Intelligence as related to wealth/poverty

In an article published in the Chicago Tribune (Dec. 7, 2003- no specific writer cited) entitled "Poverty Can Cut Potential for Learning, Studies Say", researchers attempted to answer the age-old question of nature vs. nurture in answering whether individuals are born intelligent or is this simply the product of their environment.

Although this is surely to be considered controversial, the research showed that children in poverty often tend to have lower IQ scores than do children in wealthy enviroments. Factors of this include issues such as childhood nutrition, intensity/quality of early education, genetics, sufficient reading/proper speaking instruction, social factors, and a number of other issues. As we are all born with a range of potential intelligence, the wealthy children are largely experiencing more 'maximizing' of their potential.

There was even a study done on multiple sets of twins that were separated, each going to families of different ends of the socioeconomic class spectrum. The results proved that the enviroment played a large part in the child's intellectual development. In fact, it was found that 80% of the lower IQ scores can be attributed to environment issues. Scores differed in some cases by a shocking 40 points in IQ tests given to these sets of twins. Considering that these twins share the same genes, it serves to isolate the cause for differences between them. As stated by Yale University psychologist/researcher Robert Sternberg, "The results ... will prove to be a landmark in the study of intelligence, ... it suggests that intelligence and its heritability cannot be understood outside their enviromental context."