Experts estimate that the heritability of intelligence is approximately 50%. This suggests that
A)50% of a person's intelligence is due to genetic inheritance.
B)50% of a person's intelligence is due to environmental factors.
C)50% of the variability in intelligence in a population of individuals is due to variations in genetic inheritance.
D)50% of the difference in average intelligence test scores between different ethnic groups is due to genetic inheritance.

Question

Experts estimate that the heritability of intelligence is approximately 50%. This suggests that ​
A)50% of a person's intelligence is due to genetic inheritance. ​
B)50% of a person's intelligence is due to environmental factors.
C)50% of the variability in intelligence in a population of individuals is due to variations in genetic inheritance.
D)50% of the difference in average intelligence test scores between different ethnic groups is due to genetic inheritance.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Heritability estimates, like the 50% figure for intelligence, refer to the proportion of variation in a trait (in this case, intelligence) within a population that can be attributed to genetic differences among individuals, not the proportion of an individual's trait that is due to genetics or environment.

Experts Estimate That the Heritability of Intelligence Is Approximately 50