Different races have different intellects.

There is a widespread belief amongst that different races have different intellects. Interestingly enough, this belief is not based on sound facts. There are indeed instances where there are differences in IQ levels between different races, but there is nothing to suggest that one race is more intelligent than the other, or one race is superior to the other. IQ levels can change and are based on several factors which will be discussed further.

In general, blacks are found to have lower IQ scores than whites, which can be largely attributed to socio–economic and environmental factors. “Some IQ difference is attributable to environmental differences and some of it is attributable to genetic differences among social classes (Block & Dworkin, 1976, p98). Highly educated and financially prosperous individuals perform better at IQ tests than poor, uneducated and disadvantaged people.

Early experiences and opportunities exert a big influence on intelligence levels. Parents and others can play a big role and influence in helping a child to gain the mental skills associated with high IQ scores. This conclusion can be based on established facts and extensive research with an example being: “Children whose biological parents were white and who were raised by white parents had slightly higher IQ than children with one black and one white biological parent and children with two black biological parents” (Howe, 1997, pg74)

Different racial groups are not genetically different in intelligence. There is no such thing as ‘gene for intelligence’ as there is absence of any genetic differences between races that have direct effects upon a person’s IQ. As quoted in Howe,“If races and IQ were linked, we would expect to observe that the children fathered by white GIs would have had higher intelligence. Infact, there were no differences, the average being around 97% for both groups of children. This finding is clearly consistent with the view that there are no genetically caused differences in intelligence between different racial groups (Howe, 1997, p73)

This is a preview of the whole essay

Genetic influences don’t affect people’s intelligence directly, except when in rare cases involving specific defects. Genes affect intelligence indirectly, but in ways that are not inevitable and depend on other influences being present. Differences between people in a variety of genetically influenced characteristics cause impact to their lives being experienced differently, which can affect their IQ scores, as a result with the aid of other influences, there are inherited differences between people that play a part in individuals varying in their levels of intelligence. “The fact that different racial groups in this country have widely separated geographic origins and have had quite different histories which have subjected them to different selective social and economic pressures make it highly likely that their gene pools differ from some genetically conditioned behavioural characteristics, including intelligence or abstract reasoning ability.” (Block & Dworkin, 1976, p99). Other reference supporting the argument above is: “Interestingly enough, several observers have found Japanese and Chinese infants to be less precarious on perpetual motor development tests than Caucasian ones. At higher ages, oriental children do significantly better than white ones on such perceptual motor tests as the ‘figure copying task’; Negro children do worse. This superiority of oriental over white is surprising when it is considered that their social-economic status is well below that of whites; taken together with the superiority of oriental adults on tests of abstract reasoning (in spite of the same inferiority in socio economic status) one might conclude that Orientals may have genetically superior gene-pools for doing IQ tests.” (Eyesenck, 1991, p86)

It is true that any young individuals’ intelligence (IQ) can be changed when circumstances are favourable. Motivational factors can also affect a person’s IQ score and parental expectations can drive a child to strive harder. “In one study, it was found that giving black inner-city children tokens that could be exchanged for toys for each correct test raised average scores by 13 points” (Howe, 1997, p51)

There is also some evidence that proper nourishment of a child can raise a child’s IQ, at highest levels of creative achievement, having an exceptionally high level of IQ makes little or no difference. Other factors, including being strongly committed and highly motivated are much more important. It has been established that not only can IQ levels in an individual increase at any given stage in life, it can also decrease – and this is supported by Howe “The changes in IQ can only be temporary rather than permanent, and that in practice intelligence remains largely fixed.” (Howe, 1997, p52)

It is also important to realise that the statistical uniformity of intelligence tests is one thing: their reliability is other. The tests might be a fair guess at intelligence but the statistical result does not determine intelligence of an individual, unlike weight and length, intelligence cannot be measured or quantified. “Like intelligence, and unlike the concept of length, vanity has no agreed-upon definition that specifies how it should be measured or makes it possible to check that it is being assessed correctly.” (Howe, 1997, p5). Block and Dworkin describe this theory well -

“There are no scientific basis for the claim that IQ tests measure intelligence: that IQ tests consist of arbitrary stunts: that emotional responses to the tests influence scores; that correlations with school, success are non-validatory because school success itself is not a reliable index of intelligence; and that even if the tests measure ability, they probably measure a rather narrow kind of scholastic ability. Neither is opposed to the use of tests per se, but rather to abuses of the tests that involve treating them as if they were measured of fixed innate intelligence. (Block & Dworkin, 1976, p2):

IQ is only one aspect of intelligence. IQ tests are week indicators of educational or vocational success in individuals. Other information can yield more accurate info about person’s future performance. “IQ or abstract reasoning ability is thus a selection of just one portion the total spectrum of human mental abilities. This aspect of mental abilities measured by IQ tests is important to our society, but is obviously not the only set of educationally or occupationally relevant abilities. Other mental abilities have not yet been adequately measured; their distributions in various segments of the population have not been adequately determined; and their educational relevance has not been fully explored.” (Block & Dworkin, 1976, p97)

One must realise that IQ score fails to take account all aspects of human intelligence in a variety of situations and circumstances. “For instance, it was often assumed that typically low IQ scores of would be immigrants to the United States indicated inherent stupidity. There was a frequent failure to notice that a person’s test performance could be sharply reduced as a consequence of unfamiliarity with the English language.” (Howe, 1997, p20). Hence it is no surprise that even people with low IQ can perform some exceptionally complex tasks, men and women with low intelligence levels (IQ) are capable of impressive mental achievements.

Based on arguments and findings above, one can conclude that while it’s true that there are differences in IQ levels between different races, there is nothing to suggest that one race is more intelligent than the other, or one race is superior than the other. IQ levels vary due to several factors such as socio-economic, environmental, and indirectly genetic influences. Gene pools can vary in different races, but generally people of different races are not genetically different. Higher levels of IQ can be achieved in individuals or groups by providing the right environment for individuals to develop or condition in. Motivation factors and levels of commitment can also have a significant impact of a person’s IQ. While IQ results may be perceived as a gauge of an individuals’ intelligence, this is certainly not the case. IQ fails to take all aspects of human intelligence into account, and is just one parameter of human intelligence providing only an indication of an individual’s intelligence. People with low IQ can perform some exceptionally complex tasks, which a person of high IQ may be incompetent of. Unlike weight and length, intelligence cannot be measured or quantified. Given these arguments, once can easily conclude that no one race is inherently superior to the other.

Bibliography:

Block, N.J and Dworkin, G., eds. (1976), The I.Q. Controversy: Critical Readings, New York: Random House.

Howe, M.J.A (1997), I.Q. In Question: The Truth About Intelligence, London: Sage.

Eysenck, H.J. (1971), Race, Intelligence and Education, London: Temple Smith.