Dr Saheb Sahu, F.A.A.P., MPH.
The nature versus nurture debate involves whether human behavior is determined by a person’s genes or by the environment, either prenatal (before birth) or during person’s life. The interactions of genes with environment, called the gene-environment, are another component of nature-nurture debate.
Intelligence is challenging subject to study, in part because it can be defined and measured in different ways. Most definitions of intelligence include the ability to learn from experiences and adapt to changing environments. Elements of intelligence include the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, and understand complex ideas. Intelligent Quotient (IQ) is one of the most accepted though an imperfect tool for measuring intelligence.
Our genetic heritage deeply influences our behavioral selves, including our academic achievement. Not everyone has the same ability to do calculus (advance math), excel in playing a musical instrument or excel in athletics.
The degree to which genes assert themselves varies over the course of life. The relationship between genes and behavior traits is neither perfect nor fixed. Environment does matter, to varying degree. Evidence from behavioral genetic research suggests that family environmental factors may have an effect upon childhood IQ. The exact extent or percentage is debatable. It has been found that severely deprived, neglectful, or abusive environments have highly negative effects on many aspects of children’s intellectual development. However by late adolescence this correlation disappears.
IQ and Race
Race is a social and cultural construct. Genetically all human beings are from one genetic pool. There is currently no reason at all to think that any significant portion of IQ differences among socially defined racial groups is genetic in origin. The observed differences are due to environmental factors (opportunities). Many of the studies showing the racial differences are also based on cultural biases of the researchers.
Do interventions to Increase IQ work?
A high- quality meta-analysis (a type of study that aggregates the statistics of past studies for greater validity) was published in 2017 that compared various interventions and their impacts on students from poorer homes. The authors synthesized data from more than a hundred studies published over 15-year period to ascertain the benefits of interventions such as after school programs, computer-assisted teachings, behavioral intervention and many more. To begin with: most interventions didn’t work.Majority of studies examined showed no significant effect on students’ achievement. Some interventions had limited advantages. Chief among them was individual or small group tutoring. “High quality small group tutoring is expensive but it works” (de Boer p-120).
What steps government can take to improve children scholastic performance?
1- Provide Free Pre-K Childcare
Multiple studies have shown that going to preschool gives young children a leg up in all kinds of learning, not just academics but social skills, listening, planning and self-control. In 2019, about 90% 4-year olds attended preschool in the European Union countries compared to 34% in America. Every child in every country should have the right to attend these pre-schools regardless of their socio-economic background.
2- Provide Adequate Nutrition to Mothers and Children
A hungry child cannot learn. Every child should be provided with a nutritious breakfast and a mid-day meal. A child’s nutrition starts before birth. Every poor pregnant mother should be provided with a free nutritious diet during her pregnancy until the time she stops nursing.
3- Provide Basic Healthcare
There is a strong correlation between nutrition, health and learning. Health or lack of disease depends among other things on quantity and quality of diet, safe drinking water, sanitary living conditions, availability and accessibility of low cost or free health care.
What parents can do?
Researchers have been battling over whether a person’s IQ is fixed for life or can be increased through efforts. One area of agreement is that while intelligence is determined mainly by genetic factors, the environment shapes how these factors play out. This is particularly true during the first few years of life, when the brain is malleable.
A stimulating home environment can increase a child’s IQ. Interactive reading with children can increase their IQ by more than six points (the median score for IQ is 100). Children can gain one to five additional IQ points each year they stay in school. Learning music does not increase a child’s IQ. However music lessons can teach child self-control, focusing attention and memorization.
There is a strong scientific and medical consensus that children at home, at school and in the community need to play. The benefits of play are extensive and well documented. They include improvement in executive skills, self- esteem, language, early math skills, social development, peer relations, physical development and health.
“To succeed academically, a child should be born fullterm, be of a healthy birth weight (reflects mother’s nutritional status), and without any significant birth defects. Parents should be college educated and from the middle class or preferably from upper middle class based on income. The child should not be abused or neglected early in life” (de Boer p-119).
Conclusion
People who have higher intelligence in general (not always) tend to do better in life. A person’s intelligence depends mostly on genes she/he inherits from the parents. But parents can provide a favorable environment (home, school, and community) to increase their children intelligence somewhat. They can do it by providing a loving and safe home, reading to them especially when they are young, letting them play and keeping them at school as long as possible (higher education). Parents can also provide individual or small group tutoring for a child who is not doing so well in school. It has been shown that individual or small group tutoring works. All parents cannot produce the smartest child in the community (it is mostly in the genes) but they can try to provide a nurturing environment for the child to succeed as an adult.
Our success in life depends on our intelligence, hard work, perseverance, right connections and some chance (luck). Being raised by educated and successful parents always helps.
References
1- Fredrik de Boer, The Cult of Smart. All Points Books, New York, 2020
2- Wikepedia.org. Nature versus Nurture, Oct 30, 2020
Ps- Dr Sahu is a graduate of A.I.I.M.S (New Delhi) and a pediatrician in U.S.