Is IQ inheritable? 123456767789

Question

or is the environment a more decisive factor for one's iq?

or maybe both? if so which one has more pull than the other

Answer 1

My friend is a nuclear scientist. His son has a 105 average in school and is in 4 AP classes. I think its a combination of the two that really is the deciding factor for one's IQ. You can be smart but you also need something to unlock it. You just don't climb out of the womb speaking 5 languages and doing advanced physics.  

Answer 2

it's more genetic than environmental.

however, providing a good environment does help considerably.

Answer 3

IQ can not truly measure ones intelligence, many notable savants of our time have scored normal on IQ tests.

take that famous physicist for example, (sorry his name escapes me at the moment)

he had made many important discoveries but scored normal on IQ test every time he took it

google it :P

Answer 4

That's actually a very debated question, the famous "nature vs. nurture" conundrum. Although genetic information can play a role in brain size at birth and rate of brain cell development, humans are born with their brains not completely developed. Thus, the way humans are taught during their formative years is absolutely integral to "intelligence" later in life. The human brain develops to master the information presented to it at an early age, including language, reading, arithmetic, etc. so that the earlier a child is introduced to these things, and the better they are taught, the more intelligent they may become.

A very interesting book on the subject of human brain development is "An Alchemy of Mind" by Diane Ackerman. I highly recommend it if you're interested in the subject.

Answer 5

Both nature and nurture have an effect on IQ.  It is generally accepted that scientists have been unable to ascertain which is more important.  It has been shown that children and animals that were reared in environments that had very little mental stimulation had lower IQs.  Of course, children and animals that were raised in environments that were physically deficient (too few calories, diets lacking in essential nutrients, severally restricted physical movement, etc.) also developed lower IQs.  Youths raised without affection and healthy interactions among their own kind developed poorly both intellectually and emotionally.

Having said all of this, there has been compelling evidence on the heritability of IQ.  The problem is that, on a practical level, you still cannot ignore the effects of environment.  You may inherit the potential to be a mathematical genius, but you're orphaned, raised in a series of dysfunctional foster homes, and drop out of school in 10th grade.  Your potential is thwarted.  Conversely, you suffer brain damage in a childhood accident and your parents are told that you'll never walk or talk normally.  They don't give up and provide you with a rich emotional and mental environment and you far exceed what was originally predicted of you.  But you still don't become a mathematical  prodigy.  In the real world it is impossible to separate the effects of nature (your genes) and nurture (your environment).  

Answer 6

IQ is the intellegence qoutient that comes from the childs actual mental age in various areas, divided by the median mental age of the time.

Many families that spend more time with their children teach them more things, therefor their mental age (what they know) will be higher than a child that has no mental reinforcement.

There are also other chemicals in various foods that can statistically increase a childs IQ. (while in the womb, 'consumed by the mother')

There is also the inheritable factor, more intellegent parents often mean more intellegent children.  But it may also be the parents influence on the child as more intellegent people that gives the child an increased mental capacity over children that are not around educated or smart parents.