IQ plateau effect: only 17.6% of users continue developing skills after testing, MyIQ data shows

CLAYMONT, Del. - Nov. 4, 2025 - PRLog -- MyIQ, a global digital platform for cognitive and emotional insight, has released new internal findings that question long-held assumptions about intelligence and motivation for self-improvement. Drawing from more than 100,000 test sessions, MyIQ discovered a striking behavioural divide between users with higher-than-average IQs and those within the typical range. Individuals scoring above 115 were 63% less likely to continue with any of the platform's follow-up learning or development modules compared to users scoring between 85 and 115. Only 17.6% of high-IQ participants went on to complete additional modules focused on emotional intelligence, skill-building, or personality growth, whereas 42.5% of average-IQ users engaged with at least one additional activity, and nearly a third returned for multiple sessions.

Engagement data revealed that high-IQ users often experienced a short burst of interest immediately after receiving their results, revisiting their reports and ranking data, but rarely took further developmental steps. Within just a week, 78% of these users had disengaged from the platform entirely. Average-IQ users, in contrast, maintained an active presence for over six weeks (45.3 days on average), while higher scorers stayed engaged for less than five days.

MyIQ's analysts believe this behaviour is not linked to boredom or digital fatigue but rather to deeper psychological tendencies such as perfectionism, fear of diminished status, and reluctance to confront potential weaknesses. They've coined the term intelligence plateau to describe this phenomenon, the point at which intelligence validation becomes a barrier to personal growth. For many high scorers, achieving a strong IQ result reinforces a pre-existing self-image of competence, reducing curiosity and motivation to pursue further learning.

The findings suggest that intelligence alone does not predict adaptability, emotional insight, or openness to feedback, qualities increasingly essential for long-term personal and professional success. MyIQ advocates for reframing intelligence not as an endpoint, but as a foundation for ongoing development.

Launched in 2024, MyIQ now serves over a million users worldwide and has facilitated more than nine million completed assessments across its IQ, personality, and relationship testing categories. Through structured feedback and actionable insights, MyIQ helps individuals understand their cognitive and emotional patterns, encouraging users to turn self-awareness into meaningful personal growth.

Please find the full press release here: https://cooperative-agency.prowly.com/417329-iq-plateau-e...