Review of The IQ game: A methodological inquiry into the heredity-environment controversy and Intelligence, Heredity and Environment.

Reviews the books, The IQ Game. A Methodological Inquiry into the Heredity-Environment Controversy by Howard F. Taylor (1980); and Intelligence, Heredity and Environment by Philip E. Vernon (1979). A fundamental issue in psychology is the relation between differences in heredity and differences in human behaviour and mental characteristics. The history of vigorous debate on this question is ancient, and two recent books show that it is far from being resolved. The approaches and conclusions by the two authors are so different that they are best presented as a study of contrasts. In doing so, I have chosen three specific topics for discussion which are addressed explicitly by both authors. Taylor reviews Burt's publications as well as critiques by Kamin (1974), Dorfman (1978), Hearnshaw (1979) and others, concluding that the data 'obviously cannot be used in this analysis.' Vernon, on the other hand, reprints many of Burt's correlations for IQ scores of relatives in several tables and relies heavily on Sir Cyril's analyses. He notes there are reasons to doubt the accuracy of some of the figures, but he vigorously defends Burt against charges of fraud and accuses Leon Kamin, who first exposed Sir Cyril, of being 'a good deal more one-sided than Burt.' Both authors make extensive use of the concept of 'heritability,' but only Taylor explains it clearly and correctly. Of these two books, only the one by Taylor adds anything positive to the extensive discussions of heredity and intelligence during the last decade. The IQ Game is a major contribution, being thorough, critical and thought-provoking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the application of genetic expectancies as age-specific base rates in the study of human behavior disorders.

"The long recognized tendency of many abnormal behavior patterns to run in families may prove useful in understanding, predicting, and controlling such behavior, regardless of whether the ultimate cause lies in social heredity or in biological heredity and regardless of the extent to which these are correlated." The writers suggest that it is now possible to determine age-specific statements of probability that various disorders will develop in various subpopulations which should be studied longitudinally to discover the differences between those Ss who develop the disorder and those who do not. Examples of the uses of genetic expectancies are given. 25 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rejoinder to book review.

Writing Psychology of reading has given John Downing and this writer a great deal of self-doubts and self-criticisms. This is particularly so in a field which is so vast and complex and where there is a high level of productivity. We are thus appreciative of the insightful review of our volume by Linda Siegel (Canadian Psychology, 1985, 26, pp. 300-301, see record 2007-08971-001). We agree with the comments on the "complexities of definitional issues" and the need to amplify on comprehending. This latter endeavour, to misquote Edmund Huey, "would almost be the acme of a psychologist's achievements." Lest Downing and Leong be misunderstood, I would like to clarify one main point raised in the review. We state that "the discredited achievement or learning quotient should be laid to rest" (p. 306). If some psychometric tests must be used, they must meet all the technical requirements. In particular, these screening devices need to be "supplemented by individual diagnosis of children for appropriate educational placement and programming" (p. 306). Elsewhere I have elaborated on this two-tier approach of the more quantitative psychometric assessment followed by the more qualitative cognitive-developmental diagnosis (Leong, 1985, in press). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Raising questions about raising IQs: Review of Intelligence and giftedness: The contributions of heredity and early environment.

Reviews the book, Intelligence and giftedness: The contributions of heredity and early environment by Miles D. Storfer (see record 1990-97741-000). For at least the past 70 years our IQ scores apparently have risen by the equivalent of approximately 1/5 to 1/4 of a point per year. If we accept the idea of what Flynn (1987) himself refers to as "Massive IQ gains" (and the supporting evidence that Flynn has amassed appears solid) our next step should clearly be an attempt to identify the factors responsible for these gains. Have our educational systems improved dramatically? What about our nutrition and general levels of health? Have home environments and parent-child interactions undergone radical changes? Besides environmental factors, is it possible that some sorts of hereditary mechanisms might be implicated? In Intelligence and giftedness: The contributions of heredity and early environment, Storfer addresses these and related issues. The result of his extensive review of the literature in areas as diverse as behavioural genetics, infant intelligence tests, white-black IQ differences, educational enrichment programs, and neurophysiology is a 500-plus-page book which is sometimes informative, often disappointing, and, in the end, too speculative to live up to its promotional claim of advancing "one of the most exciting and controversial evolutionary theories since Darwin". Parts of this book are good. Storfer is to be commended for the wide range of material that he surveys, and his attempts to integrate this diverse material have generally been successful. Another positive feature is the inclusion of numerous notes at the end of all but one chapter, plus one appendix, which provide additional information and/or technical details for readers interested in learning more about specific studies or issues mentioned briefly in the text. Unfortunately, Storfer does not seem to appreciate the varying quality of the research studies that he reviews, and some of the conclusions that he draws are highly speculative. Intelligence and giftedness was an ambitious project that would have benefitted considerably from a more cautious interpretation of the results and the implications of the research that it surveys. The issues that this book addresses and the questions that it raises are undoubtedly important and deserving of study. For the most part, however, the answers will have to be found elsewhere. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic and environmental bases of childhood antisocial behavior: A multi-informant twin study.

Genetic and environmental influences on childhood antisocial and aggressive behavior (ASB) during childhood were examined in 9- to 10-year-old twins, using a multi-informant approach. The sample (605 families of twins or triplets) was socioeconomically and ethnically diverse, representative of the culturally diverse urban population in Southern California. Measures of ASB included symptom counts for conduct disorder, ratings of aggression, delinquency, and psychopathic traits obtained through child self-reports, teacher, and caregiver ratings. Multivariate analysis revealed a common ASB factor across informants that was strongly heritable (heritability was .96), highlighting the importance of a broad, general measure obtained from multiple sources as a plausible construct for future investigations of specific genetic mechanisms in ASB. The best fitting multivariate model required informant-specific genetic, environmental, and rater effects for variation in observed ASB measures. The results suggest that parents, children, and teachers have only a partly "shared view" and that the additional factors that influence the "rater-specific" view of the child's antisocial behavior vary for different informants. This is the first study to demonstrate strong heritable effects on ASB in ethnically and economically diverse samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology and epigenetics.

The Human Genome Project mapped the complete DNA sequence that exists in each human cell, but questions remain about how genes are expressed. Epigenetics is defined as mechanisms of gene expression that can be maintained across cell divisions, and thus the life of the organism, without changing the DNA sequence. Recent research has identified important epigenetic mechanisms that play essential roles in normal and abnormal development. Of special significance for psychology are the findings that environmental and psychosocial factors can change the epigenome. Research also suggests that some experiences and epigenetic changes of an individual can be passed down to more than one generation of descendants. Linkages between epigenetics and psychopathology are emerging that point to new possibilities for conceptualizing, preventing, and treating disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A configurational analysis of children's reports of parent behavior.

Reports of discrete components of parent behavior were collected on the 26 scales of the Children's Reports of Parental Behavior Inventory. 3 replicated factors—Acceptance vs. Rejection, Psychological Autonomy vs. Psychological Control, and Firm Control vs. Lax Control—were identified from 4 correlation matrices of reports of maternal and of paternal behavior by children and by adults. Conceptual planes generated by pairs of factors differentiated Acceptance of Individuation from Loving Involvement and Hostile Involvement from Hostile Detachment. This configurational analysis facilitated the comparison of these results with other analyses of the structure of parent behavior. A spherical conceptual model for parent behavior is proposed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rejoinder to Kurtz.

Kurtz (1971; see record 1990-56874-001) is, of course, quite correct in noting that my comment (Schaeffer, 1970; see record 1990-56809-001) does not really answer my question; but this appears clearly indicated in the conclusions I draw in the final paragraph of my paper. His plea for the use of Psychometrika as a touchstone for the investigation of "favoritism" is also reasonable, but my data should be sufficient to answer his question here. In fact, for 1967, Psychometrika ranked second in terms of printing editors' contributions, and lowest (among the journals reviewed) in terms of printing outside contributions. Further, the correlation between my measure of "favoritism" and the Jakobovits and Osgood measure of "Rigor" (on which Psychometrika ranks second) also suggests this journal would be high on the measure of "favoritism." While it might then be possible to argue from these data (and Kurtz's premises) that almost all journals considered in this study are prejudiced in favor of outside contributors, such an argument would seem somewhat forced, and would minimally require more extensive sampling of this and related journals than I felt the question really deserved. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rejoinder to Holland.

This comment is in response to James G. Holland's (see record 2005-11651-005) comment, "Cook's Tour de Farce," on the author's paper, "Superstition in the Skinnerian" (see record 1964-03363-001). It discusses Holland's claim that the author has misrepresented the Skinnerian viewpoint. The author suggests that his object is to point out what seems to be some distressing and quite unnecessary rigidities in the writings and practices of Skinnerians that act as artificial limitations on the exercise of their ingenuity, of which Skinnerians have always had more than their share. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Age, suicide, science, and clinical psychology: A review of A. Leenaars (Ed.), Life span perspectives of suicide.

Reviews the book, Life span perspectives of suicide edited by A. Leenaars (see record 1991-97542-000). There is an ever-growing literature on suicide, much of which seems redundant. Accordingly, I look for novel data and true theoretical progress in the context of modern science. This volume promises a unique focus on developmental variations in suicidal behaviour, which should be quite timely. The editor and author of several chapters, Antoon Leenaars, is a highly respected activist in suicide prevention. Among the 20 chapters with 21 authors, the quality varies from enlightening to very disappointing. While this volume has some very strong chapters that meet scientific criteria while providing fresh insights and stimulus for research, some of the chapters unfortunately leave me with serious scientific concerns. I would like to see integration of new data with modern science, rather than conjecture through outdated hypothetical constructs. In particular, much of the chapter on suicide in middle adulthood by Balance and Leenaars reads like a list of Freud's concepts, as if there had been no progress in the psychology of middle adulthood during the last half century. Another concern is that clinical and scientific judgements sometimes become confused in this volume, as is often true of suicide research. Leenaars approaches suicide evaluatively, repeatedly stating that it is tragic and to be eradicated. However noble, when matters of fact are under discussion, this violates the longstanding scientific tradition of objectivity. Finally, none of the authors has made any reference whatsoever to biological theories of aging and senescence, when so much insight could be gained. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Endorses Resolution.

The author announces his endorsement of the resolution regarding behavior and heredity that appeared in the July issue of the American Psychologist (Page; see record 1990-58224-001). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Parental licensure": Rejoinder.

Responds to comments by R. E. Redding (see record 2002-08415-038) and by the American Association of Spinal Cord Injury Psychologists and Social Workers et al (see record 2002-08415-039) on the present author's original article (see American Psychologist, 2001, Vol 56, 885-894) which advocated parental licensing, a process requiring prospective parents to meet legislatively defined criteria before they could conceive or adopt children. Redding argued the unconstitutionality of this proposal, and the American Association of Spinal Cord Injury Psychologists and Social Workers et al took issue with Lykken's statement that persons "incapacitated by physical or mental disorder" be required to submit to a special dispensation by the family court to be licensed. The author responds that other legal scholars support the proposal of parental licensure, while they note that under the current judiciary, such measures would confront many obstacles. The author also explains his use of "incapacitated" with reference to the disabled with the intent to reflect the inability to perform basic and necessary parental functions as a consequence of mental or physical disease. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Agrees with Resolution.

The author announces his agreement with the resolution regarding behavior and heredity that appeared in the July issue of the American Psychologist (Page; see record 1990-58224-001). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Consciousness, social heredity, and development: The evolutionary thought of James Mark Baldwin.

James Mark Baldwin is one of the most important and least known early American scientific psychologists. Drawing inspiration from Charles Darwin and other evolutionists of the period, Baldwin developed a biosocial theory of psychological development that influenced both Jean Piaget and Lev S. Vygotsky; and he proposed a mechanism relating learned adaptations in the individual to phylogenesis (frequently termed the "Baldwin effect") that is of considerable interest to those currently modeling processes of learning and evolution. After a brief introduction to Baldwin's career, this article describes the intellectual context within which his evolutionary thinking developed. Three of his most important contributions are then discussed: his theory of individual adaptation or learning, his concept of "social heredity," and his articulation of the "Baldwin effect." The article concludes with a brief evaluation of the contemporary importance of Baldwin's ideas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Continuity and change in psychopathic traits as measured via normal-range personality: A longitudinal-biometric study.

The discriminant validity of the interpersonal-affective and social deviance traits of psychopathy has been well documented. However, few studies have explored whether these traits follow distinct or comparable developmental paths. The present study used the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (A. Tellegen, in press) to examine the development of the psychopathic traits of Fearless Dominance (i.e., interpersonal-affective) and Impulsive Antisociality (i.e., social deviance) from late adolescence to early adulthood in a longitudinal- epidemiological sample of male and female twins. Results from mean- and individual-level analyses revealed stability in Fearless Dominance from late adolescence to early adulthood, whereas Impulsive Antisociality declined over this developmental period. In addition, biometric findings indicated greater genetic contributions to stability in these traits and greater nonshared environmental contributions to their change over time. Collectively, these findings suggest distinct developmental trends for psychopathic traits from late adolescence to early adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rejoinder to L. Siegel.

Following the recent publication within Canadian Psychology of our concerns about the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT; see record 1984-02928-001) and its utility for Canadian educators, we received supporting letters from several provinces, most notably Ontario. Particularly within school systems, personnel agreed that the WRAT, in all three subject areas, tended to be unreliable and to be extremely limited in the amount of practically useful information which it could provide to assist in educational decision-making. However, the fact that Dr. Siegel's comments in support of the WRAT are the only ones in such a vein to come to our attention obviously does not imply that her concerns are not worthy of address. As concisely as possible we shall further clarify our subject population, and reiterate our contention that the WRAT provides misleading information concerning both the use of the term "reading" to refer to the measurement of only a very limited subskill therein and its presentation of only grade norms on the test protocol. Given the numbers of published criticisms of the WRAT, in terms of its reliability and validity, and given alternatives which provide more practical, relevant, and comprehensive information, we would again encourage professionals particularly in Canada to move away from a rather static ability estimate which has undoubtedly outlived any initial utility which it may have had. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Ethics and advocacy": Rejoinder.

Responds to D. N. Robinson's (see record 1985-12952-001) criticism of the American Psychological Association's (APA's) role in social advocacy. The present author describes the bylaws that govern APA involvement in such issues, stresses the problems of human justice involved in public policy issues on which the APA has taken a stand, and argues that psychologists cannot meet their social responsibilities simply by impartially "brokering the evidence." (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"On freedom and determinism": Rejoinder.

Responds to a reply by L. Immergluck (see record 1990-55792-001) to I. Chein's (1965) comments on Immergluck's (1964) article on freedomism and determinism in contemporary psychology. Immergluck's distortion of Chein's position on determinism is corrected. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)