Scarr and Weinberg's results (Intelligence, 1977) are compared to those of similar adoption studies and found to be quite similar, despite the transracial adoption patterns in Scarr and Weinberg's sample. The author also suggests that the major contribution of behavioral genetics to psychology may be our increased understanding of the environment.…

Explanations of differences in IQs of Northern and Southern Blacks focus on selective migration (hereditarians) or environmental causes such as education, discrimination and cultural deprivation. In this paper the environmentalist position is questioned and certain neglected features of Lee's data are construed as providing strong evidence for…

Platelet serotonin (5HT) levels of 5 autistic subjects (ages 16-37) who had siblings with either autism or pervasive developmental disorder were significantly higher than levels of 23 autistic subjects without affected siblings. Autistic subjects without affected siblings had 5HT levels significantly higher than 10 normal controls. Sex, age, and…

A study of twins was conducted to determine the presence of an hereditary component in short term memory and in three aspects of verbal divergent thinking--flexibility, fluency, and originality. Results showed the existence of a significant genetic component in the trait of short term memory, while none was found in verbal divergent thinking. (AG)

R. Herrnstein and C. Murray, in "The Bell Curve," stated six propositions concerning a "g" factor of intelligence. These propositions are found to be reasonably well supported in the scientific literature. These conclusions can be reached whether or not one accepts Herrnstein and Murray's claims about the social significance of…

Word recognition data from identical and fraternal twins and siblings (N=172) indicated that the phonological coding deficit of children with reading disabilities was highly heritable. Orthographic coding was not significantly heritable. Poor readers with low IQs were superior to similar reading but average IQ readers in phonological coding.…

The assumption that a singular biological resource pool embedded in the central nervous system results in differences in macrolevel outcomes because of the constraints it imposes on efficiencies of microlevel processing is refuted. Moderating effects on the causal pathways between microlevel and macrolevel performance are discussed. (SLD)

This paper is the first chapter of a book and is divided into six sections. The first section discusses race taxonomy, the Negro American's origins from Africa, and the origin of race differences. The second section investigates the genetic aspects of race differences in intellectual performance, and includes a lengthy introductory discussion on…

Few books have generated as much controversy as the recently published "The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life." The tremendous polarization on the issue of the relationship between intelligence quotient (IQ) to race and social class, reinforced by the book, and the potential this book has for undermining…

The history of the study of human mental ability is an example of the dialectic in social science between those who interpret data within the framework of existing social inequities and those who look for perspectives that might eventually dissolve inequities. The dedication of Henry Herbert Goddard to a belief in the scientific proof of…

A brief historical resume outlining the relationship between economics, racism, and intellectual justification for racism begins this paper, which notes that the I.Q. argument is a racist ideology in exactly the same way that Christianity, Darwinism, and Equality have been systems of justifications for America's racism. It fits the definition of…

Contents of this symposium comprises: Introduction (W. B. Dockrell); The Genetics of Intelligence (Sir C. Burt); Structuring Mental Acts (P. R. Merrifield); A "Piagetian" Test of Cognitive Development (R. D. Tuddenham); The British Intelligence Scale (R. W. Warburton); Intelligence (P. E. Vernon); Hierarchical Theories of Mental Ability…

Contents of this book include: an introductory preface by C. Loring Brace; "Introduction to Jensenism," C. Loring Brace; "Can we and should we study race differences?" Arthur R. Jensen; "Intelligence in Black and White," Alexander Alland, Jr.; "Whose is the failure?" Vera John; "The influence of…

Investigates factors, including heredity and culture, contributing to exceptional Asian American academic achievement. Proposes the concept of relative functionalism, under which Asian Americans perceive and have experienced restrictions in upward mobility in occupations unrelated to education. Consequently, educational achievement assumes…