Intelligence: A Unifying Construct For The Social Sciences

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This book challenges social scientists to reconsider the theoretical foundations of the study of social phenomena. Until now social scientists have assumed that varying environmental factors explain social phenomena and that there cannot be any common explanatory factor behind various social phenomena. However, the empirical evidence presented in this book and covering nearly 200 countries indicates that many kinds of human conditions depend significantly on differences in average intelligence of nations (national IQs). Differences in intelligence help to explain all kinds of phenotypic social phenomena as well as the persistence of social inequalities in the world. Environmental factors affecting such phenomena vary from case to case, but intelligence reflecting the evolved human diversity remains the same explanatory factor across all phenotypic social phenomena. This means that it provides a unifying theoretical construct for the social sciences. Unfortunately social scientists have not yet realized that most problems explored in social sciences are phenotypic phenomena depending on both genotypic and environmental factors and that intelligence is a powerful genotypic common explanatory factor. The arguments and hypotheses presented in this book are tested and supported by extensive empirical evidence. Ultimately empirical evidence will decide the destiny of conflicting theoretical arguments.

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Intelligence A Unifying Construct for the Social Sciences R i c h a r d Ly n n & Tat u Va n h a n e n INTELLIGENCE A Unifying Construct for the Social Sciences Richard Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen Ulster Institute for Social Research Published 2012 by Ulster Institute for Social Research London NW10 5TH, UK ISBN 978-0-9568811-9-9 Copyright © 2012 Richard Lynn and Tatu Vanhanen All rights reserved Printed in Great Britain So it is that the gods do not give all men the gifts of race…neither good looks nor intelligence nor eloquence. Odysseus, speech to the suitors of Penelope from Homer’s Odyssey. Contents Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1. Compartmentalization of the Social Sciences 2 2. National Intelligence and Economic Development 4 3. Criticism of National IQs 6 4. A Progressive Research Program 7 Chapter 2 The Measurement of the Intelligence of Nations 1. National IQs Measured by Intelligence Tests 9 9 2. National IQs Measured by Tests of Mathematics, Science and Reading Comprehension 11 3. Calculation of Final IQs 18 4. Reliability of National IQs 30 5. Validity of National IQs 32 Chapter 3 Educational and Cognitive Attainment 1. Intelligence and Educational Attainment among Individuals i 35 35 INTELLIGENCE 2. Intelligence and Educational Attainment across Nations38 3. Intelligence and Cognitive Attainment across Nations .40 4. New Global Comparisons 43 5. Variables 44 6. Educational Attainments 48 7. Regression of Tertiary-09 on National IQ 50 8. Researchers in R&D 64 9. Conclusion 66 Chapter 4 Economics: Per Capita Income, Poverty, Inequality 69 1. Effects of Intelligence on Earnings 69 2. Economists' Studies of Effects of IQ on Earnings 73 3. Intelligence and Per Capita Income across Nations 75 4. National IQs and Economic Growth 80 5. National IQs and other Economic Variables 83 6. New Global Comparisons 87 7. Variables 88 8. National IQ and Per Capita In