Heredity, environment, and race differences in IQ: A commentary on Rushton and Jensen (2005).
Abstract
J. P. Rushton and A. R. Jensen (2005) ignore or misinterpret most of the evidence of greatest relevance to the question of heritability of the Black–White IQ gap. A dispassionate reading of the evidence on the association of IQ with degree of European ancestry for members of Black populations, convergence of Black and White IQ in recent years, alterability of Black IQ by intervention programs, and adoption studies lend no support to a hereditarian interpretation of the Black–White IQ gap. On the contrary, the evidence most relevant to the question indicates that the genetic contribution to the Black–White IQ gap is nil. Rushton and Jensen’s (2005) article is characterized by failure to cite, in any but the most cursory way, strong evidence against their position. Their lengthy presentation of indirectly relevant evidence which, in light of the direct evidence against the hereditarian view they prefer, has little probative value, and their “scorecard” tallies of evidence on various points cannot be sustained by the evidence.
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Claims the paper makes
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Flagged first, then by citations
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Sorted by citations
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Wanted: More race realism, less moralistic fallacy.
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“Thus, contra what has sometimes been claimed [26,27], one could not expect a more than small correlation given the population examined and the measures used.”
BackgroundResult
- Authors
- Nisbett, R. E.
- Corresponding author
- Nisbett, Richard E.
- Venue
- Psychology, Public Policy, and Law
- Published
- 2005-06
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 302-310
- ISSN
- 1076-8971 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1528
- OpenAlex
- W2165549402
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 29
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 5.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychology Public Policy and Law (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Race, Genetics, and Society
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies
- Keywords
- heritability of intelligence, European ancestry, adoption studies, environmental influences on intelligence
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