Tianxi Yu (余天曦) on CAT2 and Education
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/07/15
Tianxi Yu（余天曦）is a man who’s interested in IQ tests. Here we talk about Chinese education, standardized tests, a high value on education, and educational challenges for students.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: How does the interest in IQ and intellectual activities in China compare with other countries that have historically placed a high value on standardized tests, like Russia or India? Are there trends of moving away from traditional standardized tests towards other forms of intellectual engagement? As with my Chinese equestrian friend, you noted a particular distaste with standardized tests.
Tianxi Yu: 1) The question is vague, but if it’s the concept of “IQ,” then it’s of greater interest. In areas with large populations and low per capita resources, there is more emphasis on the concept of “ranking” as a way of expressing a sense of superiority over others, and IQ is a good outlet for this. From this point of view, Chinese people are probably more interested in IQ（The general level of education in India is lower, which makes most of them insensitive to “rankings.”）. I don’t know much about IQ activities about Russia and India, but the common ones in China are probably Go, Rubik’s Cube, memorization, etc, which have a certain popular base. 2)None.
Jacobsen: What components of the CAT2 make it uniquely rigorous compared to other tests? Have there been any efforts to bring these alternative test creators from China into a database or a directory of tests? It might help increase sample sizes.
Yu: 1) Abstract and I can only try to describe it in words. Graphical tests are low in rigour compared to numerical tests. This is because numbers are one-dimensional without regard to space, making it a more limited jump. However, graphical tests involve a lot of thinking about multiple dimensions;. At the same time, the paper is two-dimensional, the presentation of the questions can only be a projection of higher dimensions in two dimensions, but theoretically, the number of projections in two dimensions is infinite. However, the questions give a limited number of elements, so graphical questions are difficult to rigorously express the full in a finite space.CAT2 features in-depth thinking about the two dimensions while simplifying the two-dimensionality to the higher dimensions in higher-dimensionality questions. Validation, so it is highly rigorous.2) Huanyun Chen once put together a catalogue: https://xn--kivvho02b.xn--fiqs8s/916.html/2022/10/03/.
Jacobsen: Beyond the college entrance exam statistics, what cultural or societal factors contribute to the educational challenges for students?
Yu: First, there is the traditional concept, the elders think that only a good education can lead to a good life, because their generation has witnessed the dividend of education, and they think that the current dividend is sustainable, so they all ask their children of school age to study and further their education. Second, there is a lack of coordination in the distribution of resources, like the children of Germany, and early education diversion, which is currently lacking in China. Society generally believes that studying vocational education is despised, at the same time, society does not have much inclusiveness for this kind of student, but now the government is also learning from Germany, at this stage in the beginning of change. Last, there is fatigue on the consumer side, and there is no further upgrading of the social structure, resulting in no new blood to support future development at this stage, so people can only compete for stock but share less of the cake with more effort. These challenges, however, present opportunities for change and improvement in the Chinese educational system.
Jacobsen: Do teachers learn to hate teaching to the test, or do they genuinely love teaching in this style of schooling? As far as I have been told, students dislike it deeply. My Chinese woman friend notes this. You note this. Chinese exes state much the same.
Yu: Rock can’t change the flow of water.
Jacobsen: What should the Chinese government and businesses adopt to mitigate the impacts of such a downturn and capitalize on the recovery phase?
Yu: If it’s just simple economic reform, then a tax reset is relatively the easiest way to go. The cycles of the world can’t be changed by one or two superpowers. However, there is a potential for the Chinese government and businesses to adopt innovative strategies and policies to mitigate the impacts of such a downturn and capitalize on the recovery phase, which could significantly impact the educational system as well.
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