Final answer:
The notion that race determines IQ has been refuted by research indicating that environmental factors like education and socioeconomic status are significant determinants of IQ scores. Historical biases and the problematic interpretation of the bell curve have contributed to controversy in understanding intelligence across different groups.
Step-by-step explanation:
The debate around group differences in intelligence, particularly IQ scores as they relate to race, has been ongoing. The book 'The Bell Curve' propelled this discussion by suggesting genetic differences in intelligence among racial groups. However, this claim has been widely refuted by evidence indicating that environmental factors, such as access to quality education and socioeconomic status, are more determinative of IQ. For instance, improvements in IQ scores have been observed in Black communities with increased access to education, challenging the idea that intelligence is based on race.
Studies have also connected the impact of socioeconomic status on IQ, showing that stressors associated with poverty can negatively affect brain function and development, potentially lowering IQ scores. Additionally, historical biases in test design and interpretation, such as those pointed out by Arthur Jensen and Robert Williams, have been a significant source of controversy and misinterpretation of the relationship between race and intelligence.
The 'bell curve' represents the distribution of IQ scores, with most people falling within one standard deviation of the mean IQ score of 100. However, the interpretation of this distribution can be problematic when used to draw broad conclusions about group differences in intelligence.