Kids Inherit Intelligence from Their Moms, Study Claims

Many say that we inherit our intelligence from our moms, but recent study claims that they found proof that this really is the case.

Based on research highlighted by “Psychology Spot”, it was claimed that a child’s intelligence, more often than not, comes from the mother.

While many would point out that a child’s genes come from both parents; thus, the child will inherit intelligence from both parents, the study reports that “certain genes operate differently, depending on whether they are from the mother or father.”

Genes that are responsible for determining intelligence are located in the X chromosome. Since women carry two X chromosomes while men carry X and Y chromosomes, the study claims that the presence of two chromosomes in mothers make it twice as likely that they will be the main source of their children’s intelligence genes.

The Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit conducted an interview on 12,686 people ranging in age from 14 to 22. The study took into account the children’s IQ, race, education, and socio-economic status. The study concludes that the best predictor for intelligence was the mother’s IQ.

Moms as First Teachers

But there’s another reason why intelligent moms also raise intelligent kids: because moms are often the children’s first teachers. As the mothers are the ones who often spend time with their kids, teaching them at the early stages of their lives, they also pass on their intelligence to their children in this manner.

By being the children’s primary caregiver and first teacher, moms also become “the primary architects of their child’s environment during the period of critical brain development.”

Still, fathers should not feel bad about this because the study claims further that only about 40 to 60% of intelligence is hereditary; environmental factors still play a critical role in the development of a child’s intelligence. So, hands-on dads who help with their children’s lessons are more likely to impart their intelligence on their kids as well, the study added.

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