Module 63:

Studying Genetic and

Environmental Influences on
Intelligence
 Twin and Adoption Studies
• Identical twin studies
–Polygenetic: having more than one
source; intelligence involves many
kinds of genes, not just one
–Heritability: how much we can
attribute to genes; how much of our
intelligence comes from genetic
variation; varies, depending on
what and who is studied.
 Twin Studies
• Research shows:
– The intelligence scores of identical twins raised
together are virtually as similar as those of the
same person taking the test twice.
– Identical twins exhibit similar specific talents
(music, math, sports, etc.)
– Brain scans show that identical twins have similar
gray and white matter volume and are virtually
the same in associated areas (i.e. verbal and
spatial areas)
Heritability
 Adoption Studies
• Research shows:
– Adoption enhances intelligence scores of
mistreated or neglected children
– In early childhood, the intelligence scores
correlate modestly with the scores of their
adopted family.
– The family-environment declines over time, and
researchers estimate that heritability accounts for
over 50% of intelligence by adulthood.
 Environmental Influences
• Early environmental influences
– Tutored human enrichment: language-
fostering games led to dramatic increases in
language skills for neglected children;
environment can help retarded intelligence
due to malnutrition, abuse, or neglect
– Most research supports the theory that you
can’t significantly enhance intelligence with
environment
– READ: “Goddard’s Study of the Kallikak
Family”
 Discuss in your groups…
• What research question(s) was Goddard trying to
answer by studying the Kallikak family tree?
• What conclusions did Goddard come to, and
what evidence did he base those conclusions on?
• What did Goddard leave out? What other
explanations might there be for the differences in
the two family lines?
• Discuss some ethical issues with this study, as
well as some inherent weaknesses in the research
methods used.