Specific Family Characteristics and IQ

When we look at individual families, watch the ways in which they interact with their infants or young chil¬ dren, and then follow the children over time to see which ones later have high or low IQs, we can begin to get some sense of the kinds of specific family Ltei of this type has led me to the following list of five general characteristics of families whose children achieve higher IQ scores:

They provide an interesting and complex physical environment for the child, in¬ eluding play materials that are appropriate for the child's age and develop¬ mental level (e.g., Bradley et al., 1989).

They are emotionally responsive to and involvedwiXh their child. This dimen¬ sion of behavior includes more than the warmth of the parent toward the child, although that is important. What is more cridcal is the contingency of the parent's responses. In the optimum environment the parents smile when the child smiles, answer the child's questions, adjust their body to the child's when they hold the child, and in myriad ways respond to the child's cues (e.g., Barnard et al., 1989).

They talk to their child, using language that is descriptively rich and accurate (e.g., Sigman et al., 1988).

They avoid excessive restrictiveness, punitiveness, or control, instead giving the child room to explore, even opportunities to make mistakes (e.g., Yeates et al., 1983).

They expect their child to do well and to develop rapidly. They emphasize and press for school achievement (e.g., Entwisle Sc Alexander, 1990)