The language of twins allows researchers in language development to examine acquisition in a unique environment. Researchers investigating the nature-nurture controversy, the order of acquisition, and other linguistic features find the twin situation particularly interesting because of the children's shared genetic makeup and environment. A…

Deficiency theories of racial inequality are basically inadequate in explaining observed racial differences between groups. Nonetheless, throughout the history of our country, both political leaders and prominent educators have propounded the notion that the inferior social status of blacks is due to some inherent deficiency in their make-up.…

In this study an effort was made to determine the effects upon learning of subclinical degrees of nutritional stress in an urban black ghetto. The study population index and control groups were selected from healthy babies born between 1964 and 1966 in Kansas City, Kansas. In the first part of the study, newborn anthropometric measurements and…

Discusses three hypotheses which have been posed as possible explanations for the contemporary and historical interest which certain white thinkers have had in black intelligence -- the religious anchor hypothesis, the genetic jealousy hypothesis, and the mental deficiency hypothesis -- as well as the environment versus heredity paradigm.…

This paper presents a model workshop focused on sex-typed behavior and developmental psychology, which is designed to examine the major theories based on biology, socialization or a complex developmental process. The materials concentrate on the three main theoretical approaches underlying the development of sex-role behaviors, i.e.,…

In this study, high and low socioeconomic status (SES) retarded children (approximately 10 years old) were matched on chronological age and two IQ measures. Children in each SES group were presented with a series of simple learning tasks derived from the work of Jensen and his hypotheses about two levels of learning. The tasks themselves were…

In 1969, Arthur Jensen published his controversial article concluding that blacks are less intelligent than whites and that genetic factors explain more of the variance between the two groups than environmental differences. This paper criticizes Jensen's work and discusses its negative implications. Interpretive and methodological weaknesses in…

This monograph discusses some basic concepts and reviews some of the more salient research findings dealing with equality of educational opportunity. Major emphasis of the author's inquiry is on how educational opportunity and educational attainment relate to social background. Chapter 1 attempts to clarify what is meant by equality of educational…

This description of the Preschool Project focuses on one aspect of research: the effect of his human environment on the child's intellectual development; specifically, the effect of his interaction with his main caregiver. The Preschool Project is described in more complete detail in document PS 006 798. The project is categorized as a natural…

Suggests that until some meaning of innate capacity is included, the word intelligence has little precision separate from its use in a social or cultural context. The culture that evolves its definition of intelligence will identify the tasks that fulfill that definition. (Author/AM)

Reviews some of the specific issues that underlie the testing controversy and suggests that it has become increasingly difficult to separate the issue of testing from the realities of a political situation which leaves black children at the mercy of a unified white majority that is often indifferent to their educational welfare. (Author/AM)

Schools are still programatically preparing children of different castes for different adult worlds. Black children often enter school with attitudes and skills which may be in conflict with those required for the middle-class type of school success. Schools often reinforce these conflicts and doubts in subtle ways. (Author/EB)

Reviews different approaches used over the past two decades to study early behavioral development in infants. Reviews research in areas as physical and cognitive development and the role of adult caretakers. (BD)

Genetic and environmental correlations among 11 Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) subtests were estimated from a sample of 143 twin pairs using the methodology of multivariate behavioral genetics. Correlations due to within-pair environmental influences were generally small, whereas those due to shared environmental…

Examines the findings of 53 studies of sex differences in propositional logic, combinatorial reasoning, and proportional reasoning tasks. Finds sex differences for the latter two tasks to be vulnerable to Rosenthal's "file drawer" problem and effect size to be small for all tasks. Discusses possible explanations for sex differences in…