Assess the Influence of ‘Nature’ and ‘Nurture’ on Intelligence.
Question : a. Assess the influence of ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ on intelligence.
b. Cite (2) major proponents on this issue and examine their views
According to the Websters’ online dictionary, intelligence is the ability to apply knowledge and to manipulate one’s environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria. The sources of this ‘ability’ have been the centre of controversial debate among scientists, psychologists, and educators. With nature (genetics) and or nurture (environment) being identified as the source or sources contributing to the level of intelligence possessed by an individual.
Genes are passed from one generation to the next, and carry genetic information which determine eye colour, hair colour, height and other biological traits. Numerous studies on adoptive families have provided some amount of evidence of genetic influence on our intelligence. Carrying out studies that involved twins separated at birth, and those separated and adopted, psychologists were able to eliminate many of the issues that negatively affected previous studies. Results from these improved studies indicated that adopted children tended to have more similarities in intelligence quotient (IQ) with their biological mother as opposed to their adoptive parents. The concept of IQ was developed in 1912 by William Stern and was actually an expansion of the Binet intelligence test. Santrock (2004) “…. which refers to a person’s mental age divided by chronological age (CA), multiplied by 100. That is IQ = MA/CA x 100 (p. 107).”
Notably, with all the advances in scientific research, the gene or genes responsible for intelligence are yet to be identified. This may cause one to wonder if these genes do exist. At the same time, there is no doubt that intelligence exists. Though it cannot be precisely defined, seen with the eyes or quantified, intelligence is real. It could be that singling out these genes requires
b. Cite (2) major proponents on this issue and examine their views
According to the Websters’ online dictionary, intelligence is the ability to apply knowledge and to manipulate one’s environment or to think abstractly as measured by objective criteria. The sources of this ‘ability’ have been the centre of controversial debate among scientists, psychologists, and educators. With nature (genetics) and or nurture (environment) being identified as the source or sources contributing to the level of intelligence possessed by an individual.
Genes are passed from one generation to the next, and carry genetic information which determine eye colour, hair colour, height and other biological traits. Numerous studies on adoptive families have provided some amount of evidence of genetic influence on our intelligence. Carrying out studies that involved twins separated at birth, and those separated and adopted, psychologists were able to eliminate many of the issues that negatively affected previous studies. Results from these improved studies indicated that adopted children tended to have more similarities in intelligence quotient (IQ) with their biological mother as opposed to their adoptive parents. The concept of IQ was developed in 1912 by William Stern and was actually an expansion of the Binet intelligence test. Santrock (2004) “…. which refers to a person’s mental age divided by chronological age (CA), multiplied by 100. That is IQ = MA/CA x 100 (p. 107).”
Notably, with all the advances in scientific research, the gene or genes responsible for intelligence are yet to be identified. This may cause one to wonder if these genes do exist. At the same time, there is no doubt that intelligence exists. Though it cannot be precisely defined, seen with the eyes or quantified, intelligence is real. It could be that singling out these genes requires