Intelligence and genes Flashcards

1
Q

Do genetics or the environment play a bigger role in determining intelligence?

A

Psychologists recognise that both genetics and the environment play a role in determining intelligence.
Research has indicated that around 40-80% of IQ is linked to genetics.

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2
Q

How do we test how intelligence develops?

A
  • Twin studies.
  • Adoption studies.
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3
Q

What did the Minnesota study of twins reared apart show?

A

Identical twins who spend their lives apart end up just as similar in intelligence as those who spend their lives together.

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4
Q

What is a limitation of many adoption studies?

A

The biological parent included is almost always the mother, therefore this could be a prenatal effect.

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5
Q

What does research into the effect of the environment on intelligence explore? (3)

A
  • Birth order.
  • Schooling.
  • Biological variables such as breastfeeding and nutrition.
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6
Q

What did an experiment on birth order and IQ find?

A

The first born always had a higher IQ.

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7
Q

What did an experiment on the effect of schooling on IQ show? (2)

A
  • The number of years in education can roughly be predicted from childhood IQ tests.
  • Schooling and intelligence are intrinsically linked.
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8
Q

How do prenatal factors such as birth weight and breastfeeding effect intelligence?

A

Low birth weight children who were breast fed scored higher than children who had not been breast fed.

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9
Q

How do postnatal factors such as nutrition effect intelligence?

A
  • Nutrition has been linked to larger brain sizes.
  • Malnutrition has been linked to poor brain development.
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10
Q

What is heritability?

A

The proportion of variation of a characteristic attributable to genetic differences between members of that population.

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11
Q

What are two issues with estimating heritability?

A
  1. Heritability is an estimate, not a perfectly accurate statistic.
  2. Calculating heritability is a complex process and there is no consensus on exactly how it should be done.
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