In the years between 2014 and 2019 some episodes happened which that had a strong resonance in on the Iinternet and in mass- media. All these episodes had as a common denominator the relationship between IQ and race. In particular, the a White-Black IQ difference, with Blacks having lower IQ than Whites, was repeatedly proposed. However, the use of IQ difference as a justification of genetic differences between groups of people is untenable. In this chapter we explain why IQ measures and IQ differences cannot be valid arguments to explain differences between races or groups of people with biological differences, such as male and female. IQ cannot be considered a direct measure of intelligence. IQs obtained with different intelligence tests are not equivalent, because tests have different structure and validity. At the same time, IQ is affected by external factors, which increase or decrease its variability in space and time. In research, only the observed IQ is considered, while the true IQ, which takes into consideration the measurement error, should be preferred. Other problems are sample size and representativeness from which data are collected. IQ is used in correlational or quasi-experimental studies, which do not allow a clear definition of cause-effect relationships between variables, favoring different interpretation of the same experimental results. Last, but not least, many researchers haveshowed prejudicial attitudes or have conflicts of interest that probably biased most scientific works on intelligence. As a consequence of the combination of all these problems, IQ cannot be considered directly connected with intelligence. There is a lot of “dark matter” between the observed IQ and the latent construct of intelligence. This dark matter does not allow, for the moment, clear and precise affirmations about the difference in intelligence between races, ethnicities, or biologically different groups. Scientists must limit their work in studying the phenotypic characteristics of people and in detecting the real causes of the variation of these characteristics. If these phenotypic characteristics are used by some researchers to judge the value of persons, this is a question pertinent to their ethics and morality, not to their scientific competence. But tThe task of science is to explain phenomena, not to make moral or political judgments.
The Improper Use of IQ in Debates and Discussions About Race and Gender Differences on the Internet and in Mass Media
Tommasi Marco
;Saggino Aristide
2025-01-01
Abstract
In the years between 2014 and 2019 some episodes happened which that had a strong resonance in on the Iinternet and in mass- media. All these episodes had as a common denominator the relationship between IQ and race. In particular, the a White-Black IQ difference, with Blacks having lower IQ than Whites, was repeatedly proposed. However, the use of IQ difference as a justification of genetic differences between groups of people is untenable. In this chapter we explain why IQ measures and IQ differences cannot be valid arguments to explain differences between races or groups of people with biological differences, such as male and female. IQ cannot be considered a direct measure of intelligence. IQs obtained with different intelligence tests are not equivalent, because tests have different structure and validity. At the same time, IQ is affected by external factors, which increase or decrease its variability in space and time. In research, only the observed IQ is considered, while the true IQ, which takes into consideration the measurement error, should be preferred. Other problems are sample size and representativeness from which data are collected. IQ is used in correlational or quasi-experimental studies, which do not allow a clear definition of cause-effect relationships between variables, favoring different interpretation of the same experimental results. Last, but not least, many researchers haveshowed prejudicial attitudes or have conflicts of interest that probably biased most scientific works on intelligence. As a consequence of the combination of all these problems, IQ cannot be considered directly connected with intelligence. There is a lot of “dark matter” between the observed IQ and the latent construct of intelligence. This dark matter does not allow, for the moment, clear and precise affirmations about the difference in intelligence between races, ethnicities, or biologically different groups. Scientists must limit their work in studying the phenotypic characteristics of people and in detecting the real causes of the variation of these characteristics. If these phenotypic characteristics are used by some researchers to judge the value of persons, this is a question pertinent to their ethics and morality, not to their scientific competence. But tThe task of science is to explain phenomena, not to make moral or political judgments.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
