Skip to main content
Log in

No differential heritability of intelligence test scores across ability levels in norway

  • Published:
Behavior Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The possibility of differential heritability of intelligence test scores across levels of ability has been raised in several recent reports. In the present paper intelligence test data from 862 monozygotic and 1325 dizygotic male twin pairs tested at about 19 years of age were analyzed in search for changes in heritability and shared environmentality as a function of ability level. The analyses were performed by means of multiple regression models (e.g., Chernyet al., 1992). No evidence of differential heritability across different ability levels was detected.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bailey, J. M., and Revelle, W. (1991). Increased heritability for lower IQ levels?Behav. Genet. 21:397–404.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cherny, S. S., Carbon, L. R., Fulker, D. W., and DeFries, J. C. (1992). Differential heritability across levels of cognitive ability.Behav. Genet. 22:153–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeFries, J. C., and Fulker, D. W. (1985). Multiple regression analysis for twin data.Behav. Genet. 15:467–473.

    Google Scholar 

  • Detterman, D. K., Thompson, L. A., and Plomin, R. (1990). Differences in heritability across groups differing in ability.Behav. Genet. 20:369–384.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heath, A. C., Berg, K., Eaves, L. J., Solaas, M. H., Corey, L. A., Sundet, J., Magnus, P., and Nance, W. (1985). Educational policy and the heritability of educational attainment.Nature 314:734–736.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horn, J. M., Loehlin, J. C., and Willerman, L. (1982). Aspects of inheritance of intellectual abilities.Behav. Genet. 12: 479–516.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jinks, J. L., and Fulker, D. W. (1970). Comparison of the biometrical genetical, MAVA, and classical approaches to the analysis of human behavior.Psychol. Bull. 73:311–349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jöreskog, K. G., and Sörborn, D. (1989).LISREL 7: A Guide to the Program and Applications, 2nd ed., Chicago, IL. SPSS Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magnus, P., Berg, K., and Nance, W. E., 1983). Predicting zygosity in Norwegian twin pairs born 1915–1960.Clin. Genet. 24:103–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reed, E. W., and Reed, S. C., (1965).Mental Retardation: A Family Study, Saunders, Philadelphia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reed, S. C., and Rich, S. S. (1982). Parent-offspring correlations and regressions for IQ.Behav. Genet. 12:535–542.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundet, J. M., Tams, K., Magnus, P., and Berg, K. (1988). On the question of secular trends in the heritability of intelligence test scores: A study of Norwegian twins.Intelligence 12:47–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tambs, K., Sundet, J. M., and Magnus, P. (1988). Genetic and environmental effects on the covariance structure of the Norwegian army ability tests: A study of twins.Person. Individ. Diff. 9:791–799.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, L. A., Detterman, D. K., and Plomin, R. (1993). Differences in heritability across groups differing in ability.Behav. Genet. 23:331–336.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogler, G. P., and DeFries, J. C. (1983). Linearity of offspring-parent regression for general cognitive ability.Behav. Genet. 13:355–360.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sundet, J.M., Eilertsen, D.E., Tambs, K. et al. No differential heritability of intelligence test scores across ability levels in norway. Behav Genet 24, 337–339 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067534

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01067534

Key Words

Navigation