Research carried out at the University of Oslo and Tor Bjerkedal in Norway has concluded that there is a relationship between IQ and the birth order of siblings from the same family unit, and it has been observed that older siblings are more intelligent, on average, than younger siblings.
The study, which was published in the journal Science, maintains that the average IQ of the older siblings studied was slightly higher than that of the younger ones. The results revealed that the oldest had an average IQ of 103.2, the second brother obtained an average score of 100.4, and the third fell to 99
Does intelligence come in genes or is it learned?
Prior to the Norwegian study, research carried out by Bernard Devlin at the School of Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh found that l Genes alone are responsible for 48% of IQ of a person, while up to 52% of it is a consequence of prenatal care, the environmental context and the education received.
The research, which studied members of the Norwegian armed forces, revealed that birth order is not the primary factor in explaining the results, since it is enough for the brother with greater intelligence to have played the role of older brother, even though he may have been born in second (or third) place.
As mentioned, it should be noted that this trend is only a generality based on statistical averages, and there may be many exceptions of younger siblings with a higher IQ than their older siblings. Intelligence is a very complex construct, and there are many factors that determine how we develop our cognitive abilities.
Of course, if there is a concept that generates a discrepancy of opinions among both experts and the population in general, it is that of intelligence. There are different models to explain the causes and the way in which people manifest this quality.
The classic approach to intelligence is the one that has been used in the study at hand. This approach gives capital importance to the ability to calculate and verbally reason, not in vain They are also more easily measurable aspects and hence the results are standardized on a scale in which the average is the value 100.
On the other hand, other models propose or a more holistic view of intelligence also emphasizing aspects that cannot be easily measured: intelligence intra and interpersonal, bodily, musical…
You may be interested in: “The Theory of Multiple Intelligences”
Not everything is genetics
Other studies regarding intelligence in siblings suggest that there is a decisive factor when it comes to explaining this greater intelligence of older siblings, and that is that The responsibility of tutoring younger siblings can reap rewards in the quality of their cognition thus improving your IQ.
In any case, this study is only an approximation to this interesting question, and further research will be necessary.
