Умнее ли мы, чем наши бабушки и дедушки, и если да, то в чем именно? Можно ли сравнивать умственные способности у африканских аборигенов и у представителей западной цивилизации? В чем несовершенство существующих систем оценки интеллекта, и делает ли нас умнее школа? На эти и множество других вопросов отвечает Ричард Нисбетт, один из самых выдающихся современных социальных психологов. Анализируя материалы исследований, статистику приемных семей, результаты школьных экспериментов, Нисбетт опровергает концепции генетической предопределенности интеллекта и показывает роль и возможности культурной среды и образования.Whether intelligence is largely determined by genetics or environment has long been hotly contested. Nisbett, a University of Michigan psychology professor, weighs in forcefully and articulately, claiming that environmental conditions almost completely overwhelm the impact of genes. He comes to this conclusion through a careful statistical analysis of a large number of studies and also demonstrates how environment can influence not only IQ measures but actual achievement of both students and adults. (People often overachieve when appropriate incentives are in place, Nisbett argues.) Nisbett builds a very strong case that measured IQ differences across racial, cultural and socioeconomic boundaries can easily be explained without resorting to hereditary factors. The result is a very positive message: schools, parents and government programs can have a huge impact if they take the right, which are not necessarily the most expensive, steps. Without those steps, he says, the current role of socioeconomic factors is frightening, with economically disadvantaged children largely condemned to failure. Although Nisbett relies heavily on statistics to document his claims, he does so in a manner accessible to general readers and uses a thoroughly appealing style to engage them throughout.
