How to Become a Scientist — High School Years 97 



Perhaps the best evidence we have for basic biological dif- " 

 ferences in mental ability comes from studies of identical 

 and nonidentical twins. These suggest strongly that there 

 are such differences. From the practical point of view, how- 

 ever, it is much more important for the individual to know 

 that heredity works in such a complicated way that the 

 relationship between the inborn characteristics of a given 

 individual and his brothers and sisters and parents is not 

 particularly close. In other words, very bright individuals 

 are often found in ordinary famiHes. Conversely, very 

 bright parents will on the average have somewhat duller 

 children. 



On the basis of present knowledge it seems highly un- 

 likely that either inborn differences or mere financial con- 

 siderations can account for the major differences in scho- 

 lastic achievement in different socioeconomic groups. What 

 evidence we have points rather to the fact that the general 

 intellectual level provided in the home makes a great differ- 

 ence in the intellectual achievement of the average child. 

 A child is likely to see more point in learning to read if 

 he sees his parents doing a good deal of reading themselves. 

 The presence of interesting books in the home encourages 

 him to continue to develop his reading abiUty. A bright 

 child early learns from his parents to look up things in 

 dictionaries, almanacs, and atlases if these intellectual tools 

 lie readily at hand. In other words, his education goes on 

 continuously and is not confined only to a few school hours 

 each day. 



Equally, or perhaps more important, is the factor that 

 psychologists refer to as "motivation." Parents who have 

 intellectual interests themselves are far more likely than 

 most other parents to set a high value on intellectual 

 achievement. In many direct and indirect ways they will 

 influence their youngsters to want to do well, and will help 



