Final answer:
The notion that racial differences in intelligence are due to genetics, as suggested by The Bell Curve, is false. Modern research points to environmental factors as key determinants of IQ, and historical movements such as eugenics have been debunked as pseudoscience. b. false .
Step-by-step explanation:
The assertion made in The Bell Curve about the genetic basis of differences in IQ scores between racial groups is false. This book has been heavily critiqued for flawed data and methodology. The notion that racial differences in intelligence are due to genetics has been refuted by research which indicates that IQ gaps close as access to education increases, suggesting that environmental factors play a significant role in shaping intelligence. Furthermore, the idea that race can determine intelligence has been debunked, as race itself is not a biologically identifiable category but rather a social construct.
Modern research shows that the variation in IQ test scores among individuals of different racial backgrounds is largely influenced by social and environmental factors, not genetics. Conflict theorists highlight that IQ tests can be biased, as they often fail to account for socioeconomic status and may not fairly evaluate the intelligence of children with learning disabilities. Historical movements like eugenics, which attempted to prove superiority based on physical characteristics like skin color, have been discredited as pseudoscience. The concept of intelligence being rigidly determined by race, as claimed by proponents of studies like those from Arthur Jensen or the eugenicists, is based on a flawed understanding of both genetics and intelligence.