The Nation - News from Aug. 17, 1989

A privileged family environment and a well-to-do family background each contributed to raising children’s IQ scores, according to a new study. Reporting in the British journal Nature, French researchers said they found the average IQ of adoptees is about 12 points higher when they are reared in a prosperous family than in a poorer home. In contrast, among children adopted by poorer families, youngsters with well-to-do natural parents scored about 15 points higher on IQ tests than those born to the less wealthy. The study was by Christiane Capron and Michel Duyme of the University of Paris. Researchers have argued for years over the relative importance of heredity and environment in determining intelligence.