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What role do genetic and environmental influences play in determining intelligence?
The debate focuses on one of the major questions in psychology: Which is more importantnature or nurture?
Do Genetics or Intelligence Play a Bigger Role in Determining Intelligence?
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Today, psychologists recognize that both genetics and the environment play a role in determining intelligence.
It now becomes a matter of determining exactly how much of an influence each factor has.
Twin studies suggest that the variance in IQ is linked to genetics.
This research suggests that genetics may play a larger role than environmental factors in determining individual IQ.
Instead, it is the result of complex interactions between many genes (or polygenic).
However, the exact height the person reaches can be influenced byenvironmental factorssuch as nutrition and disease.
What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?
Many experts believe that this is because first-born children receive moreattentionfrom their parents.
Our genetics may provide us with an intellectual capacity but our environment determines if we reach our potential.
That being the case, both would appear to beequallyimportant.
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