Henry Phelps Brown
- Published in print:
- 1979
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198851202
- eISBN:
- 9780191596780
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198851200.003.0007
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Public and Welfare
This chapter studies the connection between social class, mental ability, education, and entry into employment, and is a further development of the previous chapter on intergenerational mobility ...
More
This chapter studies the connection between social class, mental ability, education, and entry into employment, and is a further development of the previous chapter on intergenerational mobility between occupations. The different sections of this chapter are: The association between occupation and IQ; Evidence for the genetic determination of IQ potential; The effects of differences between classes in the upbringing of children on the development of IQ; The relation between parents’ class and their children's IQ; Class differences in the use made of education; Class differences in extent of education; Education as investment: human capital theory; and Entry into employment. The last section reviews and discusses the material presented, drawing out eight main points.Less
This chapter studies the connection between social class, mental ability, education, and entry into employment, and is a further development of the previous chapter on intergenerational mobility between occupations. The different sections of this chapter are: The association between occupation and IQ; Evidence for the genetic determination of IQ potential; The effects of differences between classes in the upbringing of children on the development of IQ; The relation between parents’ class and their children's IQ; Class differences in the use made of education; Class differences in extent of education; Education as investment: human capital theory; and Entry into employment. The last section reviews and discusses the material presented, drawing out eight main points.
Gary L. Wenk
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195388541
- eISBN:
- 9780199863587
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195388541.003.0009
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroendocrine and Autonomic
No drugs or nutrients are currently available that can reverse the primary cause of cognitive decline: normal aging. Also, it is currently impossible to enhance the function of a normal brain. These ...
More
No drugs or nutrients are currently available that can reverse the primary cause of cognitive decline: normal aging. Also, it is currently impossible to enhance the function of a normal brain. These facts have not deterred con artists from placing numerous advertisements on the Internet that claim their products are effective brain boosters or cognition enhancers. In general, these products take advantage of the ability of stimulants to enhance performance. The classic brain stimulants such as coffee, amphetamine, or nicotine, might improve performance, but they do not raise one's IQ score and they do not stop age-related cognitive decline. Overall, the best way to slow the process of aging in your brain and body is to eat less food. A lot less food! Also, stop wasting money on drugs with benefits that are too good to be true: they will not make you wiser or healthier, only poorer.Less
No drugs or nutrients are currently available that can reverse the primary cause of cognitive decline: normal aging. Also, it is currently impossible to enhance the function of a normal brain. These facts have not deterred con artists from placing numerous advertisements on the Internet that claim their products are effective brain boosters or cognition enhancers. In general, these products take advantage of the ability of stimulants to enhance performance. The classic brain stimulants such as coffee, amphetamine, or nicotine, might improve performance, but they do not raise one's IQ score and they do not stop age-related cognitive decline. Overall, the best way to slow the process of aging in your brain and body is to eat less food. A lot less food! Also, stop wasting money on drugs with benefits that are too good to be true: they will not make you wiser or healthier, only poorer.
Ian Deary
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198524175
- eISBN:
- 9780191712531
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198524175.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
Human mental ability differences have a hierarchical structure, and may be viewed at levels from general ability (g) to specific abilities. Ability differences show moderate stability across the ...
More
Human mental ability differences have a hierarchical structure, and may be viewed at levels from general ability (g) to specific abilities. Ability differences show moderate stability across the lifespan, moderate heritability, and some predictive power in the fields of education, work, and social life. The most persistent mystery is the origin(s) of individual differences in cognitive and biological processes. The book reviews the search for these origins. The chapters cover historical work from antiquity to the 20th century. Research addresses the search for the origins of mental ability differences in cognitive components, reaction times, and inspection times. Biological areas such as brain size, event-related potentials, functional brain imaging, and molecular genetics are presented. The book identifies solid findings and sites of progress and criticizes empirical and conceptual weaknesses in the field.Less
Human mental ability differences have a hierarchical structure, and may be viewed at levels from general ability (g) to specific abilities. Ability differences show moderate stability across the lifespan, moderate heritability, and some predictive power in the fields of education, work, and social life. The most persistent mystery is the origin(s) of individual differences in cognitive and biological processes. The book reviews the search for these origins. The chapters cover historical work from antiquity to the 20th century. Research addresses the search for the origins of mental ability differences in cognitive components, reaction times, and inspection times. Biological areas such as brain size, event-related potentials, functional brain imaging, and molecular genetics are presented. The book identifies solid findings and sites of progress and criticizes empirical and conceptual weaknesses in the field.
Ian J. Deary
- Published in print:
- 2000
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198524175
- eISBN:
- 9780191712531
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198524175.003.0010
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter acts as a resume of the book, and looks ahead to what the future holds with regard to understanding the cognitive and biological foundations of intelligence differences.
This chapter acts as a resume of the book, and looks ahead to what the future holds with regard to understanding the cognitive and biological foundations of intelligence differences.
Bernard Van Praag
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199226146
- eISBN:
- 9780191718595
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199226146.003.0012
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Behavioural Economics
This chapter examines the feasibility of a lump-sum tax based on ‘ability’, defined as a function of IQ and education. Empirical research on a Dutch database shows that shifting from income-based to ...
More
This chapter examines the feasibility of a lump-sum tax based on ‘ability’, defined as a function of IQ and education. Empirical research on a Dutch database shows that shifting from income-based to ability-based taxation would not have devastating effects on net income positions. These relatively small effects are attributed to the prevailing equitable tax rates in the Netherlands, and the limitation of the study to full-time employees.Less
This chapter examines the feasibility of a lump-sum tax based on ‘ability’, defined as a function of IQ and education. Empirical research on a Dutch database shows that shifting from income-based to ability-based taxation would not have devastating effects on net income positions. These relatively small effects are attributed to the prevailing equitable tax rates in the Netherlands, and the limitation of the study to full-time employees.
Lee Jussim
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195366600
- eISBN:
- 9780199933044
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195366600.003.0013
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
This chapter reviews the earliest empirical research demonstrating that false beliefs sometimes create their own realities through self-fulfilling prophecies. First, it reviews the earliest work on ...
More
This chapter reviews the earliest empirical research demonstrating that false beliefs sometimes create their own realities through self-fulfilling prophecies. First, it reviews the earliest work on “experimenter effects”—a phenomenon whereby researchers sometimes bias the results of their own research in such a manner as to lead to confirmation of their own hypotheses. Second, it reviews and critically evaluates one of the influential and controversial studies in all of psychology: Rosenthal and Jacobson’s (1968) Pygmalion in the Classroom study, which showed that teachers’ expectations could lead to educational self-fulfilling prophecies. I conclude that figuring out what justifiable conclusions can be reached on the basis of this study is almost impossible but that, even taking its results at face value, it found weak, fragile, and fleeting self-fulfilling prophecies, rather than the powerful and pervasive ones it has often been cited as showing. Third, this chapter reviews the immediate follow-up research to this controversial study. That work clearly showed that self-fulfilling prophecies do indeed occur (even this claim was controversial at one time); they are generally small, fragile, and fleeting (exactly as found—but not often described as such—in the original Pygmalion study); and the most controversial claim emerging from Pygmalion—that teacher expectations can alter student IQ—is, at best, weakly established.Less
This chapter reviews the earliest empirical research demonstrating that false beliefs sometimes create their own realities through self-fulfilling prophecies. First, it reviews the earliest work on “experimenter effects”—a phenomenon whereby researchers sometimes bias the results of their own research in such a manner as to lead to confirmation of their own hypotheses. Second, it reviews and critically evaluates one of the influential and controversial studies in all of psychology: Rosenthal and Jacobson’s (1968) Pygmalion in the Classroom study, which showed that teachers’ expectations could lead to educational self-fulfilling prophecies. I conclude that figuring out what justifiable conclusions can be reached on the basis of this study is almost impossible but that, even taking its results at face value, it found weak, fragile, and fleeting self-fulfilling prophecies, rather than the powerful and pervasive ones it has often been cited as showing. Third, this chapter reviews the immediate follow-up research to this controversial study. That work clearly showed that self-fulfilling prophecies do indeed occur (even this claim was controversial at one time); they are generally small, fragile, and fleeting (exactly as found—but not often described as such—in the original Pygmalion study); and the most controversial claim emerging from Pygmalion—that teacher expectations can alter student IQ—is, at best, weakly established.
Eugenia Costa-Giomi
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199586974
- eISBN:
- 9780191738357
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199586974.003.0023
- Subject:
- Psychology, Music Psychology, Health Psychology
This chapter provides a historical overview of research on the intellectual benefits of music and the most popular interpretations of the research findings. After questioning such interpretations and ...
More
This chapter provides a historical overview of research on the intellectual benefits of music and the most popular interpretations of the research findings. After questioning such interpretations and providing alternative explanations, it describes selected experimental studies that were focused on the causal relationship between music instruction and intellectual prowess. The results of the many studies that observed children for a short period of time (i.e., up to one year), have shown convincing evidence that there are temporary cognitive benefits associated with music instruction. Such benefits include improvements in general IQ, spatial skills, and verbal tasks. Additionally, learning music produces structural and functional changes in the brain. Such changes are associated with improvements in sound processing, motor skill, and melodic and rhythmic discrimination. However, neurological investigations do not support the claim that music makes children smarted as the results have failed to show any neurological changes associated with improvements in IQ.Less
This chapter provides a historical overview of research on the intellectual benefits of music and the most popular interpretations of the research findings. After questioning such interpretations and providing alternative explanations, it describes selected experimental studies that were focused on the causal relationship between music instruction and intellectual prowess. The results of the many studies that observed children for a short period of time (i.e., up to one year), have shown convincing evidence that there are temporary cognitive benefits associated with music instruction. Such benefits include improvements in general IQ, spatial skills, and verbal tasks. Additionally, learning music produces structural and functional changes in the brain. Such changes are associated with improvements in sound processing, motor skill, and melodic and rhythmic discrimination. However, neurological investigations do not support the claim that music makes children smarted as the results have failed to show any neurological changes associated with improvements in IQ.
Kathryn Talalay
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195113938
- eISBN:
- 9780199853816
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195113938.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, Cultural History
This chapter talks about the genius of Philippa, well-known at a very young age as the “three-year-old colored kid in Harlem”, because at her age she could already read, write, and spell words. ...
More
This chapter talks about the genius of Philippa, well-known at a very young age as the “three-year-old colored kid in Harlem”, because at her age she could already read, write, and spell words. Lincoln Barnett had also written an article for the New York Herald Tribune about how intelligent she was. In 1934, Philippa was first introduced to the typewriter and then the piano and she would spend hours playing melodies and scales on one keyboard, then typing poems and short stories on the typewriter. Philippa made the news in 1935 for being the youngest American to spell the biggest and longest word in the English language, the word pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis. NYU tested Philippa's EQ and IQ and the results were 200 and 179 to 185, respectively proving her gift. At the age of four and ten months Philippa took part in her first musical competition and she was one of the seven winners.Less
This chapter talks about the genius of Philippa, well-known at a very young age as the “three-year-old colored kid in Harlem”, because at her age she could already read, write, and spell words. Lincoln Barnett had also written an article for the New York Herald Tribune about how intelligent she was. In 1934, Philippa was first introduced to the typewriter and then the piano and she would spend hours playing melodies and scales on one keyboard, then typing poems and short stories on the typewriter. Philippa made the news in 1935 for being the youngest American to spell the biggest and longest word in the English language, the word pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis. NYU tested Philippa's EQ and IQ and the results were 200 and 179 to 185, respectively proving her gift. At the age of four and ten months Philippa took part in her first musical competition and she was one of the seven winners.
William R. Clark and Michael Grunstein
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195178005
- eISBN:
- 9780199893331
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195178005.003.0012
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
The question of the role of genes in human intelligence is one of the most complex and controversial in the entire field of human genetics. Firstly, there is no adequate definition of human ...
More
The question of the role of genes in human intelligence is one of the most complex and controversial in the entire field of human genetics. Firstly, there is no adequate definition of human intelligence. Yet it is clear from twin and adoption studies that performance on standardized IQ tests, whatever it is they measure, is a heritable and therefore genetically controlled trait. Studies of genes involved in impairment of human mental function, such as the presenilin genes in Alzheimer’s, or the fmr-2 gene in Fragile X syndrome, are of limited value in understanding normal mental function. While it is not possible to speak of intelligence per se in animals, there are a number of studies on genes that affect learning and memory. One of the most interesting of these is the NMDA receptor gene in mice, mutations in which affects the speed at which information can be processed and matched to experience.Less
The question of the role of genes in human intelligence is one of the most complex and controversial in the entire field of human genetics. Firstly, there is no adequate definition of human intelligence. Yet it is clear from twin and adoption studies that performance on standardized IQ tests, whatever it is they measure, is a heritable and therefore genetically controlled trait. Studies of genes involved in impairment of human mental function, such as the presenilin genes in Alzheimer’s, or the fmr-2 gene in Fragile X syndrome, are of limited value in understanding normal mental function. While it is not possible to speak of intelligence per se in animals, there are a number of studies on genes that affect learning and memory. One of the most interesting of these is the NMDA receptor gene in mice, mutations in which affects the speed at which information can be processed and matched to experience.
James C. Oleson
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780520282414
- eISBN:
- 9780520958098
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520282414.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Law, Crime and Deviance
For one hundred years, criminologists have studied crime and intelligence, concluding that offenders possess IQ scores eight to ten points below those of non-offenders. Although the criminal genius ...
More
For one hundred years, criminologists have studied crime and intelligence, concluding that offenders possess IQ scores eight to ten points below those of non-offenders. Although the criminal genius is one of the most cherished villains in history, literature, and film, little is actually known about the criminal behavior of those with above-average IQ scores. This study provides some of the first empirical information about the self-reported crimes of adults with genius-level IQ scores. The study combines quantitative data about seventy-two different offenses with qualitative data from forty-four follow-up interviews to describe nine different types of offending: violent crime, property crime, sex crime, drug crime, white-collar crime, professional misconduct, vehicular crime, justice-system crime, and miscellaneous crime. Contrary to expectations, 465 high-IQ respondents reported higher rates of prevalence and incidence than 756 controls. They were also more tough-minded, emotional, and less empathic than people matched for sex and age. Interview data were consistent with theories that explain crime via weakened social bonds. Some of the crimes in the study were described by prisoners who had been caught and punished, but most—up to and including homicide—were described by offenders who got away with them. In the study, high-IQ respondents avoided detection, arrest, and conviction better than controls.Less
For one hundred years, criminologists have studied crime and intelligence, concluding that offenders possess IQ scores eight to ten points below those of non-offenders. Although the criminal genius is one of the most cherished villains in history, literature, and film, little is actually known about the criminal behavior of those with above-average IQ scores. This study provides some of the first empirical information about the self-reported crimes of adults with genius-level IQ scores. The study combines quantitative data about seventy-two different offenses with qualitative data from forty-four follow-up interviews to describe nine different types of offending: violent crime, property crime, sex crime, drug crime, white-collar crime, professional misconduct, vehicular crime, justice-system crime, and miscellaneous crime. Contrary to expectations, 465 high-IQ respondents reported higher rates of prevalence and incidence than 756 controls. They were also more tough-minded, emotional, and less empathic than people matched for sex and age. Interview data were consistent with theories that explain crime via weakened social bonds. Some of the crimes in the study were described by prisoners who had been caught and punished, but most—up to and including homicide—were described by offenders who got away with them. In the study, high-IQ respondents avoided detection, arrest, and conviction better than controls.
Ullica Segerstråle
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- April 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195130027
- eISBN:
- 9780199893874
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195130027.003.0004
- Subject:
- Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology
The sociobiology debate, which has often been interpreted as a political controversy between conservative hereditarians and progressive culturalists (or environmentalists), in fact represented a ...
More
The sociobiology debate, which has often been interpreted as a political controversy between conservative hereditarians and progressive culturalists (or environmentalists), in fact represented a clash between two total scientific-cum-moral world views. What was at stake was the nature of science and the moral responsibility of the scientist, especially when it came to “telling the truth” about the biological foundation of human nature. It was fundamentally a debate about the nature of evolutionary explanation of human behavior and what ought to count as “acceptable knowledge” at a particular time.Less
The sociobiology debate, which has often been interpreted as a political controversy between conservative hereditarians and progressive culturalists (or environmentalists), in fact represented a clash between two total scientific-cum-moral world views. What was at stake was the nature of science and the moral responsibility of the scientist, especially when it came to “telling the truth” about the biological foundation of human nature. It was fundamentally a debate about the nature of evolutionary explanation of human behavior and what ought to count as “acceptable knowledge” at a particular time.
Keith Stanovich
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195341140
- eISBN:
- 9780199894307
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195341140.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Models and Architectures
This book attempts to resolve the Great Rationality Debate in cognitive science—the debate about how much irrationality to ascribe to human cognition. It shows how the insights of dual-process theory ...
More
This book attempts to resolve the Great Rationality Debate in cognitive science—the debate about how much irrationality to ascribe to human cognition. It shows how the insights of dual-process theory and evolutionary psychology can be combined to explain why humans are sometimes irrational even though they possess remarkably adaptive cognitive machinery. The book argues that to characterize fully differences in rational thinking, we need to replace dual-process theories with tripartite models of cognition. Using a unique individual differences approach, it shows that the traditional second system (System 2) of dual-process theory must be further divided into the reflective mind and the algorithmic mind. Distinguishing them gives a better appreciation of the significant differences in their key functions: the key function of the reflective mind is to detect the need to interrupt autonomous processing and to begin simulation activities, whereas that of the algorithmic mind is to sustain the processing of decoupled secondary representations in cognitive simulation. The book then uses this algorithmic/reflective distinction to develop a taxonomy of cognitive errors made on tasks in the heuristics and biases literature. It presents the empirical data to show that the tendency to make these thinking errors is not highly related to intelligence. Using a tripartite model of cognition, the book shows how, when both are properly defined, rationality is a more encompassing construct than intelligence, and that IQ tests fail to assess individual differences in rational thought. It then goes on to discuss the types of thinking processes that would be measured if rational thinking were to be assessed as IQ has been.Less
This book attempts to resolve the Great Rationality Debate in cognitive science—the debate about how much irrationality to ascribe to human cognition. It shows how the insights of dual-process theory and evolutionary psychology can be combined to explain why humans are sometimes irrational even though they possess remarkably adaptive cognitive machinery. The book argues that to characterize fully differences in rational thinking, we need to replace dual-process theories with tripartite models of cognition. Using a unique individual differences approach, it shows that the traditional second system (System 2) of dual-process theory must be further divided into the reflective mind and the algorithmic mind. Distinguishing them gives a better appreciation of the significant differences in their key functions: the key function of the reflective mind is to detect the need to interrupt autonomous processing and to begin simulation activities, whereas that of the algorithmic mind is to sustain the processing of decoupled secondary representations in cognitive simulation. The book then uses this algorithmic/reflective distinction to develop a taxonomy of cognitive errors made on tasks in the heuristics and biases literature. It presents the empirical data to show that the tendency to make these thinking errors is not highly related to intelligence. Using a tripartite model of cognition, the book shows how, when both are properly defined, rationality is a more encompassing construct than intelligence, and that IQ tests fail to assess individual differences in rational thought. It then goes on to discuss the types of thinking processes that would be measured if rational thinking were to be assessed as IQ has been.
Shane N. Phillipson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9789888083428
- eISBN:
- 9789882209848
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888083428.003.0004
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Sociolinguistics / Anthropological Linguistics
This chapter focuses on developing an understanding of ‘intelligence’ and how this understanding can be used for enhancing learning.
This chapter focuses on developing an understanding of ‘intelligence’ and how this understanding can be used for enhancing learning.
Keith E. Stanovich, Richard F. West, and Maggie E. Toplak
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780195341140
- eISBN:
- 9780199894307
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195341140.003.0010
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive Models and Architectures
The data presented in this book indicate that the rankings of individuals on assessments of rational thinking would be different from rankings on intelligence. At present, of course, there is no ...
More
The data presented in this book indicate that the rankings of individuals on assessments of rational thinking would be different from rankings on intelligence. At present, of course, there is no IQ-type test for rationality—that is, a test of one's RQ (rationality quotient). This chapter argues that it is time to start talking about such a thing. Assessing rationality more explicitly is what is needed to draw more attention toward rational thinking skills and to highlight the limitations of what intelligence tests assess. It defends the proposition that there is nothing conceptually or theoretically preventing us from developing such an assessment device. The chapter lays out a framework for the assessment of rational thought complete with examples.Less
The data presented in this book indicate that the rankings of individuals on assessments of rational thinking would be different from rankings on intelligence. At present, of course, there is no IQ-type test for rationality—that is, a test of one's RQ (rationality quotient). This chapter argues that it is time to start talking about such a thing. Assessing rationality more explicitly is what is needed to draw more attention toward rational thinking skills and to highlight the limitations of what intelligence tests assess. It defends the proposition that there is nothing conceptually or theoretically preventing us from developing such an assessment device. The chapter lays out a framework for the assessment of rational thought complete with examples.
James Tabery
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780262027373
- eISBN:
- 9780262324144
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262027373.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
In 1969, Arthur Jensen drew on heritability measures from behaviour genetics to infamously claim genetic differences between black and white Americans best explained the gap in IQ scores between ...
More
In 1969, Arthur Jensen drew on heritability measures from behaviour genetics to infamously claim genetic differences between black and white Americans best explained the gap in IQ scores between those two races. Jensen’s controversial thesis ignited what came to be known as the “IQ Controversy”. Richard Lewontin countered Jensen’s genetic hypothesis by appealing to the interaction of nature and nurture, but Jensen dismissed this criticism as confused and irrelevant. What explains the divide between Jensen and Lewontin? Scholars reflecting on this episode have appealed to racism and political bias to explain the debate. This chapter argues instead that what separated Jensen and Lewontin was an explanatory divide—a divide concerning how explanation works in science.Less
In 1969, Arthur Jensen drew on heritability measures from behaviour genetics to infamously claim genetic differences between black and white Americans best explained the gap in IQ scores between those two races. Jensen’s controversial thesis ignited what came to be known as the “IQ Controversy”. Richard Lewontin countered Jensen’s genetic hypothesis by appealing to the interaction of nature and nurture, but Jensen dismissed this criticism as confused and irrelevant. What explains the divide between Jensen and Lewontin? Scholars reflecting on this episode have appealed to racism and political bias to explain the debate. This chapter argues instead that what separated Jensen and Lewontin was an explanatory divide—a divide concerning how explanation works in science.
Mark Dery
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816677733
- eISBN:
- 9781452948324
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816677733.001.0001
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Media Studies
Exploring the darkest corners of the national psyche and the nethermost regions of the self—the gothic, the grotesque, and the carnivalesque—this book aims to make sense of the cultural dynamics of ...
More
Exploring the darkest corners of the national psyche and the nethermost regions of the self—the gothic, the grotesque, and the carnivalesque—this book aims to make sense of the cultural dynamics of the American madhouse early in the twenty-first century. The book includes chapters on the pornographic fantasies of Star Trek fans, Facebook as Limbo of the Lost, George W. Bush’s fear of his inner queer, the theme-parking of the Holocaust, the homoerotic subtext of the Super Bowl, the hidden agendas of IQ tests, Santa’s secret kinship with Satan, the sadism of dentists, Adolf Hitler’s afterlife on YouTube, the sexual identity of 2001’s HAL, the suicide note considered as a literary genre, the surrealist poetry of robot spam, the zombie apocalypse, Lady Gaga, the Church of Euthanasia, toy guns in the dream lives of American boys, and the polymorphous perversity of Madonna’s big toe. The book casts a critical eye on the accepted order of things, boldly crossing into the intellectual no-fly zones demarcated by cultural warriors on both sides of America’s ideological divide: controversy-phobic corporate media, blinkered academic elites, and middlebrow tastemakers.Less
Exploring the darkest corners of the national psyche and the nethermost regions of the self—the gothic, the grotesque, and the carnivalesque—this book aims to make sense of the cultural dynamics of the American madhouse early in the twenty-first century. The book includes chapters on the pornographic fantasies of Star Trek fans, Facebook as Limbo of the Lost, George W. Bush’s fear of his inner queer, the theme-parking of the Holocaust, the homoerotic subtext of the Super Bowl, the hidden agendas of IQ tests, Santa’s secret kinship with Satan, the sadism of dentists, Adolf Hitler’s afterlife on YouTube, the sexual identity of 2001’s HAL, the suicide note considered as a literary genre, the surrealist poetry of robot spam, the zombie apocalypse, Lady Gaga, the Church of Euthanasia, toy guns in the dream lives of American boys, and the polymorphous perversity of Madonna’s big toe. The book casts a critical eye on the accepted order of things, boldly crossing into the intellectual no-fly zones demarcated by cultural warriors on both sides of America’s ideological divide: controversy-phobic corporate media, blinkered academic elites, and middlebrow tastemakers.
Bernard Van Praag
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- January 2005
- ISBN:
- 9780198286547
- eISBN:
- 9780191718601
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198286546.003.0012
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Microeconomics
This chapter examines the feasibility of a lump-sum tax based ‘ability’, defined as a function of IQ and education. Empirical research on a Dutch database shows that shifting from income-based to an ...
More
This chapter examines the feasibility of a lump-sum tax based ‘ability’, defined as a function of IQ and education. Empirical research on a Dutch database shows that shifting from income-based to an ability-based taxation would not have devastating effects on short-term net income positions. Although individuals with low IQs will have to pay extra taxes while those with the highest IQs mostly gain, this effect is restricted to a gain or loss of roughly just 10% of net monthly income. These small effects are attributed to the equitable tax rates in the Netherlands, and the limitation of the study to full-time employees.Less
This chapter examines the feasibility of a lump-sum tax based ‘ability’, defined as a function of IQ and education. Empirical research on a Dutch database shows that shifting from income-based to an ability-based taxation would not have devastating effects on short-term net income positions. Although individuals with low IQs will have to pay extra taxes while those with the highest IQs mostly gain, this effect is restricted to a gain or loss of roughly just 10% of net monthly income. These small effects are attributed to the equitable tax rates in the Netherlands, and the limitation of the study to full-time employees.
James R Averill
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195181890
- eISBN:
- 9780199847860
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195181890.003.0002
- Subject:
- Psychology, Social Psychology
The split between emotion and intelligence is ancient. Throughout the ages, attempts at reconciliation have been made, but with mixed success. This time, emotion and intelligence are together again, ...
More
The split between emotion and intelligence is ancient. Throughout the ages, attempts at reconciliation have been made, but with mixed success. This time, emotion and intelligence are together again, this time under the rubric of emotional intelligence (EI). This chapter aims to explore whether they have enough in common to make this latest reconciliation work. It addresses five questions: (1) How should EI be conceptualized? (2) Is the concept of EI compatible with the existing theories of emotion and of cognitive intelligence? (3) What are the key components, facets, or branches of EI? (4) How is EI distinct from existing personality and ability constructs? and (5) How might EI contribute to adaptation to real-world social environments? The discussion contrasts emotional intelligence with cognitive intelligence. Psychometrically, cognitive intelligence is represented by g, the latent variable presumed to account for the covariance among different measures of IQ.Less
The split between emotion and intelligence is ancient. Throughout the ages, attempts at reconciliation have been made, but with mixed success. This time, emotion and intelligence are together again, this time under the rubric of emotional intelligence (EI). This chapter aims to explore whether they have enough in common to make this latest reconciliation work. It addresses five questions: (1) How should EI be conceptualized? (2) Is the concept of EI compatible with the existing theories of emotion and of cognitive intelligence? (3) What are the key components, facets, or branches of EI? (4) How is EI distinct from existing personality and ability constructs? and (5) How might EI contribute to adaptation to real-world social environments? The discussion contrasts emotional intelligence with cognitive intelligence. Psychometrically, cognitive intelligence is represented by g, the latent variable presumed to account for the covariance among different measures of IQ.
John Welshman
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9781861348357
- eISBN:
- 9781447302384
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781861348357.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
This chapter attempts to explain the background to and timing of the cycle speech by tracing the longer-term continuities. It looks in particular at, first, Joseph's own family background and ...
More
This chapter attempts to explain the background to and timing of the cycle speech by tracing the longer-term continuities. It looks in particular at, first, Joseph's own family background and approach to poverty; second, his interest in problem families; third, the broader policy context of the late 1960s and early 1970s, including debates about poverty, abortion, and family planning; fourth, the DHSS Preparation for Parenthood initiative, including a seminar at All Souls College, Oxford, in April 1973; and, fifth, the influence of debates in the US that focused on IQ, the culture of poverty, and the benefits of early intervention (such as the Head Start programme) as a means of countering the effects of poverty on human development.Less
This chapter attempts to explain the background to and timing of the cycle speech by tracing the longer-term continuities. It looks in particular at, first, Joseph's own family background and approach to poverty; second, his interest in problem families; third, the broader policy context of the late 1960s and early 1970s, including debates about poverty, abortion, and family planning; fourth, the DHSS Preparation for Parenthood initiative, including a seminar at All Souls College, Oxford, in April 1973; and, fifth, the influence of debates in the US that focused on IQ, the culture of poverty, and the benefits of early intervention (such as the Head Start programme) as a means of countering the effects of poverty on human development.
Mike Anderson
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198568773
- eISBN:
- 9780191693779
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198568773.003.0010
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
There are false beliefs widely held by many, and often by those who should know better, regarding the influence of race and biology on IQ and intelligence. This chapter presents arguments and data ...
More
There are false beliefs widely held by many, and often by those who should know better, regarding the influence of race and biology on IQ and intelligence. This chapter presents arguments and data that challenge these myths by establishing that: IQ tests are good measures of intelligence; there is a large unitary factor called general intelligence that accounts for most of the differences in IQ and that is based on biological differences between individuals; individual differences in IQ are, in large part, genetically inherited; and there is no good reason to believe that the difference in group means that exist between black and white Americans in measured IQ is either genetically based or based on race differences in biology.Less
There are false beliefs widely held by many, and often by those who should know better, regarding the influence of race and biology on IQ and intelligence. This chapter presents arguments and data that challenge these myths by establishing that: IQ tests are good measures of intelligence; there is a large unitary factor called general intelligence that accounts for most of the differences in IQ and that is based on biological differences between individuals; individual differences in IQ are, in large part, genetically inherited; and there is no good reason to believe that the difference in group means that exist between black and white Americans in measured IQ is either genetically based or based on race differences in biology.
