Final answer:
IQ scores between ethnic groups can vary due to many factors, with socio-economic status playing a significant role, making the relationship between IQ scores and ethnicity variable and unpredictable. Historical claims of innate racial differences have been refuted, emphasizing environmental influences and access to education.
Step-by-step explanation:
The study of group differences in intelligence, specifically when comparing IQ scores between Caucasian Americans and African Americans, reveals that these scores can vary due to numerous factors beyond ethnicity. For example, socio-economic status and the stress associated with poverty can negatively impact brain function and development, potentially affecting IQ scores. Studies have shown that environmental factors strongly influence an individual's intelligence, making it variable and unpredictable rather than consistently linked to one's ethnicity. Additionally, there have been historical assertions of racial differences in cognitive ability, such as those put forth by Arthur Jensen, that have been challenged and refuted by other researchers. The focus on nurturing and improving access to education has been shown to close gaps in IQ scores, further underscoring the importance of environment over racial predetermination.