Jensen (1969) - Intelligence & Heritability

What question did Jensen (1969) address

how much IQ scholastic achievement can be boosted by education

what social context surrounded Jensen’s work

civil rights movement and educational integration in the US

what programme motivated the debate

Head Start

what did Jensen conclude about IQ gains

gains from intervention were short-lived

what is heritability

the proportion of variation in a population attributable to genetics

what did Jensen emphasise about heritability

it does not apply to individuals and varies by environment

what distinction did Jensen make between abilities

Level 1 (associative learning) vs level 2 (reasoning)

Which abilities showed group differences

level 2 abilities

why were culture-free tests important

to argue differences were not purely cultural

what was the immediate academic reaction

widespread rejection by experts

what was Jensenism

media label for the controversy surrounding his work

What is the Flynn Effect

rising IQ scores across generations

why does the Flynn Effect matter

it suggests environmental influences on IQ

how did stereotype threat challenge Jensen

test performance is context-dependent, not fixed

why is modern genetics critical of Jensen

intelligence is polygenic and context-sensitive

what was a strength of Jensen’s paper

forced serious discussion of intelligence and genetics

what was a weakness

strong conclusions from indirect evidence

what is Jensen’s enduring legacy

highlighted tension between scientific inquiry and social responsibility