The Science and Politics of I.q. (Complex Human Behavior) [Paperback]

L. J. Kamin (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 182 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (January 1, 1974)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898591295
• ISBN-13: 978-0898591293
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,625,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The most important book on the IQ Nature vs Nuture Controversy, October 2, 2011

By 

Lawrence A. Marcus "Lawrence Marcus" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Science and Politics of I.q. (Complex Human Behavior) (Paperback)

This is the book that in the 70s debunked all the nonsense from Cyril Burt and other poor scientists (Burt falsified his data). Many of these scientists did so called twins studies (and others) to prove that IQ was mostly heritable. The real analysis shows that IQ(as measured by IQ testing) is probably only 40% heritable. This means that all the republicans who blame the poor for their misfortune will instead have to take the blame themselves because they cut vital social programs for nutrition, education and job creation as well as healthcare.

The history of this is that Binet's original intent (he put together the first IQ test) was to find out what problems people had when they did his tests and then go about creating written and verbal exercises that would help them improve their performance on his "IQ test". Totally the opposite of ETS, the Wechsler Bellevue and the whole apparatus of people who say you cant improve your performance on IQ tests or SATs which are really IQ tests in disguise (See Weschler and Mattarazo)

The americans just adapted Binet in the form of the Army Alpha and other tests and used them to justify their views that IQ was mostly inherited and that the rich and Northern Europeans were superior to those who were non white, catholic, jewish, from southern europe etc. This was then adopted by the Nazis in the 30s who used american psychometricians analysis and sterilization programs to justify their own racist views and genocide. The Army Alpha and the Binet tests were also used to create immigration quotas to keep out so called inferior races and peoples i.e. jews from immigrating to the US during WW2.

If you read the book you will see what bad science really is, and how scientists themselves are not immune from having their political views taint their scientific research.

This is an important book known by real psychologists and researchers. Every 30 years or so the IQ debate gets going again but this pretty much blew all the geneticists arguments out of the water by taking an objective look at about a 1/2 century of research.

Read this book it will be the best 40 dollars you ever spend if you want to know about science, history and how a scientists work can be misused to the detriment and death of others.