The theme of the nature and origin of intelligence, It is something that has sparked debate among humanity as a whole. over years and years. One of the most common questions in this field is whether intelligence is inherited or if it arises from the environment in which a person develops. This topic has been the subject of countless studies and research of all kinds, since the implications of this question are profound and cover the most varied areas of life such as education, psychology or genetics.
In the following article we are going to clarify all the doubts you may have about the possible relationship that will exist. between intelligence and genetics.
Genetics and intelligence
For many years it has been thought that intelligence has a fairly important genetic basis. The studies that have been carried out on twins and adoptions have been key in this type of statement about intelligence. Thus, twins who are identical tend to have more similar IQs than twins who are fraternal.
This will suggest that genetics will have An important paper as far as intelligence is concerned. Studies regarding adoption have also found that adopted children tend to have IQs more similar to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents.
In addition to all this, molecular genetics has been able to identify certain genes that seem to be directly related to intelligence. For example, genes such as the FTO gene and the CHRM2 gene have been linked with differences in cognitive performance. However, it is important to indicate that genetics does not become deterministic in this aspect, since there are another series of factors, such as environmental factors, that will have a certain relationship with one's intelligence.
Environmental factors and intelligence
Although genetics, as seen above, may have a certain relationship with various levels of intelligence, Environmental factors are going to play a key role in the realization of that genetic potential. The first years of life are going to be key in the cognitive development of the person. Early stimulation together with quality education and certain emotional support, among other environmental factors, can influence a person's intellectual development.
Various studies have been able to confirm that the environment at home, including the socioeconomic level of the parents along with the parenting style, will have a significant impact on a child's IQ. For example, the IQ of children who grow up and are raised in unstable homes with few values is not the same as the IQ of children who are educated and raised in a stable and enriching environment.
Furthermore, the quality of education received by the child and lifelong learning opportunities directly influence a person's intellectual development. In this way, high-quality and rich preschool education will contribute to good long-term academic and cognitive outcomes for children.
What relationship exists between genetics and environment
It is important to highlight that the relationship between genetics and environment It is a complex and bidirectional interaction. On the one hand, the environment may have some influence on how genes related to intelligence are expressed. For example, an environment full of stimuli of all kinds can activate genes associated with cognitive development, while a stressful environment will completely inhibit all their expression.
On the other hand, it must be mentioned that the genetic characteristics of a person will influence in a direct way in the way they interact with their environment. In this way, a child who has great genetics to be intelligent can be quite receptive to cognitive and educational stimuli from his entire environment.
The heritability of IQ has been estimated about 50-80%, This will mean that an important part of the differences in IQ between people belonging to a population is due to differences in their genes. However, this is not going to mean that the environment does not play a key role when it comes to intelligence; Rather, it will indicate that both genetics and environment contribute directly to the differences observed in IQ.
What part of intelligence is inherited
The issue of the part of intelligence that is inherited also tends to generate some debate and controversy. Different studies claim that genetics will determine 80% of intelligence, while other studies indicate that it is 50 or 60%.
That is why we should forget about the question of what part of intelligence is inherited to focus primarily on the importance that genetics will have on a person's intelligence.. Each human being is unique and different from the point of view of genetics. It is thought that the human genome has about 30.000 different genes so the combinations of such genes in the future newborn will be difficult and impossible to predict.
In short, the question of whether intelligence is inherited It is complex and has no simple answer. Various studies have been able to demonstrate that both genetics and environmental factors play a key and essential role in determining IQ and human intelligence in general. While genetics will provide an initial foundation, the environment in which a person develops will help shape everything about their intelligence. The interaction between these two factors is fundamental when it comes to understanding how intelligence emerges in human beings.