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GeneralAre Brain Size And IQ Intelligence Correlated? Answered!

The human brain remains a source of controversy even in academic cycles in relation to intelligence. Some people believe that brain size is correlated to intelligence quotient, while others believe there isn’t enough evidence to substantiate the claim. Does having a bigger brain translate to a higher IQ?

Read this article to learn more on the subject.

The Relationship Between Intellect And Brain Size

The relationship between intellect and brain size has been debated within the academic community for centuries now. Research into humans and animals – closely related gorillas – has not yielded enough results to favor one side of the argument.

The general consensus is that humans are more intelligent than animals because we have bigger brains relative to our body size than animals do; however, this argument has been discounted because there are animals with bigger brains like whales or elephants.

Another argument that has gained traction among brain size theorists is the Encephalization Quotient. This theory argues that the size of an animal’s brain is relative to its overall size. Going by this theory, humans come out on top as being the more intelligent species surpassing intelligent animals like dolphins.

So what is true? Does a larger brain gaurantee a higher IQ?

Some researchers agree that this is the case. They use Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to compare brain sizes of humans and use the data to evaluate intelligence metrics. By correlating MRI data with IQ, they discovered a consistent relationship between IQ and brain size in the 0.3-0.4 range.

Genome Tests

Further tests on the genomes of more than 20,000 living humans discovered something called the IQ gene. The results showed a variation between HMGA2 genes which stands for protein and cell growth. According to researchers, a higher intracranial volume translates to a higher IQ

Brain Size And Smartness

The general consensus among neuroscientists is that bigger-brained people tend to be smarter than their counterparts with smaller brains. Many neuroscientists also argue that brain size is only a proxy for other complex structures that influence IQ and smartness over the course of a person’s life.

The human brain has tripled in size over the last 3 million years of evolutionary history; so just how much of an impact brain size has on IQ is still under study. The debate still continues whether size should be one of the standards to judge the potential capacity of humans.

Some researchers recommend the use of other variables to conduct tests. According to them, if a correlation persists, then brain size cannot be regarded as a factor in determining the intelligence potential of a human being. One such variable is the environment a person grew up in.

This argument has weight because it has long been established that social factors can affect a person’s ability to absorb and retain new information; quality of education is another factor that can affect a child’s ability to do well in adult life.

The Man With The Biggest Brain

Edward Rullof of Upstate New York was considered to have the biggest brain in the 19th century. His brain is preserved in the Wilder Brain Collection Center at Cornell University. During his life, he was quite popular among his social circle but for all the wrong reasons. He was quite notorious and murdered his daughter and wife and three other men before he was hanged in New York (he was the last man to be hung in the State). Despite being a clever criminal, he wasn’t known to be a particularly brilliant man for his brain size.

So those who argue against brain size and IQ Intelligence use Edward Rullof as a perfect example to discount the claim.

Why Does The Myth Of Brain Size and IQ Intelligence Persist?

If there is no conclusive piece of evidence to justify the relationship between brain size and IQ, why do so many people still believe it? This is because some researchers have found evidence that there is a slight relationship between the two.

In 2015, a study was conducted by Martin Voracek’s team at the University of Vienna. They found out there was indeed evidence of a relationship between brain size and intelligence; however, the evidence was so weak that it wasn’t enough to make make the study conclusive.

It is studies like these that crop up from time to time that continue to inspire the argument that there is indeed a relationship between brain size and IQ intelligence.

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Final Thought

More research still needs to be done to prove or disprove the link between brain size and intellectual capacity. But we do know that many other external factors can affect IQ such as nutrition, birth defects,  education, social conditioning, and more. Until researchers are able to isolate all external factors before conducting tests, we may never be able to say for sure if the size of our brains matters that much.

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