Are we really born smart? Or do we become so thanks to what we learn? A burning question, especially today, in an era in which talent seems to be everything. For years science has told us that intelligence is written in DNA, like the color of the eyes or the shape of the nose. Yet, new research published in the journal Acta Psychologica overturns this belief with a simple but surprising fact: having the same genes is not enough to guarantee you the same IQ, if your upbringing was different.
The study, conducted by Jared Horvath and Katie Fabricant, calls into question one of the most widespread dogmas: that according to which intelligence is mainly hereditary. The analysis involved 87 pairs of identical twins raised separately. We are talking about people with the exact same DNA, but who received different school instructions. And here’s the thing: the more different their school experience, the bigger the difference in their IQs.
In short: school matters, of course.
We often hear that identical twins have very similar IQs even if they grow up far from each other. This is because, it is said, genetics does the heavy lifting. But Horvath and Fabricant decided to review the data, starting from a question as simple as it is uncomfortable:
What happens if one twin goes to a better school than the other?
Here’s what they discovered:
School, therefore, can “drive away” two minds born equal. And we’re not just talking about the type of school (public or private), but also the teaching methods and length of education received.
Are we really just the product of our genes?
In previous studies, a measure called ICC (intraclass correlation) was often used to quantify how heritable IQ was. The average value, 0.75, seemed to indicate a very strong genetic component.
But this new research tells us that ICC changes a lot if you take into account the education received. And then the question arises spontaneously: were those numbers really that reliable?
Probably not.
School can really shape the brain, even those born with excellent genes
What makes education so powerful? According to the authors of the study, everything depends on three factors:
Three elements that act together in shaping the brain, in forming the ability to reason, solve problems, adapt and… think.
Even small changes in school can have long-term effects on the way we think. And this undermines the idea that IQ is something fixed, decided at birth and immutable.
How many people will never reach their potential because of school?
If intelligence can be developed (or blocked) by education, then we must look at ourselves and deal with educational inequalities. Today, in Italy as elsewhere, the quality of education is not the same for everyone. And this has real consequences.
Because two children, even genetically identical, can find themselves as adults with very different cognitive abilities, just because they were born in different neighborhoods, with different teachers, in families with different resources.
The researchers also send an important message to those who do science: enough with aggregate big data that erases individual stories. Intelligence must be observed on a case-by-case basis, in relation to the environment, culture, education and real life.
Because ultimately, this study reminds us of a truth that we too often forget: the mind is plastic, it is formed, it transforms. And if we want a more just society, we must start with school.
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