Book Review

Social Origins of Mental Ability

N Engl J Med 1994; 330:1764-1765June 16, 1994

Article

Social Origins of Mental Ability
(Wiley Series on Personality Processes.) By Gary Collier. 300 pp. New York, John Wiley, 1994. $35. ISBN: 0-471-30407-7

This book provides a useful account of the arguments in favor of nurture, or the environment, in the “nature-nurture” controversy. Gary Collier's major strength is his ability to synthesize ideas from the domains of social psychology, the psychology of personality, and cognitive psychology to support the nurture side of the debate. The book is organized in an intelligent way; each chapter begins with a brief discussion of the theoretical position related to the research. The book includes a general discussion of cultural and cognitive perspectives. These perspectives serve as the glue that holds together the various areas of research in each chapter. The overall aim is to bring together a wide range of theory and research drawn from psychology, sociology, anthropology, linguistics, and history.

Overall, the book discusses two major areas of research. The first focuses on motivation, and the second deals with the development of cognitive skills. These different spheres of research overlap very little. Traditionally, researchers who study motivation do not consider cognitive processes responsible for individual differences. For cognitive psychologists, motivation is not a prime consideration. This way of studying separate aspects of mental ability reflects the complex nature of intelligence and ability. In recent work cognitive psychologists have begun to look at cultural aspects of cognition, borrowing from theories in cognitive anthropology and social cognition. However, the author does not acknowledge these recent trends.

The book has four parts. In part 1, the author considers major controversies in intelligence research. He discusses relevant literature relating to debates about the nature and measurement of intelligence, and considers debates about the contributions of genetics and environment to intelligence. He attempts to relate studies in artificial intelligence to the issues of intelligence and human behavior, emphasizing the limitations of the use of computer models in the investigation of human intelligence.

Part 2 takes up the psychology of personality, relating this topic to specific aspects, such as the fear of success, learned helplessness, and self-handicapping strategies. Sex differences are stressed in relation to achievement motivation, and racial differences are explored in discussions of the level of aspiration and self-esteem. In this section, a consideration of individual variables merges into a discussion of groups, and the author alerts us to the importance of personality traits, race, sex, and socioeconomic status.

Part 3 reviews research on the development of cognitive skills and discusses the relation between language and thought, perception, memory, creative problem solving, and formal thought. The author argues that social conditions and past experiences shape every aspect of mental development, including the speed, breadth, and depth of information processing by humans, all of which reflect the social origins of mental ability.

The final section deals with the implications of the author's perspective on mental ability for social reform. Collier presents a grim but realistic picture of the social and educational situation of minority groups in the United States. He discusses the status of American blacks and reviews research on early-childhood intervention and its relation to educational reform. He argues that despite the difficulties and the great effort involved in changing the conditions of minorities, education is one area in which changes can indeed be made. Collier considers the social cost of nonintervention and discusses what may happen if politicians and educators ignore these important issues.

Much remains unknown about the mechanisms underlying high and low educational achievement, but in recent years there have been increased efforts to investigate educational and cognitive performance and learning within an integrated framework that accentuates cultural and social influences. This research has shown the tremendous effect on conceptual understanding and problem-solving of taking into account children's informal beliefs in a variety of subject areas.

Although the books in this series on personality processes are specifically aimed at behavioral scientists, this particular book also targets educators, policy makers, and professionals working in psychology and the social sciences. The scope of the book may also appeal to personality theorists and clinicians trying to use their knowledge of personality processes to understand consistencies and variations in human behavior.

The book clearly highlights the gaps in our understanding of the nature of ability and intelligence, which could be due in part to uncoordinated research efforts in the past. Any reader not familiar with the extent of the controversy regarding inheritance and environment will gain a great deal by reading this book. Readers who have accepted without question the nature side of the controversy will be reminded that it is important to consider the other side. Collier's book examines many aspects of the nurture side that other books in this area fail to consider.

Vimla L. Patel, Ph.D.
McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A2, Canada