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Cited by 663Cognitive Abilities and TestingIntergenerational and Educational Inequality StudiesEvolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior

Heritability estimates versus large environmental effects: The IQ paradox resolved.

Dickens, William T., Flynn, James R.·2001·Psychological Review
DOI 10.1037/0033-295x.108.2.346
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Abstract

Some argue that the high heritability of IQ renders purely environmental explanations for large IQ differences between groups implausible. Yet, large environmentally induced IQ gains between generations suggest an important role for environment in shaping IQ. The authors present a formal model of the process determining IQ in which people's IQs are affected by both environment and genes, but in which their environments are matched to their IQs. The authors show how such a model allows very large effects for environment, even incorporating the highest estimates of heritability. Besides resolving the paradox, the authors show that the model can account for a number of other phenomena, some of which are anomalous when viewed from the standard perspective.

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Crossref · 10.1037/0033-295x.108.2.346

Cites

73 of 73 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The g loading of a subtest can be viewed as an index of its cognitive complexity; a subtest with a higher g-loading is more complex, which means it may be affected to a greater extent not only by biological factors, but also by cultural factors.

    “At its core, the g loading of a subtest can be viewed as an index of its cognitive complexity (Flynn, 2013; see also Gottfredson, 2016): a subtest with a higher g-loading is more complex, which means it may be affected to a greater extent not only by biological factors, but also by cultural factors (see especially Dickens & Flynn, 2001;Kan et al., 2013).”

    From No negative Flynn effect in France: Why variations of intelligence should not be assessed using tests based on cultural knowledge (2021) · cites this paper as Dickens & Flynn, 2001

  • The interpretation of heritability estimates poses well-known issues and has been criticized elsewhere.

    “The interpretation of heritability estimates poses well-known issues and has been criticized elsewhere (e.g.Dickens & Flynn, 2001;Kan et al., 2013).”

    From No negative Flynn effect in France: Why variations of intelligence should not be assessed using tests based on cultural knowledge (2021) · cites this paper as Dickens & Flynn, 2001

Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Bronfenbrenner, 1989, Ecological system theory., 185
  2. Burtless, 1996, Changes in the structure of wages., 53
  3. Flynn, 1994, IQ gains over time., 617
  4. Turkheimer, 1997, Spinach and ice cream: Why environmentalist social science is so difficult.

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Related

Authors
Dickens, W. T., & Flynn, J. R.
Affiliations
Brookings Institution (US)
ORCID
Dickens, William T.
Venue
Psychological Review
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2001
Volume
108
Issue
2
Pages
346-369
ISSN
  • 0033-295X (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1471
DOI
10.1037/0033-295x.108.2.346
OpenAlex
W2048068880
Cited by
663
References
73
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 32 · 2013: 35 · 2012: 26
FWCI
31.38
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Psychological Review (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
Keywords
gene-environment interaction
MeSH terms
Adult, Child, Humans, Intelligence, Intelligence Tests, Models, Genetic, Phenotype, Psychometrics, Social Environment

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