The Between Intelligence And Longevity

The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the multiple ways how nurture and nature affects the human’s behavior, sexuality, and predisposition to some diseases.

The sensorimotor stage infants develop their schemas through sensory and motor activities. Followed by the preoperational stage where children begin to think symbolically using words, to represent concepts. Next concrete operational stage children display many important thinking skills, like ability to think logically. Finally, formal operational stage young adolescences formulate their operations by abstract and hypothetical thinking. Piaget’s theory provides ample and insightful perspectives, so it remains the central factor of contemporary

Sir Francis Galton (1869, 1883) quantified traits that were assumed to be correlated, and developed the first comprehensive test of intelligence. By the end of the 19th century, the foundation was laid for modern day intelligence testing (Wicket, 1998). In 1905, the French psychologist Alfred Binet published the first modern intelligence test to identify students who needed special help in coping with the school curriculum (Neiser, et al. 1996). Shortly thereafter in 1908 and 1911, Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon published revisions of the Binet intelligence test (Wicket). The mental age concept was adopted to express the results in adequate units. The concept is based on an individual’s performance in comparison to the average performance of individuals in a specific chronological age group (Kaplin, & Saccuzzo).

The classic debated topic of Nature versus Nurture has been and will always be a quarrelsome subject in the scientific world. Meaning, the issue of the level to which environment and heredity sway behavior and development in a person. Nature can be defined as, behaviors due to heredity. This means the behaviors is based on the inherited makeup of an individual and is an influence of the growth and development of that individuals’ all through life. On the other hand nurture is causes of behaviors that are environmental. This Intel’s the influence is from the individual’s parents, siblings, family, friends and all other experiences that individual exposed to during life. However, these concept of ideas supports the inborn genetic framework,

The debate topic centered on what is more important in aging mental or physical health. On one side of the debate is the premise that mental health is the key factor in aging successful. The opposing side holds that physical health is the key factor. Both arguments confirm that the relationship is reciprocal but they differ in regards to which one occurs first. That is, does mental health cause physical decline or vice versa.

Being a racial minority and of a lower social class definitely influences your health and longevity. In Chapter 11, it states “white hold a significant advantage in health and longevity, having a life expectancy at birth of 79.0 years compared to African Americans at 75.3 years (Conley, pg 423). They mainly focus on the differences between whites and African Americans because they are the most prevalent. African Americans also have the highest infant mortality rate then any other race mentioned in the book. They say that it’s because of “day-to-day” life that contributes to their health because they are disproportionately poor, and being poor is very stressful (Conley, pg 424).

Biology, more specifically evolution, is the reason why I find science so interesting. Survival of the Sickest: The Surprising Connections Between Disease and Longevity was right up my alley, and one of the most thought-provoking books I have ever read. It was also very different from most books I read, since non-fiction books are usually not my first choice. However, I am very happy that this book was a part of the summer assignment not only because I enjoyed it, but also because how it will help me in my study of AP Biology this year.

For Life-Span Development class, on February 13, 2017, the class had the opportunity to observer the physical, cognitive and social development. In this observation the class Riley, a five month old, female toddler. As a class at the Dordt College, gave the class the opportunity to live observe in the child with the infant’s parent consent.

Pooja Patel Human Genetics 2400 Discussion # 14- Tom March 11, 2015 Survival of the Sickest- Book Review Survival of the Sickest, an intriguing myth buster novel written by Dr. Sharon Moalem, is an outstanding piece of literature for those who are searching for answers about the evolution of health and sicknesses. Moalem successfully demonstrates the influence of evolution, the environment, and human interactions on the health and medicine structure of society. General questions about our everyday health are answered through various series of historical case studies that support ideas about the longevity of illnesses, their causes, and how some have a direct relationship to an evolutionary pathway. Not only does Moalem take a stance historically throughout the novel, but she also keeps the consistent company of historical and modern day science.

Intelligence by definition is “the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills” (Oxford Dictionary, 2014). However, many psychologists argue that there is no standard definition of ‘intelligence’, and there have been many different theories over time as psychologists try to find better ways to define this concept (Boundless 2013). While some believe in a single, general intelligence, others believe that intelligence involves multiple abilities and skills. Another largely debated concept is whether intelligence is genetically determined and fixed, or whether is it open to change, through learning and environmental influence. This is commonly known as the nature vs. nurture debate.

“The Flynn Effect is the tendency of IQ scores to change over time, and specifically, the apparent increase in intelligence in the general population evidenced by a steady increase in IQ scores. It was first noticed by James Flynn” (The Flynn Effect). As years went by and IQ tests were restandardized, it was noticed that when previous tests were taken the outcomes were better on the previous tests than the tests that were in current circulation. The Flynn Effect has a number of factors that can attribute to the effect taking place. One factor in particular that has been discussed by many different people is the factor of overall better nutrition. Overall better nutrition has occurred in many places over the last 100 years or so. This improvement has been linked to head growth, earlier maturation of children, increased height, and faster growth (Williams). Increased head growth most likely means that human brains are growing which can subsequently be linked to the increased intelligence that is proven by IQ scores. The earlier maturation and faster growth of children can also be linked to how a population’s intelligence improves over many years. The Flynn Effect and nutrition are related through the correlation of increased intelligence and increased overall nutrition.

While this assumption is accepted by a majority of geneticists and behavioral scientists, there is great disagreement on the degree of influence each contributes. Arguments for environmental influences are compelling; at the same time there is growing evidence that genetic influence on intelligence is significant and substantial (Eyesenck, 1998; Mackintosh, 1998; Plomin, 1994; Steen, 1996). The purpose of this paper is to explore the question: "How is intelligence influenced by heredity and environment?"

Is behavior learned? It is inborn? What of aggression, intelligence, and madness? There is a crucial relationship between the behavior of humans toward their own kind and the view of life they hold. Interest in behavioral genetics depends on wanting to know why people differ. According to Jack R. Vale, in Genes, Environment, and Behavior, recognition of the importance of hereditary influence on behavior represents one of the most dramatic changes in the social and behavioral sciences during the past two decades. A shift began toward the more balanced contemporary view that recognizes genetic as well as environmental influences on behavior. Behavioral genetics lies in its theory and methods, which consider both genetic and

The belief that people cope with life better by applying familiar strategies based on their past experiences is the continuity theory of aging. This paper will review this theory, as well as discuss an interview done with an elderly individual, and how the interview relates to the continuity theory.

Heredity, culture, and environment can have a significant impact on the way a patient behaves in the doctor’s office or at the hospital. Heredity refers to the way particular traits are passed from parents to their children through the