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    The Hereditary Theory of Iq

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    Ollie Chris

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    The Hereditary Theory of Iq

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    Ollie Chris
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    15 views1 page

    The Hereditary Theory of Iq

    Uploaded by

    Ollie Chris

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    THE HEREDITARY THEORY OF IQ

    One of the longest standing assumptions about the nature of human intelligence has just been seriously
    challenged. According to the traditional “investment” theory, intelligence can be classified into two main
    categories: fluid and crystallized.

    Today, researchers generally agree that heredity and environment have an interactive
    influence on intelligence. Many researchers believe that there is a Reaction Range to IQ,
    which refers to the limits placed on IQ by heredity. Heredity places an upper and lower limit
    on the IQ that can be attained by a given person. The environment determines where within
    these limits the person’s IQ will lie.
    Despite the prevailing view that both heredity and environment influence intelligence,
    researchers still have different opinions about how much each contributes and how they
    interact.

    Hereditary Influences
    Evidence for hereditary influences on intelligence comes from the following observations:

     Family studies show that intelligence tends to run in families.


     Twin studies show a higher correlation between identical twins in IQ than between
    fraternal twins. This holds true even when identical twins reared apart are compared
    to fraternal twins reared together.
     Adoption studies show that adopted children somewhat resemble their biological
    parents in intelligence.
    Family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, however, are not without problems. See
    pages 36-–38 for more information about the drawbacks of such studies.

    Heritability of Intelligence
    Heritability is a mathematical estimate that indicates how much of a trait’s variation in a
    population can be attributed to genes. Estimates of the heritability of intelligence vary,
    depending on the methods used. Most researchers believe that heritability of intelligence is
    between 60 percent and 80 percent.
    Heritability estimates apply only to groups on which the estimates are based. So far,
    heritability estimates have been based mostly on studies using white, middle-class subjects.
    Even if heritability of IQ is high, heredity does not necessarily account for
    differences between groups. Three important factors limit heritability estimates:
    Heritability estimates don’t reveal anything about the extent to which genes influence a
    single person’s traits.
    Heritability depends on how similar the environment is for a group of people.
    Even with high heritability, a trait can still be influenced by environment.

    Heritability estimates for intelligence vary depending on the method used for estimation.

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