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Is there a gene for intelligence?

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
Published: 2012-10-04 12:35

It has long been known that most human abilities are genetically determined, and it is not for nothing that we often use the well-known sayings “just like our mother” or “a copy of our father” when we find some similarities in a person.

human mental abilities

A new study by scientists led by psychology professor Christopher Chabris of the University of Illinois suggests that most genes previously thought to influence intelligence actually have no effect on a person's IQ. It will take some time for scientists to pinpoint the specific genetic roots that influence a person's level of thinking ability, but experts are adamant that there is no such thing as a "smart gene."

The results of the study were published in the online version of the journal Psychological Science.

Professor Chabris, in collaboration with Harvard professor David Leibson, an American economist and one of the leading experts in the field of neuroeconomics and behavioral economics, analyzed twelve genetic links using a set of tests.

In almost every case tested, IQ was not linked to other genes.

"All our tests showed only one link between intelligence and genes, and even that link was very small. But that doesn't mean that genes have no influence on IQ. It's just much harder to isolate the influence of specific genes or specific genetic links on a person's level of thinking ability and thus understand the nature of these differences," says Professor Chabris.

Previous studies have been limited primarily by technological limitations, as they could not study a sufficient number of regions of the genome.

Experts emphasize that the scientists who conducted the research earlier used the technologies available at the time, as well as the knowledge accumulated at that time, on the basis of which they drew conclusions, so it is impossible to unequivocally state their unprofessionalism or the mistakes they made.

Professor Chabris says further study is needed into the role of genes in shaping human thought processes.

“As with human physiological characteristics, such as height, which is directly dependent on hundreds or thousands of genes, the influence of genetics on intelligence cannot be denied, but it is not only the process in which specific genes are involved that is important, but also the way in which they interact and how their expression depends on the environment,” says Professor Chabris.

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