Relationship Between Race And Intelligence

Race and Intelligence
For the past two centuries, since the inception of intelligence quotient (IQ)IQ testing, scientists and the average man alike have debated the relationship between race and intelligence. Countless studies have been conducted by scientists, psychologists, and academic researchers proving both sides of the argument. The two arguments being that are as follows: race and intelligence have a strong connection, or that race and intelligence are completely separate from each other and have no direct correlation. This author will prove that there is no correlation in the two, although there is validity on both sides of the debate. This was a highly debated topic, but talk on the subject has slowed down recently. The topic is

There are also certain growths that can occur because of the person’s heredity (Jackson). The pro-genetic argument can be briefly summarized, as follows: Intelligence, measured as IQ, is repeatedly found to be correlated with membership in racial groups, using the H factor, in mathematical terms. The H factor is part of genetics, H equals hereditary, and it can be used to measure intelligence scores. For example, the IQ scores of identical twins (who share all of their genes) and those of fraternal twins (who share fewer genes) are mathematically compared to each other through a formula that produces an estimate of H as a proportion or percentage. Thus, if identical twins are more similar in IQ than fraternal twins, a relatively high value of H will result - for example, a value of .6, indicating that 60% of the variability of IQ is attributable to genetic factors. (Jackson 3) Most of these estimates have been obtained from samples of white, middle-class individuals sharing relatively similar environments. Because of the way H is defined (genetic variability divided by total variability) such a large restriction on the environmental variability of a sample increases the influence of genetics and therefore the numerical value of H

From a psychologist 's point of view, the connection between race and intelligence has already been established. Before the formal institutionalization of psychology in the nineteenth century, academics attributed psychological qualities to specific ethnic groups. These attributions can even be found in Aristotle’s writing. (Race and Psychology 1). The systematic combination of psychological characteristics with race occurred in the eighteenth century when Carolus Linnaeus linked races with psychological and social characteristics in his taxonomy (Race and Psychology 1). Multiple tests have been conducted by psychologists to determine what roles race can play in intelligence. In one such test the Army Mental Tests, administered to 1.75 million American recruits during World War I, it was concluded that there were inborn racial differences between whites and blacks, and among various European “races.” Social psychologists have provided alternative and more complex explanations for the differences in traditional races. Experimental stereotype threat research conducted by Claude Steele is of particular significance (Race and Psychology 3). It is based on the validated finding that the threat of being negatively stereotyped leads to underperformance in accordance with that stereotype. A negative stereotype is threatening when it provides an