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Racial and ethnic group differences in the heritability of intelligence: A systematic review and meta-analysis

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  • Pesta, Bryan J.
  • Kirkegaard, Emil O.W.
  • te Nijenhuis, Jan
  • Lasker, Jordan
  • Fuerst, John G.R.

Abstract

Via meta-analysis, we examined whether the heritability of intelligence varies across racial or ethnic groups. Specifically, we tested a hypothesis predicting an interaction whereby those racial and ethnic groups living in relatively disadvantaged environments display lower heritability and higher environmentality. The reasoning behind this prediction is that people (or groups of people) raised in poor environments may not be able to realize their full genetic potentials. Our sample (k = 16) comprised 84,897 Whites, 37,160 Blacks, and 17,678 Hispanics residing in the United States. We found that White, Black, and Hispanic heritabilities were consistently moderate to high, and that these heritabilities did not differ across groups. At least in the United States, Race/Ethnicity × Heritability interactions likely do not exist.

Suggested Citation

  • Pesta, Bryan J. & Kirkegaard, Emil O.W. & te Nijenhuis, Jan & Lasker, Jordan & Fuerst, John G.R., 2020. "Racial and ethnic group differences in the heritability of intelligence: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:intell:v:78:y:2020:i:c:s0160289619301904
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2019.101408
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    1. Gottschling, J. & Hahn, E. & Beam, C.R. & Spinath, F.M. & Carroll, S. & Turkheimer, E., 2019. "Socioeconomic status amplifies genetic effects in middle childhood in a large German twin sample," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 20-27.
    2. Kaili Rimfeld & Eva Krapohl & Maciej Trzaskowski & Jonathan R. I. Coleman & Saskia Selzam & Philip S. Dale & Tonu Esko & Andres Metspalu & Robert Plomin, 2018. "Genetic influence on social outcomes during and after the Soviet era in Estonia," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 2(4), pages 269-275, April.
    3. Ken B Hanscombe & Maciej Trzaskowski & Claire M A Haworth & Oliver S P Davis & Philip S Dale & Robert Plomin, 2012. "Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Children's Intelligence (IQ): In a UK-Representative Sample SES Moderates the Environmental, Not Genetic, Effect on IQ," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(2), pages 1-16, February.
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