Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion The nuture vs nature debate continues:

This is a two part article with the link to the second part at the bottom.
Studies Show Nurture at Least as Important as Nature

That kind of journalism really bothers me. Can you give me a reference for any thoughtful person who doesn't think that a terrible environment will lower IQ, and that there is always a point where it can overwhelm genetics?

Humans have strong genetic heritage to be able to walk, but if you cut off someone's legs, you are certainly able to overcome genetics with environment, at least in many individual cases.

I don't understand why people are allowed to lie flat out in magazines to make the story more exciting.

Also - just because terrible environment vs. 'not terrible' environment makes a big difference in IQ score doesn't mean that there will be any difference between 'good' and 'terrific' environment.

Plus there is the whole question of 'talent development' - one can have the highest IQ in the world, but without successful 'talent development' it doesn't mean squat.

Rant Over,
Grinity

I would guess that there would be, though. Is there a good reason to think differently? I would think that IQ response to environment (including teaching) would be on a continuum, but that the devil would be in the details (e.g. some teaching may not foster intelligence well and so may not be "terrific" for that, even though it is "terrific" for teaching rote knowledge).

Environmental effects on IQ would of course not just truncate abruptly. I can't think of a reason why environmental effects would just peter off, so it doesn't make sense to me to assume that.

As a complete newbie I found this page interesting:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritability_of_IQ

Maybe a better-than-adequate environment can affect some types of intelligence more than others.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluid_and_crystallized_intelligence

Smart drugs are another possible topic of interest here, although I am less interested in that.

I think that what teaching has to focus on is character building so that whatever IQ the person has can be used well.

There is research on adopted folks raised by Higher IQ moms, from what I hear, after the kids grow up, they lose quite a lot of the IQ advantage that they initially gained.

I'm not even sure that 'character' can be taught, frankly, but I'm more hopeful.

try: What You Can Change and What You Can't: The Complete Guide to Successful Self-Improvement by Martin E. P. Seligman (Paperback - Jan 9, 2007)