There is a general consensus among psychologists that intelligence is a product of complex interaction of ______ and _____.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Heredity and environment
Option (1) Heredity and learning — Incorrect. Learning is only one part of what the environment gives. Nutrition, family background and quality of schooling also shape intelligence, so the pair is too narrow.
Option (2) Heredity and environment — Correct. Twin and adoption studies show the role of heredity, and studies of adopted and deprived children show the role of environment. So there is a general consensus among psychologists that intelligence is a product of complex interaction of heredity (nature) and environment (nurture): heredity sets a range, and the environment shapes development within it.
Option (3) Culture and thought — Incorrect. Culture provides a context for intellectual development, and thought is itself a product of intelligence. Neither names the two forces of nature and nurture.
Option (4) Culture and heredity — Incorrect. Culture is only one part of the environment; the evidence the consensus rests on also covers nutrition, family and schooling.
NCERT (2025-26): “Intelligence: Interplay of Nature and Nurture … With respect to the role of environment, studies have reported that as children grow in age, their intelligence level tends to move closer to that of their adoptive parents. Children from disadvantaged homes adopted into families with higher socioeconomic status exhibit a large increase in their intelligence scores. There is evidence that environmental deprivation lowers intelligence while rich nutrition, good family background, and quality schooling increases intelligence. There is a general consensus among psychologists that intelligence is a product of complex interaction of heredity (nature) and environment (nurture). Heredity can best be viewed as something that sets a range within which an individual’s development is actually shaped by the support and opportunities of the environment.…” |