Van Leeuwen

Question 1

What is concordance?

Answer 1

matching / agreement

Question 2

What does it mean if monozygotic twins have concordance vs dizygotic ?

Answer 2

both mz AND dz = nurture and the environment
JUST mz = nature and genetics

Question 3

What type of study can truly test nature vs nurture of intelligence?

Answer 3

twin adoption studies

Question 4

What is a definition of intelligence?

Answer 4

Wechler defines intelligence as the ability to act purposefully, think rationally, and deal with the environment effectively

Question 5

What are the key background points?

Answer 5

• phenotypic assortment
• social homogamy
• cultural transmission

Question 6

What is phenotypic assortment?

Answer 6

selection of a spouse based on an observable characteristic

Question 7

What is social homogamy?

Answer 7

selecting a spouse due to being in the same or similar environments e.g., book club or running club

Question 8

What is cultural transmission?

Answer 8

stimulation of children through reading and toys

Question 9

What type of relationship does the background focus on?

Answer 9

spouses

Question 10

What does previous genetics research suggest about intelligence?

Answer 10

25-50% of intelligence is due to genetics

Question 11

What is the aim?

Answer 11

to test biological and environmental factors and how they impact intelligence

Question 12

What is the research method?

Answer 12

research article

Question 13

What is the sample?

Answer 13

112 families from the Netherlands
- monozygotic AND dizygotic twins
- siblings
- parents

Question 14

How was the sample controlled?

Answer 14

no people with psychiatric problems or major medical history

Question 15

What did the families do before the main procedure?

Answer 15

a cheek swab to test for genetic relatedness

Question 16

What was the intelligence test that was used?

Answer 16

Ravens Progressive Matrices

Question 17

What are the details of the Ravens test?

Answer 17

patterns, sequences and missing shape fills with multiple choice answers

Question 18

How were children and adults tested differently?

Answer 18

children took the SPM and adults the APM

Question 19

What were the details of the children’s test?

Answer 19

• Standard Progressive Matricies (SPM)
• 60 items (x5 sets of 12)
• got progressively harder

Question 20

What were the details of the adult’s test?

Answer 20

• Advanced Progressive Matricies (APM)
• 48 items
• 1st set = 12 practice
• 2nd set = 36

Question 21

What are the 3 key findings?

Answer 21

1. 67% of intelligence is due to genetics
2. spousal correlation was 0.33
3. monozygotic twins had less variation than other family members

Question 22

What are the conclusions?

Answer 22

• there was no influence of cultural transmission on intelligence
• environmental factors more important for children with genetic predisposition for lower IQ

Question 23

how is this study reliable?

Answer 23

• has high test-retest reliability
  0.88 = SPM and 0.91 = APM
• can be replicated
• standardised - same questions

Question 24

how is this study unreliable?

Answer 24

• children had no time constraints = less standardised (SPM)
• low external reliability - if replicated elsewhere other than Netherlands - may yield different results (BUT bio aspect suggests universality)

Question 25

What type of data was collected + what are its strengths and weaknesses?

Answer 25

quantitative (IQ score) Strengths = objective = easy to compare and analyse Weakness = no reasoning behind behaviour and does not test other types of intelligence

Question 26

What is this study not valid?

Answer 26

- lacks ecological validity - artificial tasks that lack mundane realism - lacks popualtion validity - only Netherlands - lacks construct validity - Ravens does not test all types of intelligence (only fluid) - Gardner's theory - Flynn effect

Question 27

Why is this study valid?

Answer 27

- standardised = internal validity - causality - control EVs (DNA cheek swabs) - scientific

Question 28

What is a strength of the sample?

Answer 28

- relatively large (112) - no gender bias

Question 29

What are the weaknesses of the sample?

Answer 29

- culture bias - Netherlands = ethnocentric = lack population validity

Question 30

What are the strengths of the methodology?

Answer 30

- labs = high control = replicable = reliable - snapshot = practical / cheaper - less likely to suffer attrition

Question 31

What are the weaknesses of the methodology?

Answer 31

- snapshots = don't know long term changes e.g., fluid intelligence decreasing with age - individual difference - lab = lack ecological validity - highly artificial

Question 32

Why is this study unethical?

Answer 32

self fulfilling prophecy, labelling and stigmas = deterministic (genetics) - socially sensitive

Question 33

Why is the study ethical?

Answer 33

- consent forms - no PFH issues - no distressing tasks (+) given breaks - confidential = anonymous

Question 34

What are the practical applications of intelligence tests?

Answer 34

- jobs that require certain skills and in schools - teachers can target students who need more support - low IQ score may encourage to try harder and use the other 33% that contributes to intelligence

Question 35

Why is this research not useful?

Answer 35

intelligence mainly due to genetics = limited to what can change (only 33%)

Question 36

Is this research scientific?

Answer 36

Yes - quan data, reliable, determinism, reductionism

Question 37

Why is this research not scientific?

Answer 37

lacks construct validity - not actually a measure of intelligence

Question 38

evaluate according to reductionism

Answer 38

- oversimplifies complex interactions to one component (genetics) BUT cause and effect can be established = scientific

Question 39

evaluate according to determinism

Answer 39

has criterion validity = allows prediction of behaviour BUT genes cannot be changed = self fulfilling prophecy = socially sensitive