Thoughts of a Psychology Student

Many of you may have seen in the news recently that Boris Johnson has expressed his arguably elitest views on IQ in regards to wealth, education and job opportunities. The flamboyant mayor of London has suggested that people with lower incomes have lower IQs and that inequality is essential to foster a "spirit of envy". He also hailed greed as a "valuable spur to economic activity". In essence, Johnson has sparked off a heated debate of the relationship between poverty and IQ. Whilst some believe that a low IQ results in worse qualifications, less job opportunities and ultimately a lower income, others argue that the relationship could work in the opposite way too. However, forming a viewpoint on this issue heavily depends on whether IQ is a result of biological factors and genes, or whether it is subject to change according to environmental and social factors. Moreover, the Intelligence Quotient has to be a valid test for this debate to even stand