Intelligence

Intelligence Like so many important concepts in psychology, intelligence cannot be observed directly. A person cannot feel, smell, taste, hear, or see intelligence. Nevertheless, we are certain that it exists. We do not know what factor influences the intellect of the human minds, but numerous studies have shown that the environment plays an important role in human IQ's.

Some psychologists believe that intelligence is strongly affected by heredity. In a study of twins, psychologist tested the IQ's of fraternal twins and their scores came out very similar. This states that intelligence is not hereditary because the twins came from two separate eggs and they are no more genetically alike than ordinary brothers and sisters. Which means that they will have a closer match in IQ's. A study of identical twins that were separated at birth showed that the correlation of their IQ's had dropped: Mainly because they were raised n two different environments.

Raven's Progressive Matrices Example

Northernmost natural population

Bell curve and IQ

If they had grown up together, their IQ's would be about the same because they have identical genetics and would be in the same environment. The environment plays an important role in intellectual development.

Many people feel that the environment is dominant. "Strong evidence for an environmental view of intelligence comes from families having one adopted child and one biological child" (Coon 480). If intelligence were inherited, the biological child's IQ would be similar to the mother's because t shares her genes and environment. But two studies have shown that children (both biological and adopted) raised by the same mother resembled her IQ to the same degree. Also, trans-racially adopted children are as similar in IQ to their adopted brothers and sisters as biologically related siblings are.

Children do not have to be from the same ethnic background to have a similarity in their...