Mothers of the world, rejoice! Science has found more reasons for you to feel more proud of your kid’s smarts. According to psychologist Jennifer Suarez of Psychology Spot, mothers are responsible for transmitting the intelligence gene.
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The intelligence gene is found in the X chromosome
Several studies, including one done recently at the University of Ulm in Germany, found that intelligence genes are located on the chromosome X. Since women carry two of those, that means children are more likely to get their intelligence from their mums. “It’s no coincidence that the intellectual disability is 30% more common in males,” Suarez went on.
A study by the Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit in Glasgow, Scotland also found that the best predictor of intelligence was the mother’s IQ. “The ratio of young people’s intelligence varied only an average of 15 points from that of their mothers,” Suarez reported.
Genetics isn’t everything. Go to the next page to read about how we need to nurture a child’s intelligence.
Aside from genetics, mothers foster intelligence with physical and emotional contact
According to science, about 40-60% of intelligence is hereditary. However, how a child is raised also contributes greatly to the development of his intelligence. Researchers at the University of Minnesota found that children who have a secure bond with their mothers perform better in tests. These children are secure and confident so that they can approach difficult problems without getting frustrated easily.
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A study from the University of Washington also compared the brains of 13-year-old children and found that the hippocampus (the center of learning, memory, and stress response) of kids with strong bonds with their mothers were 10% larger than those of children of mothers who were emotionally distant.
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