How strong an impact is Genetics on Intelligence?

Ray, I believe it's both genetics and environment, but have no clue as to what ratio they affect intelligence.

Controversial Book
There was a very controversial book on this called "The Bell Curve". It attempted to determine the genetic component of intelligence using various "meta" statistical methods. This became very controversial very quickly because the author extended this to say there is a racial component. There is also a social engineering aspect that makes for ugly debates. Statements like "educated women have less children, while undereducated have more" and "smart men tend to meet and marry smart women and therefore have smart children" can get you into the morass very quickly.

Hello everybody

All people are born with a specifical intelligence potential. Such potential can be fostered or can be diminished owing to the so-called Pigmallion effect. It is difficult to find which the margins are but a good stimulation is necessary to take the potential out.

I forgot one thing.

Generally intelligence is inherited (yes, we could say everything is like that). In gifted children, intelligence comes usually from parents.

I don´t believe race is a factor to be more or lees intelligent; it could be because of the resources children have when they are born.

Thanks for your answers people.

Priamus, I'm just wondering if intelligence potential is inherited, then wouldn't most people have the set of allele already, just waiting for the offspring to receive the correct sequence in order for the phenotype to surface? Also, I've also heard that it's difficult to point down an intelligence gene, that it's probably the result of more than one interactions plus environmental factors.

Sorry for the questions, I'm just interested.

Hi Ray

Well, when we talk about intelligence we are entering into a strange world. The kwoledge I have about this issue comes from people I know and that they are extremely inteligente.

As I said, intelligence ( naturally, above normal) can be inherited from parents or grandparents, but usually it comes from a near generation.

If you are intelligente and someday you have children nobody could say to what extent your children have a high C.I (I bet some on them would be or even all of them). But there is no correct sequence.

Intelligence have many fields; I mean, a gifted or a high capacity person can develop only an area and doesn´t mean he isn´t very intelligent. You would amaze if you know some gifted people. But they are very normal people but with a great capacity to solve things in an easy way.

I agree with you that interactions plus enviromental factors must be complemented in order to make that person emotionally stable to take advantage of it. This is very important when we talk about intelligence.

One frecuent mistake it´s that intelligence must be put in action. An intelligent person has no need to prove it and consequently it brings some problems, because intelligence doesn´t have to do with it.

If you are interested at this I wouldn´t mind going on telling people I know (I wouldn´t like boring).

Thanks Priamus.

I like to think as everyone being intelligent, but that some are smarter.
I think that if higher intelligence is genetic, then most of us probably has the potential to be more intelligent or produce offsprings somewhere in the line of decendants to be of high intelligence.

Ray, One thing I am sure of as we speak is the fact that humans do not maximize our intellectual potential. I think most of us use less than fifty percent by not understanding how to maximize intelligence.

Yes, good point CI. Habituation and development are key.

I've done a bit of research and it's found that intelligence potential is not the result of one gene makeup, but could very well be very complex mechanisms involving multiple genes. Also, people like different things and some would focus on some things while others simply like solving problems. There's also the question of intelligence vs. creativity. Is creativity a form of intelligence?

Race does not have a significant impact upon intelligence, nor does one race differ significantly from another. I've heard this a lot, that there are more genetic differences in a race than between races.

People have the potential to be intelligent, it's whether the potential is nurtured or worked for that makes the difference.

What do you think?

Ray, I agree with your thesis 100 percent! I believe creativity is a form of intelligence, but it's one of the things very difficult to measure. We can only look at how successful some creative ideas have succeeded or failed.