The IQ Controversy, the Media and Public Policy

by Stanley Rothman

Questions about the nature of intelligence and intelligence testing have sparked increasing controversy during the past two decades. The widely held view that intelligence is measureable, and both genetic endowment and environment are key determinants of intelligence, first came under sharp attack during the decade of the 1960s. It was asserted that we do not know what intelligence is, that we do not know how to measure intelligence, and that IQ tests...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0887388396
• ISBN13: 9780887388392
• Release Date: January 1988
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 323 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Careful survey of academic views and how the media paints a different picture

This is a fascinating study. The authors surveyed over 600 academics involved in IQ research to obtain their views about what the tests measure, too what extent is intelligence hereditary and so on. They then review the media coverage of IQ testing research. Snyderman & Rothman found the media takes a very one sided view of the research. Researchers like Jensen, who argue that a significant amount of the differences within a population are due to hereditary factors, tend to be portrayed as fringe figures. Actually, the majority of researchers agree that differences are not purely environmental and hereditary factors play a significant role. The book provides some interesting reasons for why the media has effectively mislead the public over the issue. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in IQ research, and/or how the media can slant opinion in the direction it prefers.