Herrnstein and Murray also state that there is a correlation between IQ and behavior, and that because of this, the national IQ average is declining. They say the performance of a group can be predicted based on the group’s IQ average. Groups with low IQ tend to be poor, unemployed, on welfare, involved in criminal activities, and have more illegitimate children. Groups with a high IQ, however, are usually upper- to middle-class, do bett

Even as the tests are being developed and revised however, there is still a debate over their use, accuracy, and purpose.

Although we may never really know whether or not nature or nurture are the determining factors in intelligence, many researchers believe intelligence is a product of both. Herrnstein and Murray contend that intelligence is sixty percent heritable, while critics say sixty percent of intelligence is a product of nurture. There really is no scientific way, currently, to prove who is correct.

Another important study took place in 1990 that involved twins who grew up apart from each other. One hundred twins were involved in this study. The results were that there was a .7 IQ correlation among the twins, meaning that genetic factors accounted for seventy percent of the variation in IQ.

Existing IQ tests predicts who will do well in school training programs, and to some extent who will do well in our economy and work force. However, they tell nothing of the heritability of IQ. The interpretation here is that those who have been trained to answer the kinds of questions in IQ tests have been trained to succeed in society. A low IQ score indicates a genetic defect.

Some topics in this essay:
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