Is the type and degree of intelligence that we possess a product of our genes or does our environment determine it? A more sensible question might be to ask which, nature or nurture, is in the driver’s seat? Researchers have been trying to design experiments to investigate this very question for at least a century. The most common type of study has been one, which investigate the intelligence in identical twins reared apart. This should allow the researcher to differentiate between the effects of nature and nurture on intelligence. The results have given us estimates as high as 70% for the attribution of genetic influence on intelligence variance(Ken Richardson, Understanding Intelligence). Although these results seem to be conclusive evidence for the view that intelligence is primarily genetic it is not without its critics. It is fairly rare for identical twins to be reared apart, therefore producing small sample size and thus results that can not easily be generalized. The environments that separated twins are brought up in are likely to be similar, making it difficult to accurately attribute variations in intelligence to their genetic makeup. The most common criticism of all such studies is the very measurement of intelligence. Without an accepted definition, intelligence can not be accurately measured and thus trying to understand its development is somewhat futile. There are so many factors that contribute to human intelligence and development that trying to find causal links is an exercise in fantasy rather than a scientific endeavour. For us to understand exactly how intelligence develops would be to unravel one of the most illusive mysteries facing humankind. I don’t however, believe that this puzzle is likely to be solved in the near future. Social Deconstruction Whichever determinant one believes to have the greater influence on intelligence, it is undeniable that the other still plays a part. Therefore, the envir...
