Previous studies of the relationship between family size and intellectual level suggest a negative relationship between these two variables. This study presents data to show that in at least one culture the relationship between family size and ability is neither linear nor negative. In a culture where large families are the norm, children from families close to mean size have higher ability than those from families at either extreme.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AitusW. D.Birth order and academic primogeniture. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1965, 2, 872–876.
2.
AitusW. D.Birth order and its sequelae. Science, 1966, 151, 44–49.
HeberR.DreverR.ConryJ.The influence of environment and genetic variables on intellectual development. In PrehmH. J.HamerlynckL. A.CrossonJ. E. (Eds.), Behavioral research in mental retardation. Eugene, OR: Univer. of Oregon Press, 1968. Pp. 1–22.
LoevingerJ.Intelligence as related to socio-economic factors. In WhippleG. M. (Ed.), Intelligence: Its nature and nurture: Part I. Comparative and critical exposition. Bloomington, Ill.: 39th Yearbook of NSSE, 1940. Pp. 159–210.
12.
LordF.NovickM.Statistical theories of mental tests. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley, 1968.
13.
MatarazzoJ. D.Wechsler's ‘Measurement and appraisal of adult intelligence.’ (5th ed.) Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins, 1972.
14.
McCallJ.JohnsonO.The independence of intelligence from family size and birth order. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 1972, 121, 207–215.
15.
MurryC.The effects of ordinal position on measured intelligence and peer acceptance in adolescence. British Journal of Social Psychology, 1971, 10, 221–227.
16.
NesbetJ. A.EntwhistleN. J.Intelligence and family size, 1949–1965. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 1967, 37, 185–193.
17.
PetersC. C.Van VoorhisW. R.Statistical procedures and their mathematical bases. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1940.
18.
PorteusS. D.The Porteus Maze Test. Princeton, N. Psychological Corp., 1965.
19.
RankinR. J.GaiteA. J. H.The Samoan cognitive scale: An experimental culturally specific battery. Unpublished paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, 1978.
20.
RavenJ. C.Progressive Matrices. London: H. K. Lewis, 1965.
21.
VandenbergS. G.Contributions of twin research to psychology. Psychological Bulletin, 1966, 66, 327–352.
22.
VandenbergS. G.The nature and nurture of intelligence. In GlassD. C. (Ed.), Genetics. New York: Rockefeller Univer. Press and Russell Sage Found., 1968. Pp. 3–58.
23.
WechslerD.Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. Princeton, N. J.: Psychological Corp., 1949.
24.
ZajoncR. B.Family configuration and intelligence. Science, 1976, 192, 227–235.