The Influences of Environment and Heredity on Measured Intelligence

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Recommended: Introduction heredity and environment in determining intelligence

Intelligence

What are the influences of environment and heredity on measured intelligence?

HEREDITY

Psychologists are greatly divided over whether heredity or environment has a more dominant influence on individual intelligence.
Although some animal studies appear to suggest heredity have the greatest influence, a seemingly more accurate conclusion may be drawn form human studies on intelligence.
In studies on the similarities between IQ of siblings reared in the same and separate environments, the IQ of fraternal twins reared together showed greater similarity than the scores of ordinary siblings.
One may wonder why this is so! Parents tend to treat twins more alike than they do ordinary siblings. The influencing factor behind the increased resemblance in the twins IQ proves to be environmental.
Identical twins who are raised together show even greater similarities in their IQ, which is to be expected, considering their identical genes and the similar environmental influences they receive. When identical twins are raised apart the similarities in their IQ can be seen to decrease, however not by much. As the similarities are still impressive one may be lead to believe that heredity plays a major role in intelligence, but one must not overlook the fact that almost all separated twins are placed in homes socially and educationally similar to those of their biological parents. This tends to falsely increase the apparent effect of genes on intelligence, by making the separa...

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