Socioeconomic Status Modifies Heritability Of IQ In young children Research Paper Sample

Turkheimer, Haley, Waldron, D’Onofrio, and Gottesman (2003) had carried out a study which included families having contradictory socioeconomic status. These SES are undertaken as the environmental factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate that whether genetic factors or environmental factors are responsible for the intelligence in young children. The researchers found that environmental factor influences with much greater extent than genetics on the IQ level of a child. For the said purpose, they measured the IQ level of twins belonging to diverse families i.e. low SES and high SES.
As per findings, Turkheimer et al. (2003) implied that a family having low SES has a greater influence from the environment than genetics with respect to intelligence level. Furthermore, they inferred that a family having high SES has a greater influence from genetics than environment with respect to intelligence level. This means that although the heritability factor exists yet the environmental factors can be as much influential that they can be influential enough to put off a person from getting his/her genetic IQ (Turkheimer et al., 2003). For illustration, the children belonging to low SES families may not have the funds to be facilitated up till their potential. Furthermore, some psychologists believe that it is the human experience which acts as a vital environmental persuasion on IQ (Toga & Thompson, 2005).

References

Toga, A. W., & Thompson, P. M. (2005). Genetics of brain structure and intelligence. Annual
Review of Neuroscience, 28, 1-23.
Turkheimer, E., Haley, A., Waldron, M., D’Onofrio, B., & Gottesman, I. I. (2003).
Socioeconomic status modifies heritability of IQ in young children. Psychological
Science, 14, 623-628.