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1: Soc Biol. 1999 Spring-Summer;46(1-2):146-53.Links

New evidence for dysgenic fertility for intelligence in the United States.

Lynn R.

University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland.

Data were taken from the 1994 National Opinion Research Center survey of a representative sample of American adults to examine the relation between the intelligence of adults aged 40+ and their numbers of children and their numbers of siblings. The correlations were found to be significantly negative at -0.05 and -0.09, respectively, indicating the presence of dysgenic fertility. Further analysis showed that dysgenic fertility is present only in females. The correlation for females between intelligence and ideal numbers of children was effectively zero, indicating that if women had the numbers of children they consider ideal, dysgenic fertility would be reduced.

PIP: This study examined the relationship between the intelligence of adults aged 40 and above and their numbers of children and their siblings. Data were collected from the 1994 National Opinion Research Center survey among a representative sample of 2992 English-speaking individuals aged 18 years. Findings revealed that correlations were found to be significantly negative at -0.05 and -0.09, respectively, indicating the presence of dysgenic fertility. Further analysis showed that dysgenic fertility was present only in females. The correlation for females between intelligence and ideal number of children was effectively zero, indicating that, if women had the number of children they consider ideal, dysgenic fertility would be reduced.

PMID: 10842506 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]