed light on the notion of High Intellectual Potential. Specialists believe that the character’s intellectual abilities are credible, but they remain completely out of the norm. Having an IQ of 160 only happens to 0.03% of the population. On the other hand, an IQ of 160 is not necessarily associated with hyperactivity, eccentricity or a refusal of authority as with Morgane Alvaro. These characteristics are to be detached from being HPI.

According to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), the definition of high intellectual potential corresponds to an IQ of more than 130, which represents approximately 2% of the population. Please note, not all IQ tests are equal. A test carried out only on the Internet has no value. To be relevant, the assessment must be carried out by a clinical psychologist or a neuropsychologist, and for this type of test, it costs around 200 euros.

When everything is going well, there is no real point in knowing your IQ, other than curiosity.
On the other hand, if a child has academic or behavioral difficulties, it may be worth it, because the difficulties may be linked to a difference in IQ, to feeling out of step or to problems with attention, dyslexia, dyspraxia, for example. Disorders that an HPI child will be more likely to compensate for sometimes without realizing it, which can put them in difficulty.

Generally speaking, being an HPI is rather an advantage, confirms Laurence Vaivre Douret, researcher at Inserm, and professor of neuropsychology. In the absence of other difficulties, being able to reason, understand and adapt faster than average is an advantage. Contrary to popular belief, studies do not show that HPI children are more sensitive or anxious than others. A few years ago, French researchers gave more than 30,000 students an IQ test, and this test made it possible to identify many HPI students at the top of the class, students who showed no problems with development. social or academic.