August 15, 2025

Pham Tran

Fountain Valley High School

11th Grade

Intelligence plays an important role in our lives. It often determines how successful we are and how we get treated or seen by others. But what exactly is intelligence? According to Britannica, it is “the ability to learn or understand things or to deal with new or difficult situations.” When talking about intelligence, humans often mention Intelligence Quotient (IQ), a number used to express the relative intelligence of a person. 

IQ validates a person’s intelligence, like proof to show how smart they are. It is calculated by taking the ratio of mental age to chronological or real age and multiplying by 100. For example, if a 10-year-old takes the test but performs on the test at the level of a 12-year-old, then the child’s IQ would be 12/10 x 100, or 120. But as society today starts to favor people of higher IQs over those of lower ones, this number can make someone lose confidence in their thinking and develop the fear of not being as smart as others. 

We often think that people were born smart. For instance, one could joke to their friend, “If your parents went to Harvard, of course you’re going to Harvard!” However, we have all gotten this wrong, as genetics only play a small role in building a person’s intelligence. According to Medline Plus, the research on which genes are involved in this process is still going on, but the key here is actually laid in the environment in which the child is raised. These environmental factors include home environment and parenting, education and learning resources, as well as healthcare and nutrition. 

A study in India has been conducted to prove how having great environmental factors can help the child to develop their IQ to its full extent. Children between the ages of 12 and 16 years old were recruited across various areas. Those who live in cities, exercise more than 5 hours a week, have parents who have graduated from college and hold professional jobs, and have a higher family income were more likely to have a higher IQ. This result can therefore be seen at a worldwide level when comparing children living in developed and developing countries. In developing countries, children are more likely to be exposed to poverty; therefore, they won’t have an ideal environment to develop to their full genetic potential. The average difference in IQ between these children versus those of better settings is about 12 points. 

Malnutrition and poor healthcare resources also contribute to this, especially in the early years of life, from 1 to 5. This could lead to a delay in physical growth, motor development, disorders, and a reduction in IQ by, on average, 15 points. Relationships with parents are the most relevant factor in the development of intelligence during childhood. Having talks with children helps them receive the encouragement they need and creates a loving and positive family life for them to develop mentally and physically. Children who feel overwhelmed and pressured in their own house often get their IQ development affected, which at the end of the day comes back to bad parenting.

In conclusion, make sure children receive resources they need to develop their intelligence to its fullest. We could never rely on genetics alone to determine someone’s intelligence because a child who has successful and smart parents but lives in an environment full of ignorance and negativity won’t develop to their fullest extent as a child who does not have as successful parents but lives in an environment full of love and resources they need.