Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T09:26:36.434Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Social mobility and IQ components

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

C. G. Nicholas Mascie-Taylor
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge
John B. Gibson
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge

Summary

This study examines the relationship between verbal, performance and total IQ scores and social class of 193 male householders living in a Cambridge suburb. The correlation coefficients between IQ scores and present occupational status were significantly higher than the correlations between IQ scores and social class of origin, suggesting that intragenerational social mobility is positively related to IQ.

Parent–offspring data were available for 85 father–son pairs. Analysis of the IQ differences between fathers and sons in relation to their social class differences provided further evidence for selective migration related to both IQ components and total IQ scores. In this sample there was a simple relationship between the extent of social mobility and the degree of difference between the father's and son's IQ scores.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1978

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alstrom, C.H. (1961) A study of inheritance of human intelligence. Acta psychol. neurol. Scand. 36, 175.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Anderson, C.A., Brown, J.C. & Brown, A.J. (1952) Intelligence and occupational mobility. J. pol. Econ. 40, 218.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burt, C. (1961) Intelligence and social mobility. Br. J. statist. Psychol. 14, 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cattell, R.B. & Willson, J.L. (1938) Contributions concerning mental inheritance. Br. J. educ. Psychol. 8, 129.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cavalli-Sforza, L.L. & Bodmer, W.F. (1971) The Genetics of Human Populations. Freeman, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Cliquet, R.L. (1968) Social mobility and the anthropological structure of populations. Hum. Biol. 40, 17.Google ScholarPubMed
Gibson, J.B. (1970) Biological aspects of a high socio-economic group. I. IQ, education and social mobility. J. biosoc. Sci. 2, 1.Google Scholar
Gibson, J.B. & Mascie-Taylor, C.G.N. (1973) Biological aspects of a high socio-economic group. II. IQ components and social mobility. J. biosoc. Sci. 5, 17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gibson, J.B. & Young, M. (1965) Social mobility and fertility. In: Biological Aspects of Social Problems. Edited by Meade, J.E. & Parkes, A.S.. Oliver and Boyd, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Halsey, A.H. (1959) Class differences in intelligence. Br. J. statist. Psychol. 12, 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leahy, A.M. (1935) Nature-nurture and intelligence. Genet. Psychol. Monogr. 17(4), 241.Google Scholar
Mascie-Taylor, C.G.N. & Gibson, J.B. (1978) A biological survey of a Cambridge suburb: assortative marriage for IQ and personality. Ann. hum. Biol. (in press).Google Scholar
Outhit, M.C. (1933) A study of resemblance of parents and children in general intelligence. Archs Psychol. 23, 1.Google Scholar
Polansky, N.A., Borgman, R.D. & De Saix, C. (1969) Mental organisation and maternal adequacy in rural Appalachia. Am. J. Orthopsychiat. 39, 246.Google Scholar
Registrar General (1966) Classification of Occupations. HM Stationary Office, London.Google Scholar
Scarr-Salapatek, S. (1971) Race, social class and IQ. Science, N. Y. 174, 1285.Google Scholar
Schreider, E. (1964) Investigations into social stratification of biological characters. Yearb. phys. Anthrop. 12, 184.Google Scholar
Shields, J. (1962) Monozygotic twins. Oxford University Press, London.Google Scholar
Snygg, D. (1938) The relation between the intelligence of mothers and of their children living in foster homes. J. genet. Phychol. 52, 401.Google Scholar
Waller, J.H. (1971) Achievement and social mobility: relationships among IQ score, education and occupation in two generations. Soc. Biol. 18, 252.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wechsler, R.D. (1955) Manual for the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. The Psychological Corporation, New York.Google Scholar