The concept of intelligence, how it’s defined and where is comes from, has been and still is a disputed topic among many people.
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What is intelligence anyways? To most people having been fortunate enough to have gone through some education system, intelligence is how well you do in school. The smart kids get the good grades and the dumb kids are, well, dumb.
However, in areas of the world that lack a school system, intelligence can be considered something completely different. For example, the Luo people in rural Kenya perceive intelligence as how well one displays social qualities such as respect, responsibility, and consideration, as well how they can think practically. These two perceptions of intelligence are very different, but which one is right?
There isn’t an answer to this question. Intelligence isn’t something that can be categorized into a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ box. It’s a complex concept that is continually affected by many factors, two of these being the genes you receive from yours parents, and the environment you’re raised in. Otherwise known as “nature versus nurture,” intelligence can be linked to the smarts you get from mom and dad, as well as the surroundings you grow up in.
The line between inherited genes and environment is blurred. Wikemedia Commons
Researchers have identified certain genes that can be contributed to intelligence. In a recent study, researchers at King’s College London found that “62% of academic achievement – at least when it came to GCSE scores (a standardized test done in the study) – could be attributed to genetic factors.” This meaning, if a child scored well on this standardized test it’s likely that their parents would have as well.
Although research has made it apparent that genetics does play role in school performance, it has also been disputed that the environment someone is raised in can greatly influence how intelligent they are perceived to be. Social psychologist Richard Nisbett says, “Believing that intelligence is under your control — and having parents who demand achievement — can do wonders.” In other words, if you’re brought up in a household that encourages certain values such as hard work and discipline, this could influence motivation to do well in school for example, could have a positive impact on grades and therefore intelligence.
So, what determines how smart someone is? Is intelligence dependent on the genes passed down from mom and dad, or is it based on environmental factors? It’s got to be a combination of both. Parents pass down a variety of traits to their kids that could influence how smart they are, but it’s the experiences and values those kids are exposed to that determines the extent to which they can reach their intelligence potential.
~Lindsey Belsher
