--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Heritability of various aspects of…" description: "\"“Heritability of various aspects of cognitive development is very high (e.g., around 70 percent for IQ) in kids from high–socioeconomic status (SES) fa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_socioeconomic-status_heritability-of-various-aspects-of-cogni_2846906.jpg" --- # Heritability of various aspects of cognitive development… ![“Heritability of various aspects of cognitive development is very high (e.g., around 70 percent for IQ) in kids from high–socioeconomic status (SES) families but is only around 10 percent in low-SES kids. Thus, higher SES allows the full range of genetic influences on cognition to flourish, whereas…” quote by Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_socioeconomic-status_heritability-of-various-aspects-of-cogni_2846906.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_socioeconomic-status_heritability-of-various-aspects-of-cogni_2846906.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5d0/robert-m-sapolsky-1166_socioeconomic-status_heritability-of-various-aspects-of-cogni_2846906.jpg) > ““Heritability of various aspects of cognitive development is very high (e.g., around 70 percent for IQ) in kids from high–socioeconomic status (SES) families but is only around 10 percent in low-SES kids. Thus, higher SES allows the full range of genetic influences on cognition to flourish, whereas lower-SES settings restrict them. In other words, genes are nearly irrelevant to cognitive development if you’re growing up in awful poverty—poverty’s adverse effects trump the genetics.”” [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Genetic influence on cognition is high in affluent families but minimal in poverty, showing environment can suppress genetic potential. **In simple terms:** SES determines how genes affect IQ. Key Takeaway Improve socioeconomic conditions. Themes education inequality genetics Mood analytical concerned Type scientific educational When to use this quote - school funding - policy reform - early childhood programs Key Concepts environmental impact developmental psychology Questions to Reflect On - What policies can reduce this gap? - How does stress affect cognition? A Different Perspective Genetics still matter in supportive settings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Socioeconomic status](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socioeconomic-status/) ## Related quotes > [“How’s this for fascinating: Heritability of various aspects of cognitive development is very high (e.g., around 70 percent for IQ) in kids from high–socioeconomic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/how-s-this-for-fascinating-heritability-of-various-aspects-of/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [We don't control everything. There are genetic influences. There are environmental exposures we don't control. 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Lower socioeconomic status (SES) and disadvantaged minority youth begin school already behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-alexander/family-life-during-the-early-elementary-years-is-our-point-of/) [Karl Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-alexander/) > [Olympics are three times more likely to be employed than people of a similar age, ethnic and socioeconomic status who have not been participating.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-shriver/olympics-are-three-times-more-likely-to-be-employed-than-people-of-a/) [Timothy Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-shriver/) ## More by Robert M. Sapolsky > [“Secure-attachment 7Rs show more generosity than average. Thus 7R has something to do with generosity—but its effect is entirely context dependent.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/secure-attachment-7rs-show-more-generosity-than-average-thus-7r-has/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [But if you get chronically, psychosocially stressed, you're going to compromise your health. So, essentially, we've evolved to be smart enough to make ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/but-if-you-get-chronically-psychosocially-stressed-you-re-going-to/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Finally, for the same criminal conviction, the more stereotypically Af-rican a black individual’s facial features, the longer the sentence.15 In contrast, juries view black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/finally-for-the-same-criminal-conviction-the-more-stereotypically-af/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“So testosterone does subtle things to behavior. Nonetheless, this doesn’t tell us much because everything can be interpreted every which way. Testosterone increases anxiety—you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/so-testosterone-does-subtle-things-to-behavior-nonetheless-this-doesn/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“pain makes aggressive people more aggressive, while doing the opposite to unaggressive individuals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/pain-makes-aggressive-people-more-aggressive-while-doing-the-opposite/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Thus, for our purposes, genes aren’t about inevitability. Instead they’re about context-dependent tendencies, propensities, potentials, and vulnerabilities. All embedded in the fabric of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/thus-for-our-purposes-genes-aren-t-about-inevitability-instead-they/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“If we accept that there will always be sides, it’s a nontrivial to-do list item to always be on the side of angels. Distrust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/if-we-accept-that-there-will-always-be-sides-it-s-a-nontrivial-to-do/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“In other words, the more genomically complex the organism, the larger the percentage of the genome devoted to gene regulation by the environment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/in-other-words-the-more-genomically-complex-the-organism-the-larger/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“The subject of one experiment is a rat that receives mild electric shocks (roughly equivalent to the static shock you might get from scuffing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/the-subject-of-one-experiment-is-a-rat-that-receives-mild-electric/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“No brain region is an island, and the formation of circuits connecting far-flung brain regions is crucial—how else can the frontal cortex use its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/no-brain-region-is-an-island-and-the-formation-of-circuits-connecting/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“We process emotionally salient information more rapidly and automatically, but with less accuracy. Frontal function—working memory, impulse control, executive decision making, risk assessment, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/we-process-emotionally-salient-information-more-rapidly-and/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“Most broadly, the PFC chooses between conflicting options—Coke or Pepsi; blurting out what you really think or restraining yourself; pulling the trigger or not.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/most-broadly-the-pfc-chooses-between-conflicting-options-coke-or/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“One stretch of the gene is repeated a variable number of times, and the version with seven repeats (the “7R” form) produces a receptor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/one-stretch-of-the-gene-is-repeated-a-variable-number-of-times-and/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [“some people always get more than their share of equality than others”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/some-people-always-get-more-than-their-share-of-equality-than-others/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) > [It's probably even the case that if you stoked up some Buddhist monks with tons of testosterone, they'd become wildly competitive as to who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-sapolsky/it-s-probably-even-the-case-that-if-you-stoked-up-some-buddhist-monks/) [Robert M. Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) [Explore all 280 Robert M. Sapolsky quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-sapolsky/) ## More Socioeconomic status quotes > [Olympics are three times more likely to be employed than people of a similar age, ethnic and socioeconomic status who have not been participating.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-shriver/olympics-are-three-times-more-likely-to-be-employed-than-people-of-a/) [Timothy Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-shriver/) > [Low socioeconomic status carries with it an enormously increased risk of a broad range of diseases, and this gradient cannot be fully explained by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sapolsky/low-socioeconomic-status-carries-with-it-an-enormously-increased-risk/) [Robert Sapolsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sapolsky/) > [There's this narrative that is entrenched in some of the professions that there's this mysterious thing called 'socioeconomic status' that is immutably correlated with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angus-deaton/there-s-this-narrative-that-is-entrenched-in-some-of-the-professions/) [Angus Deaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angus-deaton/) > [“What's important to recognize is that in the U.S. today, tens of millions of kids start life on a uneven playing field. Imagine having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-clinton/what-s-important-to-recognize-is-that-in-the-u-s-today-tens-of/) [Chelsea Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-clinton/) > [“The main reason that violence correlates with low socioeconomic status today is that the elites and the middle class pursue justice with the legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/the-main-reason-that-violence-correlates-with-low-socioeconomic/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [I feel young men and women of color need to be provided with equal opportunities no matter what their socioeconomic status may be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-conley-jr/i-feel-young-men-and-women-of-color-need-to-be-provided-with-equal/) [Mike Conley Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-conley-jr/) > [“Family life during the early elementary years is our point of departure. Lower socioeconomic status (SES) and disadvantaged minority youth begin school already behind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-alexander/family-life-during-the-early-elementary-years-is-our-point-of/) [Karl Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-alexander/) > [No matter where you are from, no matter what your background is, no matter what your socioeconomic status is, every person can achieve his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ileana-ros-lehtinen/no-matter-where-you-are-from-no-matter-what-your-background-is-no/) [Ileana Ros-Lehtinen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ileana-ros-lehtinen/) > [The bigger the government, the less the citizens do for one another. If the state will take care of me and my neighbors, why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/the-bigger-the-government-the-less-the-citizens-do-for-one-another-if/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Abraham Lincoln was on the side of the social scientists when he said, "God must have loved the people of lower and middle socioeconomic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-newman/abraham-lincoln-was-on-the-side-of-the-social-scientists-when-he-said/) [Edwin Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-newman/) > [In America, your zip code or your socioeconomic status should never determine the quality of your education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arne-duncan/in-america-your-zip-code-or-your-socioeconomic-status-should-never/) [Arne Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arne-duncan/) [Browse all 12 Socioeconomic status quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/socioeconomic-status/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Heritability of various aspects of cognitive development is very high (e.g., around 70 percent for IQ) in kids from high–socioeconomic status (SES) families but is only around 10 percent in low-SES kids. 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