Group Differences in IQ
So
far, we’ve focused on the intelligence scores of specific individuals—for
example, we’ve compared the IQ scores of particular twins and compared a
specific child’s IQ with the IQs of her biological parents. But these
person-by-person comparisons aren’t the focus of the controversy over the roots
of intelligence. The real fury is over another issue: the differences in
average IQ , and the differences in academic achievement, that are found
between groups. In particular, debate
has focused on two comparisons: the possible difference between men and women in their intellectual skills, and the differ-ence between American whites and American blacks.
Before
examining these comparisons, we need to emphasize that what’s at stake here are
the differences between averages—the
average test score (for example) for men and the average for women. This point
is crucial, because—of course—men differ from each other in their intellectual
prowess, and so do women. Likewise, the scores of European American test takers
vary enormously, as do the scores of African American test takers. Indeed, this
variation within each group (within
each sex, or within a racially defined group) is much, much larger than any
between-group variations researchers have detected. We therefore learn little
about any individual’s abilities simply by knowing his or her group membership,
and so it would be wrong (and in most settings, illegal) to use group
membership as a basis for making decisions about that individual. Nonetheless,
the differences between the averages
remain, so let’s take a closer look at the research scrutinizing these
differences.
Related Topics
Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions, DMCA Policy and Compliant
Copyright © 2018-2024 BrainKart.com; All Rights Reserved. Developed by Therithal info, Chennai.