I_Like_Dirt wrote:Find me the genetic component and prove that it's the same genetic component that is responsible for skin color that is also responsible for cognitive functions that would equate to higher IQ scores and I'll listen to you, nate. Until then, your theories are going to fall on deaf ears, because right now the genetic knowledge we have says the link you are suggesting doesn't exist.
I'm a little confused about this question. Why does the cognitive gene responsible for IQ disparity have to be the same gene responsible for color variation? Nobody is saying that black skin color specifically correlates to lower IQ. The issue being discussed is the possibility that sub-Saharan African decent correlates to lower IQ. Why wouldn't it be sufficient simply to find that sub-Saharan African populations have cognitive genes that differ from European populations or East Asian populations in ways that negatively affect IQ? The genes responsible for color variation could be elsewhere on the genome. They're irrelevant.
For example the
MAOA gene has been labeled the "warrior gene" because a certain 2-repeat alleles of the gene appear to significantly increase the propensity for violence and aggression. Whites are 0.5% likely to have the 2-repeat allele, blacks are 4.7% likely to have it. While I think that there is still much more research that needs to be done to confirm this correlation between this allele and the propensity to violence (while weeding out other causal relationships), this is the type of research that will soon be possible with advances in genetic research. What if research reveals various genes and alleles that have high correlation with IQ? What if we find significant variation in the frequency of those genes in certain racial groups?
FWIW, as I understand it, there is great difficulty in identifying specific cognitive genes because such a huge percentage of the human genome seems to be associated with cognitive development, and there is so much interaction between the gene variants, so it's going to take a while. To my knowledge, only a few genes have been confirmed to affect intelligence (mostly by being associated with genetic diseases that manifest as severe cognitive deficiencies).
I_Like_Dirt wrote:As for your data regarding income, it's sooooo much more than that. Cultural bias on the test is potentially one factor. For example, the Canadian nursing industry recently adopted the American testing system for nursing licenses, and the results are a bunch of kids failing. Are we to take this as proof that Canadians are dumber than Americans? Even genetically so? And if we wouldn't adopt a genetic component to that argument, and would instead look to systemic issues, why wouldn't we do the same with black/white, knowing full well that it's highly likely there are significant systemic issues just because so many people allow their eyes to overrule their brains in everyday life? Because we want to let our eyes overrule our brains, too?
Design me a cognitive test, any cognitive test, where blacks outperform whites and I'd be much more inclined to believe this line of reasoning. For now, it's a hypothesis that has consistently failed to be proven correct. Furthermore, your nursing exam isn't really a fair analogy because presumably the exam is based much more on knowledge then on intelligence. IQ tests surely aren't perfect, but they are making an honest attempt to isolate the cognitive qualities that aren't heavily dependent on knowledge of facts.
I_Like_Dirt wrote:There are also many others. Like it or not, racism breaks down over the visual, so a lifetime of racism isn't necessarily conducive to higher test scores. Generational wealth and a long family traditions of pushing kids to do well in fields like maths, sciences, law, etc. also factor in here. Create a system, both familial and on the larger social scale where kids are constantly encouraged into those kinds of professions, idolize that type of thing, etc. rather than pro sports and other such things, and aren't constantly told they can't or shouldn't or facing barriers on levels that other kids just plain aren't, and then we'll see. The catch here, is that to get that kind of data, you actually have to fix the system first. And that's scary to a lot of privileged white folks.
I agree that these are all issues that may impact the test scores of blacks and we as a society should do our best to make sure blacks are given even footing. It may well be the case that these issues explain some of the disparity in the scores, they certainly shouldn't be ruled out; but let's not act like these phenomena aren't understood by intelligence experts who try to measure this stuff. The IQ disparity holds up for wealthy blacks, for adopted blacks, and in any number of studies where these issues are honestly accounted for. And the same IQ disparity does not show up for other disadvantaged minorities in the same environment.
