Older brothers are smarter than younger brothers
An investigation conducted at the University of Oslo and the Tor Bjerkedal of Norway has concluded that there is a relationship between the IQ and the order in the birth of the brothers from the same family nucleus, and it has been observed that older siblings are smarter, on average, than younger siblings.
Older brothers, smarter?
The study, which was published in the journal Science, maintains that the average intellectual quotient of the older siblings studied was slightly higher than that of the younger siblings. The results revealed that the majors averaged an IQ of 103'2, the second brother obtained an average score of 100'4, and the third fell to the figure of 99.
Does intelligence come in the genes or is it learned?
Prior to the Norwegian study, a research carried out by Bernard Devlin at the School of Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh found that l The genes alone are responsible for 48% of the IQ of a person, while up to 52% of it is a consequence of prenatal care, the environmental context and the education received.
The investigation, which studied members of the Norwegian armed forces, revealed that order at birth is not the primary factor in explaining the results, since it is enough that the brother with greater intelligence has exercised the role of elder brother, Although he may have been born in second (or third) place.
As has been mentioned, it should be noted that this trend is only a generality based on statistical averages, and there may be many exceptions of younger siblings with a higher IQ than their older siblings. Intelligence is a very complex construct, and there are many factors that determine how we develop our cognitive abilities.
Intelligence: a concept in permanent controversy
Of course, if there is a concept that generates discrepancy of opinions both in experts and in the population in general, that is the one of intelligence. There are different models to explain the causes and the way in which people express this quality.
The classical approach to intelligence is that which has been employed in the study in question. This approach gives a major importance to the ability of calculation and verbal reasoning, not in vain they are also more easily measurable aspects , and hence the results are standardized on a scale where the average is the value 100.
On the other hand, other models propose or A vision of more holistic intelligence , also emphasizing aspects that can not be measured easily: intelligence intra and interpersonal, bodily, musical...
It may interest you: "The Theory of Multiple Intelligences"Not everything is genetic
Other studies on the intelligence in the brothers suggest that there is a decisive factor when explaining this greater intelligence of the older siblings, and that is that the responsibility of acting as tutors for his younger siblings can bring rewards in the quality of his cognition , thus improving your intellectual quotient.
In any case, this study only assumes an approximation to this interesting question, and it will be necessary to continue investigating.
