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Are poor people poor because of inferior genes? This notion is especially popular with members of the ruling elite, who like to think their position is the result of genetic superiority rather than the fact they have privileged backgrounds.
Low intelligence and high rates of mental illness are more common in poor people. Geneticists maintain that genes play a major role in causing both. But if they were right there would be an inexorable logic that suggests inferior DNA caused poor people to sink to the bottom of the gene pool.
In the light of the findings of the human genome project, however, that idea is no longer defensible - as the leading psychologist Ken Richardson recently pointed out in the house magazine of the psychology profession. On the contrary, the implication of the unimportance of genes is that if we changed society in the right ways, we could virtually eradicate not only low academic performance and mental illness but also criminality and problems such as substance abuse. Since the project published its results 16 years ago, genes have been found to have a significant influence on physical traits like height and weight, so you might have expected the same for psychology by now. But Britain’s leading geneticist - Robert Plomin, of King’s College, London - hasn’t found any specific DNA variants that have a significant effect on differences in our psychology.
Scientists call this the missing heritability. But there are strong grounds for supposing the heritability is not actually missing - it’s non-existent.
Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean it’s all down to nurture. For instance, we know for sure that what happens in the womb can have a big effect on childhood problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It’s also clear that many autistic children are born with brain abnormalities. So if you have children who are terrible at maths, knowing it’s not their genetic destiny increases the likelihood of improvement.
A classic study provided a large sample of children with the lesson that their maths ability was not fixed. Two years later their maths had improved significantly: the more children had initially believed their abilities to be fixed, the greater the improvement. Moreover, if parents and teachers believe children’s abilities are flexible, pupils are more likely to improve. As has been shown in Finland, if it’s assumed that every child has the potential to do well and the right resources are put into your educational system, you can end up doing well in the international league tables. The Finns achieve that without the coercion and hothousing techniques used in Singapore.
 
 
Q. “Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean it’s all down to nurture.” The assumption from the above is:
  • a)
    The role of genes is ruled out
  • b)
    The role of the environment is ruled out
  • c)
    The role of genes cannot be ruled out
  • d)
    Nature and nurture are both interdependent
Correct answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
Are poor people poor because of inferior genes? This notion is especia...
Solution: From the last part of the highlighted text - “it does not mean it’s all down to nurture”, we can assume that the role of genes is still important. This validates option 3. The sentence talks about the role of both nurture and nature. This rules out options 1 and 2. Nature and nurture are both inter related in the overall development of a person - this maybe a universal truth however this cannot be corroborated from the sentence highlighted and “interdependence” makes the option invalid.Hence, the correct answer is option 3.
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Are poor people poor because of inferior genes? This notion is especia...
Role of genes and environment in determining traits
Genes and environment both play a significant role in determining various traits in individuals. While genes provide the basic blueprint for our physical and psychological makeup, the environment can influence how these genes are expressed.

Importance of genes
- Genes contribute to physical traits like height and weight, as well as certain psychological traits.
- Genetic factors can influence conditions like ADHD and autism, showing that genes do play a role in certain aspects of our psychology.

Limitations in finding specific DNA variants
- Despite extensive research, specific DNA variants that have a significant effect on psychological differences have not been found.
- This "missing heritability" does not necessarily mean that genes have no role but rather that the influence of genes on psychology may not be as straightforward as initially thought.

Role of nurture
- The environment, including factors like prenatal conditions and early childhood experiences, can also have a profound impact on development.
- Studies have shown that beliefs about the malleability of abilities can influence performance, indicating the importance of nurturing a growth mindset.

Interplay between genes and environment
- Genes and environment are not separate entities but rather interact with each other to shape an individual's traits.
- Understanding this interplay can help in creating interventions that maximize potential and promote positive outcomes in areas like education and mental health.
In conclusion, while genes do play a role in determining traits, the absence of specific DNA variants does not negate the importance of environmental factors. Recognizing the complex interplay between genes and environment can lead to more effective strategies for promoting well-being and development.
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Are poor people poor because of inferior genes? This notion is especially popular with members of the ruling elite, who like to think their position is the result of genetic superiority rather than the fact they have privileged backgrounds.Low intelligence and high rates of mental illness are more common in poor people. Geneticists maintain that genes play a major role in causing both. But if they were right there would be an inexorable logic that suggests inferior DNA caused poor people to sink to the bottom of the gene pool.In the light of the findings of the human genome project, however, that idea is no longer defensible - as the leading psychologist Ken Richardson recently pointed out in the house magazine of the psychology profession. On the contrary, the implication of the unimportance of genes is that if we changed society in the right ways, we could virtually eradicate not only low academic performance and mental illness but also criminality and problems such as substance abuse.Since the project published its results 16 years ago, genes have been found to have a significant influence on physical traits like height and weight, so you might have expected the same for psychology by now. But Britains leading geneticist - Robert Plomin, of Kings College, London - hasnt found any specific DNA variants that have a significant effect on differences in our psychology.Scientists call this the missing heritability. But there are strong grounds for supposing the heritability is not actually missing - its non-existent.Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. For instance, we know for sure that what happens in the womb can have a big effect on childhood problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Its also clear that many autistic children are born with brain abnormalities. So if you have children who are terrible at maths, knowing its not their genetic destiny increases the likelihood of improvement.A classic study provided a large sample of children with the lesson that their maths ability was not fixed. Two years later their maths had improved significantly: the more children had initially believed their abilities to be fixed, the greater the improvement. Moreover, if parents and teachers believe childrens abilities are flexible, pupils are more likely to improve.As has been shown in Finland, if its assumed that every child has the potential to do well and the right resources are put into your educational system, you can end up doing well in the international league tables. The Finns achieve that without the coercion and hothousing techniques used in Singapore.Q. Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. The assumption from the above is:a)The role of genes is ruled outb)The role of the environment is ruled outc)The role of genes cannot be ruled outd)Nature and nurture are both interdependentCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? for CAT 2025 is part of CAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the CAT exam syllabus. Information about Are poor people poor because of inferior genes? This notion is especially popular with members of the ruling elite, who like to think their position is the result of genetic superiority rather than the fact they have privileged backgrounds.Low intelligence and high rates of mental illness are more common in poor people. Geneticists maintain that genes play a major role in causing both. But if they were right there would be an inexorable logic that suggests inferior DNA caused poor people to sink to the bottom of the gene pool.In the light of the findings of the human genome project, however, that idea is no longer defensible - as the leading psychologist Ken Richardson recently pointed out in the house magazine of the psychology profession. On the contrary, the implication of the unimportance of genes is that if we changed society in the right ways, we could virtually eradicate not only low academic performance and mental illness but also criminality and problems such as substance abuse.Since the project published its results 16 years ago, genes have been found to have a significant influence on physical traits like height and weight, so you might have expected the same for psychology by now. But Britains leading geneticist - Robert Plomin, of Kings College, London - hasnt found any specific DNA variants that have a significant effect on differences in our psychology.Scientists call this the missing heritability. But there are strong grounds for supposing the heritability is not actually missing - its non-existent.Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. For instance, we know for sure that what happens in the womb can have a big effect on childhood problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Its also clear that many autistic children are born with brain abnormalities. So if you have children who are terrible at maths, knowing its not their genetic destiny increases the likelihood of improvement.A classic study provided a large sample of children with the lesson that their maths ability was not fixed. Two years later their maths had improved significantly: the more children had initially believed their abilities to be fixed, the greater the improvement. Moreover, if parents and teachers believe childrens abilities are flexible, pupils are more likely to improve.As has been shown in Finland, if its assumed that every child has the potential to do well and the right resources are put into your educational system, you can end up doing well in the international league tables. The Finns achieve that without the coercion and hothousing techniques used in Singapore.Q. Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. The assumption from the above is:a)The role of genes is ruled outb)The role of the environment is ruled outc)The role of genes cannot be ruled outd)Nature and nurture are both interdependentCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for CAT 2025 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Are poor people poor because of inferior genes? This notion is especially popular with members of the ruling elite, who like to think their position is the result of genetic superiority rather than the fact they have privileged backgrounds.Low intelligence and high rates of mental illness are more common in poor people. Geneticists maintain that genes play a major role in causing both. But if they were right there would be an inexorable logic that suggests inferior DNA caused poor people to sink to the bottom of the gene pool.In the light of the findings of the human genome project, however, that idea is no longer defensible - as the leading psychologist Ken Richardson recently pointed out in the house magazine of the psychology profession. On the contrary, the implication of the unimportance of genes is that if we changed society in the right ways, we could virtually eradicate not only low academic performance and mental illness but also criminality and problems such as substance abuse.Since the project published its results 16 years ago, genes have been found to have a significant influence on physical traits like height and weight, so you might have expected the same for psychology by now. But Britains leading geneticist - Robert Plomin, of Kings College, London - hasnt found any specific DNA variants that have a significant effect on differences in our psychology.Scientists call this the missing heritability. But there are strong grounds for supposing the heritability is not actually missing - its non-existent.Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. For instance, we know for sure that what happens in the womb can have a big effect on childhood problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Its also clear that many autistic children are born with brain abnormalities. So if you have children who are terrible at maths, knowing its not their genetic destiny increases the likelihood of improvement.A classic study provided a large sample of children with the lesson that their maths ability was not fixed. Two years later their maths had improved significantly: the more children had initially believed their abilities to be fixed, the greater the improvement. Moreover, if parents and teachers believe childrens abilities are flexible, pupils are more likely to improve.As has been shown in Finland, if its assumed that every child has the potential to do well and the right resources are put into your educational system, you can end up doing well in the international league tables. The Finns achieve that without the coercion and hothousing techniques used in Singapore.Q. Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. The assumption from the above is:a)The role of genes is ruled outb)The role of the environment is ruled outc)The role of genes cannot be ruled outd)Nature and nurture are both interdependentCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Are poor people poor because of inferior genes? This notion is especially popular with members of the ruling elite, who like to think their position is the result of genetic superiority rather than the fact they have privileged backgrounds.Low intelligence and high rates of mental illness are more common in poor people. Geneticists maintain that genes play a major role in causing both. But if they were right there would be an inexorable logic that suggests inferior DNA caused poor people to sink to the bottom of the gene pool.In the light of the findings of the human genome project, however, that idea is no longer defensible - as the leading psychologist Ken Richardson recently pointed out in the house magazine of the psychology profession. On the contrary, the implication of the unimportance of genes is that if we changed society in the right ways, we could virtually eradicate not only low academic performance and mental illness but also criminality and problems such as substance abuse.Since the project published its results 16 years ago, genes have been found to have a significant influence on physical traits like height and weight, so you might have expected the same for psychology by now. But Britains leading geneticist - Robert Plomin, of Kings College, London - hasnt found any specific DNA variants that have a significant effect on differences in our psychology.Scientists call this the missing heritability. But there are strong grounds for supposing the heritability is not actually missing - its non-existent.Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. For instance, we know for sure that what happens in the womb can have a big effect on childhood problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Its also clear that many autistic children are born with brain abnormalities. So if you have children who are terrible at maths, knowing its not their genetic destiny increases the likelihood of improvement.A classic study provided a large sample of children with the lesson that their maths ability was not fixed. Two years later their maths had improved significantly: the more children had initially believed their abilities to be fixed, the greater the improvement. Moreover, if parents and teachers believe childrens abilities are flexible, pupils are more likely to improve.As has been shown in Finland, if its assumed that every child has the potential to do well and the right resources are put into your educational system, you can end up doing well in the international league tables. The Finns achieve that without the coercion and hothousing techniques used in Singapore.Q. Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. The assumption from the above is:a)The role of genes is ruled outb)The role of the environment is ruled outc)The role of genes cannot be ruled outd)Nature and nurture are both interdependentCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for CAT. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for CAT Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Are poor people poor because of inferior genes? This notion is especially popular with members of the ruling elite, who like to think their position is the result of genetic superiority rather than the fact they have privileged backgrounds.Low intelligence and high rates of mental illness are more common in poor people. Geneticists maintain that genes play a major role in causing both. But if they were right there would be an inexorable logic that suggests inferior DNA caused poor people to sink to the bottom of the gene pool.In the light of the findings of the human genome project, however, that idea is no longer defensible - as the leading psychologist Ken Richardson recently pointed out in the house magazine of the psychology profession. On the contrary, the implication of the unimportance of genes is that if we changed society in the right ways, we could virtually eradicate not only low academic performance and mental illness but also criminality and problems such as substance abuse.Since the project published its results 16 years ago, genes have been found to have a significant influence on physical traits like height and weight, so you might have expected the same for psychology by now. But Britains leading geneticist - Robert Plomin, of Kings College, London - hasnt found any specific DNA variants that have a significant effect on differences in our psychology.Scientists call this the missing heritability. But there are strong grounds for supposing the heritability is not actually missing - its non-existent.Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. For instance, we know for sure that what happens in the womb can have a big effect on childhood problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Its also clear that many autistic children are born with brain abnormalities. So if you have children who are terrible at maths, knowing its not their genetic destiny increases the likelihood of improvement.A classic study provided a large sample of children with the lesson that their maths ability was not fixed. Two years later their maths had improved significantly: the more children had initially believed their abilities to be fixed, the greater the improvement. Moreover, if parents and teachers believe childrens abilities are flexible, pupils are more likely to improve.As has been shown in Finland, if its assumed that every child has the potential to do well and the right resources are put into your educational system, you can end up doing well in the international league tables. The Finns achieve that without the coercion and hothousing techniques used in Singapore.Q. Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. The assumption from the above is:a)The role of genes is ruled outb)The role of the environment is ruled outc)The role of genes cannot be ruled outd)Nature and nurture are both interdependentCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Are poor people poor because of inferior genes? This notion is especially popular with members of the ruling elite, who like to think their position is the result of genetic superiority rather than the fact they have privileged backgrounds.Low intelligence and high rates of mental illness are more common in poor people. Geneticists maintain that genes play a major role in causing both. But if they were right there would be an inexorable logic that suggests inferior DNA caused poor people to sink to the bottom of the gene pool.In the light of the findings of the human genome project, however, that idea is no longer defensible - as the leading psychologist Ken Richardson recently pointed out in the house magazine of the psychology profession. On the contrary, the implication of the unimportance of genes is that if we changed society in the right ways, we could virtually eradicate not only low academic performance and mental illness but also criminality and problems such as substance abuse.Since the project published its results 16 years ago, genes have been found to have a significant influence on physical traits like height and weight, so you might have expected the same for psychology by now. But Britains leading geneticist - Robert Plomin, of Kings College, London - hasnt found any specific DNA variants that have a significant effect on differences in our psychology.Scientists call this the missing heritability. But there are strong grounds for supposing the heritability is not actually missing - its non-existent.Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. For instance, we know for sure that what happens in the womb can have a big effect on childhood problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Its also clear that many autistic children are born with brain abnormalities. So if you have children who are terrible at maths, knowing its not their genetic destiny increases the likelihood of improvement.A classic study provided a large sample of children with the lesson that their maths ability was not fixed. Two years later their maths had improved significantly: the more children had initially believed their abilities to be fixed, the greater the improvement. Moreover, if parents and teachers believe childrens abilities are flexible, pupils are more likely to improve.As has been shown in Finland, if its assumed that every child has the potential to do well and the right resources are put into your educational system, you can end up doing well in the international league tables. The Finns achieve that without the coercion and hothousing techniques used in Singapore.Q. Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. The assumption from the above is:a)The role of genes is ruled outb)The role of the environment is ruled outc)The role of genes cannot be ruled outd)Nature and nurture are both interdependentCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Are poor people poor because of inferior genes? This notion is especially popular with members of the ruling elite, who like to think their position is the result of genetic superiority rather than the fact they have privileged backgrounds.Low intelligence and high rates of mental illness are more common in poor people. Geneticists maintain that genes play a major role in causing both. But if they were right there would be an inexorable logic that suggests inferior DNA caused poor people to sink to the bottom of the gene pool.In the light of the findings of the human genome project, however, that idea is no longer defensible - as the leading psychologist Ken Richardson recently pointed out in the house magazine of the psychology profession. On the contrary, the implication of the unimportance of genes is that if we changed society in the right ways, we could virtually eradicate not only low academic performance and mental illness but also criminality and problems such as substance abuse.Since the project published its results 16 years ago, genes have been found to have a significant influence on physical traits like height and weight, so you might have expected the same for psychology by now. But Britains leading geneticist - Robert Plomin, of Kings College, London - hasnt found any specific DNA variants that have a significant effect on differences in our psychology.Scientists call this the missing heritability. But there are strong grounds for supposing the heritability is not actually missing - its non-existent.Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. For instance, we know for sure that what happens in the womb can have a big effect on childhood problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Its also clear that many autistic children are born with brain abnormalities. So if you have children who are terrible at maths, knowing its not their genetic destiny increases the likelihood of improvement.A classic study provided a large sample of children with the lesson that their maths ability was not fixed. Two years later their maths had improved significantly: the more children had initially believed their abilities to be fixed, the greater the improvement. Moreover, if parents and teachers believe childrens abilities are flexible, pupils are more likely to improve.As has been shown in Finland, if its assumed that every child has the potential to do well and the right resources are put into your educational system, you can end up doing well in the international league tables. The Finns achieve that without the coercion and hothousing techniques used in Singapore.Q. Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. The assumption from the above is:a)The role of genes is ruled outb)The role of the environment is ruled outc)The role of genes cannot be ruled outd)Nature and nurture are both interdependentCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Are poor people poor because of inferior genes? This notion is especially popular with members of the ruling elite, who like to think their position is the result of genetic superiority rather than the fact they have privileged backgrounds.Low intelligence and high rates of mental illness are more common in poor people. Geneticists maintain that genes play a major role in causing both. But if they were right there would be an inexorable logic that suggests inferior DNA caused poor people to sink to the bottom of the gene pool.In the light of the findings of the human genome project, however, that idea is no longer defensible - as the leading psychologist Ken Richardson recently pointed out in the house magazine of the psychology profession. On the contrary, the implication of the unimportance of genes is that if we changed society in the right ways, we could virtually eradicate not only low academic performance and mental illness but also criminality and problems such as substance abuse.Since the project published its results 16 years ago, genes have been found to have a significant influence on physical traits like height and weight, so you might have expected the same for psychology by now. But Britains leading geneticist - Robert Plomin, of Kings College, London - hasnt found any specific DNA variants that have a significant effect on differences in our psychology.Scientists call this the missing heritability. But there are strong grounds for supposing the heritability is not actually missing - its non-existent.Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. For instance, we know for sure that what happens in the womb can have a big effect on childhood problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Its also clear that many autistic children are born with brain abnormalities. So if you have children who are terrible at maths, knowing its not their genetic destiny increases the likelihood of improvement.A classic study provided a large sample of children with the lesson that their maths ability was not fixed. Two years later their maths had improved significantly: the more children had initially believed their abilities to be fixed, the greater the improvement. Moreover, if parents and teachers believe childrens abilities are flexible, pupils are more likely to improve.As has been shown in Finland, if its assumed that every child has the potential to do well and the right resources are put into your educational system, you can end up doing well in the international league tables. The Finns achieve that without the coercion and hothousing techniques used in Singapore.Q. Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. The assumption from the above is:a)The role of genes is ruled outb)The role of the environment is ruled outc)The role of genes cannot be ruled outd)Nature and nurture are both interdependentCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Are poor people poor because of inferior genes? This notion is especially popular with members of the ruling elite, who like to think their position is the result of genetic superiority rather than the fact they have privileged backgrounds.Low intelligence and high rates of mental illness are more common in poor people. Geneticists maintain that genes play a major role in causing both. But if they were right there would be an inexorable logic that suggests inferior DNA caused poor people to sink to the bottom of the gene pool.In the light of the findings of the human genome project, however, that idea is no longer defensible - as the leading psychologist Ken Richardson recently pointed out in the house magazine of the psychology profession. On the contrary, the implication of the unimportance of genes is that if we changed society in the right ways, we could virtually eradicate not only low academic performance and mental illness but also criminality and problems such as substance abuse.Since the project published its results 16 years ago, genes have been found to have a significant influence on physical traits like height and weight, so you might have expected the same for psychology by now. But Britains leading geneticist - Robert Plomin, of Kings College, London - hasnt found any specific DNA variants that have a significant effect on differences in our psychology.Scientists call this the missing heritability. But there are strong grounds for supposing the heritability is not actually missing - its non-existent.Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. For instance, we know for sure that what happens in the womb can have a big effect on childhood problems like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Its also clear that many autistic children are born with brain abnormalities. So if you have children who are terrible at maths, knowing its not their genetic destiny increases the likelihood of improvement.A classic study provided a large sample of children with the lesson that their maths ability was not fixed. Two years later their maths had improved significantly: the more children had initially believed their abilities to be fixed, the greater the improvement. Moreover, if parents and teachers believe childrens abilities are flexible, pupils are more likely to improve.As has been shown in Finland, if its assumed that every child has the potential to do well and the right resources are put into your educational system, you can end up doing well in the international league tables. The Finns achieve that without the coercion and hothousing techniques used in Singapore.Q. Of course, even if DNA variants are not found, it does not mean its all down to nurture. The assumption from the above is:a)The role of genes is ruled outb)The role of the environment is ruled outc)The role of genes cannot be ruled outd)Nature and nurture are both interdependentCorrect answer is option 'C'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice CAT tests.
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