The debate between nature and nurture is not new. It focuses on the relative contributions of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) to human development, personality and behavior.
A new study conducted by the German TwinLife project has explored the complex relationship between genetics, IQ and socio-economic success.
The study compared identical and fraternal twins with the aim of determining how much a person’s life is influenced by their DNA versus upbringing.
According to the findings, based on an analysis of 880 individuals between the ages of 23 and 27, IQ is highly heritable, at about 75 percent, and serves as an important predictor of socioeconomic status, including education, career and income ranging from 69 to 90 percent.
“We knew this before, but this study shows even more clearly that we are controlled by our genes and largely because of them who we are,” says personality psychologist Petri Kajonius, the lead author of the study.
The study published in Scientific reports also challenges the ‘silver spoon myth’. The findings show that success has less to do with the home environment provided by parents and more to do with genetics and hereditary traits, giving individuals a better understanding of how to navigate and respond to opportunities.
It also suggests that, given the strong genetic predisposition, it is difficult to change long-term life trajectories through educational programs and social interventions.
The results imply that ‘mistakes’ in parenting may have less impact on a child’s eventual socio-economic status than many parents fear, because deeply ingrained traits often persist.
However, there are some limitations in this study. It is difficult to extract genes from the environment, because the two go hand in hand. For example, if a child has a high IQ, he is more likely to seek out an intellectually stimulating environment.
Despite such limitations, researchers cannot deny the dominant role of genetics in shaping intelligence and life outcomes.
