The Bell Curve book was published in 1994 by the authors Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray. The work was designed to explain the variation in intelligence within the American Society through statistical analysis. It was also aimed at raising some warnings regarding the issue of the intelligence gap and mitigating the worst consequences associated with the intelligence gap. One reason why the theory is largely flawed is that it hints at the idea that IQ and intelligence are largely dependent on IQ. Herrnstein and Murray released a video to explain this. The video is highly biased on the reason why IQ is higher for some individuals than others. IQ and intelligence are not solely dependent on genetics but also depend on several other factors such as the environment.
Herrnstein and Murray explain “The Bell Curve” only through the genetics theory. The genetics theory asserts that genes play a big role in the influence of intelligence and IQ. Researchers have conducted several studies that look for genes and their influence on intelligence. These studies focused on the similarities and differences in IQ within families, especially in twins and adopted children. Studies have shown that genetic factors account for less than 50 percent of the difference in intelligence among different people (Tucker-Drob et al., 2013). The genes that underlie the specific differences in intelligence have not been found. A large number and variety of genes contribute to a small percentage in determining a person’s intelligence.
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Herrnstein and Murray imply in The Bell Curve that genetics play almost a hundred percent role in determining IQ. They do this by using the analogy of height in giraffes which are highly determined by their genes. Unlike height in giraffes, IQ and intelligence are not solely determined by genes (Devlin, 2013). The analogy presented is thus highly biased and presents a false information on the relationship between genes, IQ, and intelligence. The argument thus is biased because it does not consider the environment which plays a big role in determining IQ. Intelligence and IQ are strongly as a result of the environment. Environmental factors which play a big role in intelligence include proper parenting, the home environment of the child, education, nutrition, and availability of adequate learning resources (Armor, 2017).
The environment interacts with the genes and they influence each other to create the general intelligence. For instance, if the IQ of a child is similar to that of the parent, then the similarity is largely due to the genetic factors passed down from the parent to the child. Similarly, the shared environmental factors between the child and the parent would lead to a similar IQ between the parent and the child. The environment and genetic factors both play a role in determining intelligence.
Studies have shown that changing the environmental factors of an individual can raise their IQs. Murray asserts that it is hard to raise the IQ of disadvantaged children. However, studies have shown that adoption of a child from a poor family into one that is better off can lead to raising of IQ by 12 to 18 points (Hanscombe et al., 2012). Additionally, studies have shown that the gain in social and intellectual capital due to the provision of a quality early childhood education can result in an increase in an individual’s chances to graduate in high school (Protzko, 2015).
The fact that people that from poor backgrounds in the United States or other places in the world obtain lower IQ than people who are better off do not offer any support for biological and genetic differences. Instead, the general assessment should be that people from poor backgrounds receive poor educational resources and cannot develop their IQ adequately. The larger population of impoverished people in the United States are blacks. Throughout history, they have experienced social, historical, and economic challenges. They earned less money, suffered more from chronic diseases, lived in chaotic and dangerous neighborhoods, and attended inferior schools. The interaction of these environmental factors largely leads to a reduction in IQ among African Americans and Hispanics in the United States.
While the heritability of intelligence is not zero, it is usually low among people that have been raised in poverty. One interpretation for this is that people raised in poor backgrounds cannot take full advantage of their genetic potential. Even though one may have a high IQ, they will find it difficult to cultivate and develop it. Giving them access to a high-quality environment would provide them a chance to support their IQ (Hanscombe et al., 2012). Herrnstein and Murray’s fail to show how the environment can play a role in determining one’s IQ.
In conclusion, it is a fact that IQ and intelligence exists and predicts life outcomes in many ways. Additionally, there is a gap between the poor and the rich in their IQ scores. Just like every other human trait, IQ and intelligence are partly inheritable. However, the conclusion by Herrnstein and Murray that intelligence and IQ are solely determined by genetics is highly biased and somewhat false. This is because intelligence and IQ are determined by other factors such as the environment.
References
Armor, D. (2017). Maximizing intelligence . Routledge.
Devlin, B., Fienberg, S. E., Resnick, D. P., & Roeder, K. (Eds.). (2013). Intelligence, genes, and success: Scientists respond to The Bell Curve . Springer Science & Business Media.
Hanscombe, K. B., Trzaskowski, M., Haworth, C. M., Davis, O. S., Dale, P. S., & Plomin, R. (2012). Socioeconomic status (SES) and children's intelligence (IQ): In a UK-representative sample SES moderates the environmental, not genetic, effect on IQ. PloS one , 7 (2), e30320.
Protzko, J. (2015). The environment in raising early intelligence: A meta-analysis of the fadeout effect. Intelligence , 53 , 202-210.
Tucker-Drob, E. M., Briley, D. A., & Harden, K. P. (2013). Genetic and environmental influences on cognition across development and context. Current directions in psychological science , 22 (5), 349-355.
