The Influence of Environment on the Intelligence, School Achievement, and Conduct of Foster Children

The contributions of hereditary and environmental factors to individual differences.

“…When they were tested at ages five to fourteen, their average IQ actually turned out to be 107. 4. Th e mean IQ of the control children, however, was 115.1.…”

The principles of heredity as applied to the case load.

“…A detailed discussion of the role of heredity in regard to intelligence cannot be given here (6,12,14,22,27). For one reason, we should find ourselves involved in a long-standing controversy as to a definition of intelligence.…”

“…We could very well afford to overlook the question as to whether we had also thereby changed the child's germ plasm. In other words, the question of nature versus nurture is of extreme importance or, at any rate, will be when and if we can answer it (2, 12,16,28,44,50).…”

“…Within the last 10 or 15 years, there have been three notable studies made with the hope that light might be thrown upon this vexing problem. In 1928, Dr. Freeman, and others (12), of Chicago obtained through the Illinois Children's Home and Aid Society records which included the following children: home group of 401 children in foster homes; 74 children designated as the pre-test group who had been given a Binet test shortly before they were placed in their present homes; a sibling group consisting of 159 pairs of children with siblings from whom they had been separated for periods ranging from two to 13 years; a limited sibling group of 130 pairs who had been separated for four or more years; 40 pairs known as the foster-own group, one member of which was an own child and the other member of which was a foster child being reared in the same home; 72 pairs of unrelated children both of whom were foster children being reared in the same home. The age at which the foster children had been placed ranged from six months to 17 years, with the mean at four years, two months.…”

The principles of heredity as applied to the case load.

“…A detailed discussion of the role of heredity in regard to intelligence cannot be given here (10,16,24,35,40). For one reason, we should find ourselves involved in a long-standing controversy as to a definition of intelligence.…”