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No, the fact that IQ can change does not prove that it can be intentionally changed. Head start, the increases in IQ that African Americans experienced when th

No, the fact that IQ can change does not prove that it can be intentionally changed. Head start, the increases in IQ that African Americans experienced when they moved out the segregated South, the Flynn effect, etc. also do not definitively prove that IQ can be intentionally changed. All they do is strongly suggest it. However, I have yet to see any evidence that would strongly suggest that IQ is impervious to change that is anywhere near as convincing as the above. Even identical twin studies (which have inherent problems with them) suggest that a large percentage of IQ is determined by the environment. Definitive proof is very hard to come by when it comes to human behavior. Just because something has not been definitively proved does not mean it is wrong.

yummyfajitas 17y ago
Head start only raises scores on IQ tests in early childhood. The effect vanishes by the end of the first grade. This is most likely because children in Head Start become more familiar with IQ test style problems and a testing environment. In short, Head Start (presumably unintentionally) teaches the test. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/2f/03/6f.pdf http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_st... (Scroll to page 65)
tokenadult 17y ago
Even identical twin studies (which have inherent problems with them) suggest that a large percentage of IQ is determined by the environment. Yes, this is a correct statement. The design of studies to determine a numerical figure for the pre-Mendelian concept of "heritability" can only show a MINIMUM influence of environment, and the minimum influence of environment on IQ is fairly large. Most heritability studies are, by their nature, naturalistic rather than experimental studies and prove nothing about what degree of malleability (a separate issue anyway) might be found if an experimenter tried targeted environmental interventions. And, yes, there are monozygotic twins who are discordant for IQ, so there must be influences other than genes on IQ.

yummyfajitas 17y ago

Head start only raises scores on IQ tests in early childhood. The effect vanishes by the end of the first grade. This is most likely because children in Head Start become more familiar with IQ test style problems and a testing environment. In short, Head Start (presumably unintentionally) teaches the test. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/2f/03/6f.pdf http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_st... (Scroll to page 65)

tokenadult 17y ago

Even identical twin studies (which have inherent problems with them) suggest that a large percentage of IQ is determined by the environment. Yes, this is a correct statement. The design of studies to determine a numerical figure for the pre-Mendelian concept of "heritability" can only show a MINIMUM influence of environment, and the minimum influence of environment on IQ is fairly large. Most heritability studies are, by their nature, naturalistic rather than experimental studies and prove nothing about what degree of malleability (a separate issue anyway) might be found if an experimenter tried targeted environmental interventions. And, yes, there are monozygotic twins who are discordant for IQ, so there must be influences other than genes on IQ.