Hi Chris I haven't seen this, but I'm sure wealth would have a h^2 above zero (I dont think anything has a h^2 of exactly zero) the question would be how much IF iQ/g/intelligence is held constant since all these variables covary to some extent. But your question calls to mind something my students often say which is that IQ is just a proxy for wealth. Interestingly, in the Bell Curve are many analyses predicting education level, employment, crime, etc .. and IQ is often a better predictor that SES. Btw I use IQ for brevity, it is short for general cognitive ability since the score is not a 'quotient' anymore ... but again interestingly when h^2 is higher for g items than IQ overall. It would take me a little time to find those references ..
O a different note, one theme of Herrnstein (and later Murray) was that as we created equal opportunities for all, and less rigid social classes, in the 1950s/1960s there is more social mobility (with g playing a increasing role in social class movement) and, heritability will automatically rise the is less environmental variation. But I now worry that with wealth concentration in the US and grotesque income disparity we are reducing social mobility ... In theory wealth should rise in heritability .. I think ... and IQ decrease in heritability .. John K .... Apologize if typos' as iPads are always guessing what I am trying to type ========================== John W. Kulig, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology Coordinator, Psychology Honors Plymouth State University Plymouth NH 03264 ========================== ----- Original Message ----- From: Christopher Green <chri...@yorku.ca> To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) <tips@fsulist.frostburg.edu> Sent: Wed, 29 May 2013 15:41:04 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: [tips] What Is Wrong With Harvard? I was once told (though I have not confirmed it myself) that "wealth" is one of the most highly heritable variables of American individuals, using the statistical heritability index as a measure. Comment? Chris --- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada chri...@yorku.ca http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ ========================= On 2013-05-29, at 2:27 PM, Paul Brandon wrote: > > > > > > > And of course one might be more accurate by substituting 'scores on IQ tests' > for 'IQ' or 'intelligence'. > And heritability is not a genetic measure, just a statement of the extent to > which a measure is predictable from one generation to the next. > > On May 29, 2013, at 12:59 PM, John Kulig wrote: > >> Hi Mike >> >> Yeah .... well, there is always a difference between (1) description of >> group differences and (2) explanation. Group differences in IQ (and/or g) >> exist. In one sense, what really matters is the effect size. In another >> sense, average performance differences do not matter; what _really_ matters >> is whether there is bias for or against groups; bias being whether the test >> "works" differently for different groups, whether in terms of the regression >> coefficient regressing criterion on the IQ/g test (there is no bias btw, >> except a slight bias against Orientals) or different patterns of construct >> validity for the groups etc etc etc. On the previous point, whether a >> Hispanic/white IQ difference matters vis-a-vis the immigration issue (I >> believe this was the issue that spurred the media coverage) is an issue of >> effect size. >> >> As far as the Nisbett et al 2012 article, some of this has always been >> obvious. That heritability (h^2) estimates vary by social class simply >> restates the obvious that within-group h^2 estimates vary depending on what >> group is studied. People old enough will remember Donald Hebb's interesting >> example of kids raised in a barrel until age 16, who would emerge retarded >> on average because of the environment but their h^2 would be close to 1.0 as >> there is no environmental variation to work with. But Arthur Jensen made the >> same point, more academically, in his 1969 paper which ironically initiated >> the Hebb response .. this is the 1969 paper, like The Bell Curve, that >> everyone cites but fewer people read. Nisbett also mentions IQ jumps of 12 >> to 18 points in adoption studies .. there has always been correlations >> between children and adopting parents, though these correlations weaken with >> age. Anyway, my comments are not meant as an endorsement of the activities >> of the Heritage Foundation.Rather I am always amazed at how much press is >> generated whenever descriptive group differences in IQ/g are mentioned ... >> >> ========================== >> John W. Kulig, Ph.D. >> Professor of Psychology >> Coordinator, Psychology Honors >> Plymouth State University >> Plymouth NH 03264 >> ========================== >> >> From: "Mike Palij" <m...@nyu.edu> >> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" >> <tips@fsulist.frostburg.edu> >> Cc: "Michael Palij" <m...@nyu.edu> >> Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 12:13:28 PM >> Subject: [tips] What Is Wrong With Harvard? >> >> Given the media savvy bunch that Tipsters are, I am sure that most have >> heard of the Harvard Ph.D. who was fired from his job as Scholar/Researcher >> at the Heritage Foundation (a conservative think tank in Washington, D.C.) >> after claiming that Hispanics have lower intelligence (i.e., IQ scores) than >> White folks (he refers to them as "Native Whites" of the U.S. possibly >> implying >> that Whites elsewhere, such as Canada, Europe, Australia, etc., are also >> potentially less intelligence than "Native Whites" of the U.S. -- a belief, >> I think >> that most U.S. "Native Whites" probably subscribe to). For those who were >> too busy waiting for the new episodes of "Arrested Development" to arrive or >> seeing "Star Trek Into Darkness" several times or "Fast and Furious 6" or >> whatever, here is one media outlet's article that provides background on >> what >> happened: >> http://www.latintimes.com/articles/4307/20130522/jason-richwine-resigns-heritage-foundation-hispanic-iq.htm >> >> The basis for his claim that "Native Whites" have greater intelligence than >> Hispanics comes from a Ph.D. dissertation he wrote at Harvard's Kennedy >> School of Government, department of Public Policy. This has not gone >> unnoticed by students at Harvard who appear to have responded with >> a collective "WTF?" and are demanding an investigation of how such a >> "Bemian event" could occur; for one source on this see: >> http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/05/20/harvard-students-seek-probe-of-controversial-phd-thesis-on-hispanics-iq/ >> >> A more detailed analysis of the person at the center of the controversy, his >> dissertation committee, the role that Charles Murray played (of "Bell Curve" >> fame and who is apparently salaried by the Heritage Foundation but doesn't >> have an office there -- Murray was also the "hero" of our Harvard Ph.D. >> and served as an advisor), and some information on how the dissertation got >> passed. See: >> http://www.alternet.org/print/inside-story-harvard-dissertation-too-racist-heritage-foundation >> >> Apparently, there are some aspects of the dissertation process that members >> of >> the committee don't care to discuss because of their personal nature but >> which >> leave a number of questions unanswered. Perhaps there will be an >> investigation by >> the admin at Harvard to better understand how this dissertation got through. >> >> One particularly useful thing that the last webpage provides is a link to >> the 2012 >> update of APA's position paper on intelligence (APA's paper was published in >> 1995). The reference to this paper is: >> Nisbett, R. E., Aronson, J., Blair, C., Dickens, W., Flynn, J., Halpern, D. >> F., & >> Turkheimer, E. (2012, January 2). Intelligence: New Findings and Theoretical >> Developments. American Psychologist. >> Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0026699 >> >> A copy can be obtained here: >> Http://scottbarrykaufman.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Nisbett-et-al.-2012.pdf >> >> One wonders if Herrnstein were still alive when the dissertation was >> being done, whether he would have served on the committee but one >> might wonder in what role? >> >> -Mike Palij >> New York University >> m...@nyu.edu > > Paul Brandon > Emeritus Professor of Psychology > Minnesota State University, Mankato > pkbra...@hickorytech.net > > > > > --- > > You are currently subscribed to tips as: chri...@yorku.ca. > > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62bd92&n=T&l=tips&o=25792 > > (It may be necessary to cut and paste the above URL if the line is broken) > > or send a blank email to > leave-25792-430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62b...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > > > > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: ku...@mail.plymouth.edu. 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