-The Argument-
David Shenk discusses a study in which children in Colvin,
Virginia fell “further and further behind the national average [IQ] due to
inadequate schooling and acculturation” (41). So, the researchers concluded
that the “children develop only as the environment demands development” (41).
If these ‘low IQ’ students were placed in an environment with ‘higher IQ’
children, would there be a quanitfiable change in their IQ tests over time? 100 years
from now, when the world becomes much more complicated, what will be the fate
of populations like the ‘low IQ’ kids? Will they be able to adapt to the
drastic change or will they die out, leaving the ‘higher IQ’ population to
survive and reproduce? Please include a relationship to a Biology Theme in your response.
-Rohan Dasika ( rohandasika@gmail.com)
In a new environment that demands a high IQ. 'low IQ' students would likely improve their IQ scores. As they are put in an environment where IQ is an advantage, these students would likely try and improve to eliminate any advantage, as competitive exclusion leads to the elimination of inferior organisms (Campbell 1199). Due to the theme of interdependence in nature, this competition will help stabilize the roles of the individuals: those who cannot improve their IQ scores will be in a high disadvantage and might succumb and have no place in the environment.
ReplyDeleteHowever, as it seems in the current state, the 'low IQ' students likely live in an environment where the demand for a high IQ is low, thus there would be no challenge to survival in the future, and the 'low IQ' population should be fine in their current environment. Instead, what these 'low IQ' students lack in school smarts, they make up for it in expertise. In a study by Sylvia Scribner, the least educated people in their work at a Baltimore dairy plant, who served as carton packers, had extraordinary mathematical abilities relating to what they do, "calculating the least-physical effort solutions" (Shenk 48-49). Also, while professions like farmers do not need high IQ and thus reflect this in their average IQ scores (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/average-iq-score.html), they still need agricultural knowledge that other professions do not need or know about.
Furthermore, the Flynn effect of increase IQ scores through generations suggests that even though 'low-IQ' students still might be behind 'high-IQ' students, there likely will be an increase in the IQ of these students through time. Unless there is a major demand for 'high-IQ' and that the world-wide environment becomes extremely unsuitable for those with low IQ, there is no reason why those with below-average IQs should fear for their survival.
Matthew Yang (matt.y.yang2013@gmail.com)
Part 1
ReplyDeleteThe conclusion that “‘children develop only as the environment demands development’” (Shenk 41) is helpful in explaining why students with low IQ scores remain at low IQ scores in their local environment. But when placed in an environment of higher IQ standards, the same conclusion explains how these low IQ students are able to surpass their current level and increase their IQ score.
IQ scores allows for comparison of an individual to “a norm group” (123 Test). In the United States, this would be comparing a fifth-grader to all other fifth-graders in the nation. As such, IQ scores allow for a comparison to a large mosaic of individuals coming from different environments as well as different genetic makeup. While an IQ test is not a complete measure of intelligence as Shenk continually states that “intelligence is a process, not a thing” (Shenk 10), it provides for an incomplete, yet still respectable comparison of individuals.
While genetics may dictate our capability of problem solving and reasoning skills to some degree, the environment also plays a substantial role as well. When the local environment has no demand for high IQ scores, there is no selective advantage for individuals to have a high IQ score. As such, underprivileged school districts tend to continually see lower and lower scores (123 Test). The low IQ scores in certain districts may also be related to a lack of stimuli for improvement. In order for advanced levels of critical thinking to occur, such as cognition and problem solving (Campbell 1128), there needs to be a stimulus to initiate the response. A stimulus such as increased funding for the math and science departments would initiate a response of teachers to teach more thoroughly and with greater passion, which would then initiate students to become higher achieving.
By having low IQ students placed in an environment of high IQ students, the low IQ students would see an increase in performance and in IQ scores. The higher-achieving environment would put the students with lower IQs at a disadvantage; whereas there was no need for a high IQ in their previous location, the low IQ students would be at a selective disadvantage to maintain their initial level of “intelligence”. The change in environmental setting may act as a stimulus with the response of the students being to work harder to reach a level to no longer be at a disadvantage. This change in work ethic would be an example of associative learning (Campbell 1127), where the low IQ students are equating the new environment will an increase in work-ethic and thus an increase in success. For those low IQ students that remain at their nadir even when in the new environment, they will not “die out”, but rather fade to the edge and participate in low sector jobs requiring very little knowledge.
The idea of the low IQ students reaching new heights when placed in a more successful environment relates to the theme of interdependence in nature. The environment, in conjunction with our genes, is influential in determining personal success. As a result, we tend to be the fluid product of those, as well as many other, factors. When placed in an environment that fosters growth, prosperity, and success, we tend to adapt to that new setting, hence the fluidity of the final product.
Ethan Homedi (ethanhomedi@yahoo.com)
Part 2
ReplyDeleteI agree with Matt’s statements that yes, the low IQ students will increase their scores when placed in a higher-achieving setting. I like the point that he made by saying that even though some individuals may lack an advanced, holistic knowledge, they may compensate for that with an increased in specialization and knowledge in that area, such as the dairy workers in Baltimore.
While IQ scores are by no means a measure of true and complete intelligence, they do provide us with a basic understanding of one’s general knowledge. Depending upon environmental influences as well as genetics, some may have higher scores than others. However, these scores are not set in stone; a change in the environment to a location with higher success will cause lower scoring individuals to increase their scores as well.
(http://www.123test.com/iq-scores-and-differences/)
Ethan Homedi (ethanhomedi@yahoo.com)