Internet Explorer users score low on IQ tests: study

People who use Internet Explorer may not be very bright, suggests a survey that used tests administered through web searches in online ads to measure browser users' IQ.

The survey was conducted by AptiQuant, a Vancouver-based web consulting company. It gave more than 100,000 participants an IQ test, while it monitored which browser they used to take the test.

The company found that while Internet Explorer users scored lower than average, Chrome, Firefox and Safari users scored slightly above average.

Further it found users of more obscure Camino and Opera browsers, as also those using Explorer with Chrome Frame (a plug-in designed to allow users view emerging HTML5 content), had ''exceptionally higher'' IQ levels.

However, according to analysts those numbers are not very scientific. The field of test-takers was self-selecting, people who chose to take the test on their own rather than a scientifically selected study group. They came to take the tests through web searches or ads the company placed online.

According to the report people using Explorer, the built-in, default browser for windows-based computers, may be more resistant to change. In a similar study conducted in 2006 IE browser users were found to have scored above average.