Is it true that Kurds cannot distinguish right from wrong or do not have any self-control because their average IQ of 85 "is borderline"? No, that's not true: Depending on the source, the number is slightly different, but an IQ from 85 to 114 is considered to indicate an average intelligence. Also, the IQ score is not necessarily linked to self-control (self-regulation), which is categorized under emotional intelligence, otherwise known as emotional quotient or EQ.
The claim appeared in a video on TikTok (archived here) on July 10, 2023, under the title (translated from Japanese to English by Lead Stories staff) "This is Too Scary."
This is how the video started (translated from Japanese to English by Lead Stories staff):
So, it was true. Kurds have an average IQ of 85, borderline. They can't distinguish right from wrong and have no self-control. FYI, Japan has average IQ of 112.69.
This is what the post looked like on TikTok at the time of writing:
(Source: TikTok screenshot taken on Wed Jul 26 12:13:40 2023 UTC)
Claims related to the IQ of Kurds of Turkish nationality and its alleged connection to morals and behavior are on the rise in Japan because of a recent brawl involving a Turkish Kurd who was attacked and seriously injured by a compatriot. That resulted, on July 4, 2023, in approximately 100 Kurds rushing to the hospital in Kawaguchi, in Japan, creating a commotion and requiring police intervention.
According to a study of national IQs and their correlates published by the Ulster Institute for Social Research in 2019, Japan had a final national IQ of 106.48 and Turkey had a final national IQ of 86.80.
The IQ Scale Breakdown shows that an IQ between 85 and 114 is considered "average intelligence."
According to a 2016 study published by Frontiers in Psychology on individual differences in moral development and the role of intelligence in moral reasoning and emotions, knowing right from wrong (moral understanding) is independent from the IQ. It stated:
... moral developmental status seems to be independent from children's general intelligence assessed by figural inductive reasoning tests.
Self-control falls under the category of emotional intelligence, rather than being linked to the IQ. There is a correlation between EQ and IQ, but there are many exceptions.
