Final answer:
Research reveals that environment and socioeconomic status significantly influence IQ scores, where affluent environments provide more stimulation leading to higher cognitive development, while stress from poverty may hinder brain function and development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Relationship Between IQ Scores and Socioeconomic Status
Research indicates that the environment in which a child is raised has significant implications for their IQ scores. Children from affluent homes often benefit from environments that stimulate learning and cognitive development, receiving more verbal interaction from a young age, leading to a larger vocabulary and better academic readiness. In contrast, children from poorer homes experience more daily stress due to concerns about basic needs and safety, which can impair brain function and development, potentially resulting in lower IQ scores. This trend parallels the insight from Kishiyama and colleagues, who found children living in poverty showing reduced prefrontal brain functioning comparable to children with damage to the lateral prefrontal cortex.
Sociologist Annette Lareau's study illustrates that affluent families tend to engage in parenting that actively supports and nurtures their children's talents and skills, while lower-income families lean towards a more hands-off approach. Hart and Risley's research further demonstrated the substantial discrepancies in the number of words children from different socioeconomic backgrounds are exposed to, with children from high-income families hearing an estimated 30 million more words than their low-income counterparts by age 3.
The concept of Range of Reaction suggests that genetic potential is fixed, but environmental factors greatly influence whether someone will reach their full intellectual potential. Thus, the nurturing and stimulating environments often afforded by higher socioeconomic status can significantly contribute to cognitive development, while deprived environments can hinder intellectual growth, despite genetic potential.
Learning Disability vs. Developmental Disorder
A learning disability pertains to specific challenges in learning and processing information, such as dyslexia or ADHD, while a developmental disorder, like autism, involves broader issues with social skills, repetitive behaviors, and sometimes cognitive development.
Conclusion
The environment in which an individual is raised, influenced by socioeconomic status, plays a crucial role in the development of intelligence. The nurturing and stimulating conditions more commonly found in affluent homes can foster better cognitive development, which suggests that IQ scores are not solely determined by genetics but are also affected by environmental factors.