Editing Historiometry (section)

==Critique==
Since historiometry is based on indirect information like historic documents and relies heavily on statistics, the results of these studies are questioned by some researchers, mainly because of concerns about ''over-interpretation'' of the estimated results.<ref>{{Cite book
| url = http://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb=true&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED451235&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&_pageLabel=RecordDetails&objectId=0900000b8013877a&accno=ED451235
| title = Historiometrics of Creativity: A Philosophical Critique.
| access-date = 2006-09-13
| last = Bastick
| first = Tony
| year = 1999
| publisher = Education Resources Information Center
}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal
 | author = Mackenzie, B.
 | date =  January 1, 1986 | title = Genius, creativity, and leadership. Historiometric inquiries
 | journal = Med. Hist.
 | volume = 30
 | pages = 109–110
 | issue = 1
| pmc=1139602
 | doi=10.1017/s0025727300045245}}</ref>

The previously mentioned study of the intellectual capacity of US presidents, a study by '' [[Dean Simonton|Dean Keith Simonton]]'', attracted a lot of media attention and critique mainly because it classified the former US president, [[George W. Bush]], as second to last of all US presidents since 1900.<ref name="Times">{{cite web
| url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2350564,00.html
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080725161114/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2350564,00.html
| url-status = dead
| archive-date = July 25, 2008
| title = Bush IQ low on presidential league
| access-date = 2006-09-10
| last = Dobson
| first = Roger
| date = 2006-09-10
| publisher = Times Online
 | location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|url = http://hnn.us/roundup/entries/28085.html
|publisher = History News Network
|title = Rating American presidents' IQ's
|date = July 13, 2006
|access-date = 2007-03-12}}</ref> The IQ of G.W. Bush was estimated as between 111.1 and 138.5, with an average of 125,<ref name="Presidential IQ"/> exceeding only that of president [[Warren Harding]], who is regarded as a failed president,<ref name="Times"/> with an average IQ of 124. Although controversial and imprecise (due to gaps in available data), the approach used by Simonton to generate his results was regarded "reasonable" by fellow researchers.<ref>{{cite journal
|url=http://www.sciencemag.org/content/vol313/issue5786/r-samples.dtl
|journal=Science
|volume=313
|issue=5786
|date=July 28, 2006
|title=Presidential Smarts
|author=Editorial
|doi=10.1126/science.313.5786.419c
|page=419
|s2cid=220092356
|access-date=2007-03-12}}</ref>
In the media, the study was sometimes compared with the ''[[U.S. Presidents IQ hoax]]'', a [[hoax]] that circulated via email in mid-2001, which suggested that G.W. Bush had the lowest IQ of all US presidents.<ref>{{cite web
| url = http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/presiq.htm
| title = President Bush Has Lowest IQ of all Presidents of past 50 Years
| access-date = 2006-09-11
| date = 2004-07-15
| publisher = snopes.com
}}</ref>