Although there continues to be controversy about the magnitude of genetic and environmental effects on human behavior, it is generally agreed by various scientific fields that individual differences in brain function and behavior must follow the same laws of variability as other human characteristics. Whether or not racial and ethnic group…

This collection of references and research findings was initially compiled in connection with a conference on the "Linguistic Needs of West Indian Children." The first section includes research reviews and critiques. The second section includes research on the following subjects: (1) ability; (2) attainment/achievement; (3) attitudes,…

Trotman's study (EJ 168 902) correlating child rearing in Black and White samples to children's achievement and intelligence is criticized. Trotman made several erroneous conclusions, and did not add important information about the nature nurture controversy as it applies to racial differences in intelligence. (Author/BH)

In an attempt to investigate factors surrounding educational performance among different ethnic and racial groups, several areas are examined: (1) segregation; (2) performance levels and intelligence quotient variables among various ethnic groups; (3) intergroup differences among segregated and nonsegregated groups; (4) socioeconomic variables;…

Collection of reviews of the controversial book "The Bell Curve" includes an annotated bibliography of 36 reviews in professional journals, edited books, and the popular press; a critique of the book's statistical appendixes; comments from John Goodlad, Howard Gardner, and others; discussion of heritability estimates; and summaries of a…

This document consists of summaries of six closely-related studies which investigated empirically the determinants of children's health with particular reference to home and local environmental variables. The first study examined the relationship between a number of family characteristics and the health of white children (6 through 11 years of…

A brief historical resume outlining the relationship between economics, racism, and intellectual justification for racism begins this paper, which notes that the I.Q. argument is a racist ideology in exactly the same way that Christianity, Darwinism, and Equality have been systems of justifications for America's racism. It fits the definition of…

Raw scores on WISC-R subtests and the verbal, performance, and full scale IQ scales were correlated with age separately for White and Black males and females. The relationship between age and intelligence test performance was constant across race and sex and supports the construct validity of the WISC-R. (Author/RD)

Investigates factors, including heredity and culture, contributing to exceptional Asian American academic achievement. Proposes the concept of relative functionalism, under which Asian Americans perceive and have experienced restrictions in upward mobility in occupations unrelated to education. Consequently, educational achievement assumes…

Ten myths and countermyths about intelligence are explored. It is argued that the desire for simplicity and publicity has led psychologists and others writing about intelligence to take positions that cannot be justified by current theory or recent data. However defined, intelligence is but one aspect of being human. (SLD)

A year after publication of "The Bell Curve," an informal survey found that the book is being used as college course reading, whether optional or assigned, and that it is being discussed. Its impact on public policy in higher education, particularly in justifying reduced spending for racial minorities, is discussed. (SLD)

This paper examines the question of the hereditary nature of intelligence and the validity of some of the statistical procedures which have been used in measuring the degree of hereditability. The author feels that proof of the question lacks sufficient scientific rigor for the support of any conclusion, particulary for a question of such…

"The Bell Curve" by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray has generated enormous debate as a result of its claim that there is a connection between race and intelligence. The essays of this collection respond to "The Bell Curve" in various ways. Taken together, the following offer an antidote to a work of dubious premises…

Genetic influence was estimated on Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children subtests from inbreeding depression scores calculated on cousin marriages in Japan (n=1,854 children) and correlated with American Black-White racial differences. The genetic contribution of racial differences in cognitive performance may be more robust than was previously…

The hypothesis is investigated that unproportional experience with uncontrollable situations for black and lower class individuals leads to an increased susceptibility to the poorer cognitive performance indicative of helplessness. Black and white lower and middle-class second and tenth graders were given no problems, solvable diagraph problems,…