INTELLIGENCE IN CHINA OM{^F=Ap
RICHARD LYNN J7^UQ
University of Ulster, Northern Ireland ^
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Studies of the intelligence of' Oriental peoples in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore )Jdku}Pf
and the United States have typically reported slightly higher mean IQs than those of P/.<sr=2
British and American Caucasoids. Recently results have become available for a +:4>4=
standardization of Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices in the People's Republic of t$wbwP
China. The results show that Chinese 6-15 year-olds obtain a mean IQ of 102.1 in relation gPT_}#_GxM
to an American Caucasoid standard of I00. =QGmJ3
A number of studies have shown that the Oriental or Mongoloid peoples =&,T@5&-=
have higher mean IQs than whites or Caucasoids of European origin in the ^L)TfI_n
United States and Britain. Much of the literature on this question is reviewed NkO
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in Lynn (1987). The IQ advantage of Mongoloid populations has generally E}v8Q~A(
been found to lie between 2 to 8 IQ points. A number of studies of DBL@Mp[<
intelligence in Japan indicate that the mean IQ is approximately 105. Studies ;+(VO
of the intelligence of children in Taiwan and Singapore have obtained mean |w54!f6w_
IQs of approximately 103. A recent study of children in Hong Kong obtained o-7{\%+M
a mean IQ of 110 (Lynn, Pagliari & Chan, 1988). The extensive literature ~J&-~<%P}
on the intelligence of ethnic Orientals in the United States was reviewed by @c'iT20
Vernon (1982) who concluded that the mean non-verbal IQ was about 110 Z"%.
and the verbal IQ about 97, which can be averaged to give a figure of 103.5. `:*2TLxIk
Although data are now available on the intelligence levels of Mongoloids ft1#f@b.
in a variety of locations, the jewel in the crown is missing. This is the C\~}ySQc.e
intelligence of the population in the People's Republic of China. The interest h`dQOH#
in obtaining data on intelligence in China is twofold. Firstly, this is the 6h2keyod
homeland of by far the greatest number of Mongoloids. Secondly, the high `lWGwFg g(
intelligence levels of Mongoloids in several locations could have been Wbei{3~$Y"
determined by selective emigration from China. This is suggested by Flynn JJ%@m;~
(1989) for the Chinese in the United States, and the same argument could be Sk/@w[
applied to the Chinese populations of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. ENIg_s4
Data on the intelligence level of the population of mainland China are crucial /e|Lw4$@S
for the resolution of this problem. The required data have recently become BV:Ca34&
available and are the subject of this report. d}':7Np
METHOD s)`(@"{
A Chinese standardization of the Progressive Matrices was carried out by cv-rEHT
Hou Can Zhang of Beijing Normal University in the mid-nineteen eighties. k
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The standardization sample consisted of 5,108 individuals drawn as a {sGEopd8]q
stratified sample from the 6 principal administrative areas of China and from Qrg- xu=
small, medium sized and large towns within these areas. The results are given [rWBVfm
in the form of norm tables in Raven and Court (1989). These norm tables -Dx3*Zh P
consist of raw scores for a number of age groups and the percentile )E*f30
equivalents of raw scores, set out in the same format as those given for the X:$vP'B>
United States in Raven (1986) and for Britain in Raven (1981). 6]~/`6Dub
RESULTS 7C0xKF
The American norm tables give the most precise percentile equivalents for "a(4])
raw scores and for this reason are the most satisfactory standard with which 8FMxn{k2
to compare results from China and elsewhere. For the Chinese data it is *1{A'`.=\
possible to derive American percentile equivalents for 20 age groups over the R54ae:8
age range 6-15 years. These have been collapsed into 5 age groups, the q,O_y<uw
percentiles transformed into IQs and the Chinese results given in relation to GWWg3z.o"W
American IQ means of 100 and SDs of 15 in Table 1. Mean IQs of British l nHY?y7{
children are also given in the Table, making the same calculations from the yn_f%^!G
British standardisation sample. \)r M C]
TABLE 1: MEAN SCORES AND IQs OF AMERICAN, BRITISH #qYgQ<TM!
AND CHINESE CHILDREN ON RAVEN'S STANDARD -grmmE]/
PROGRESSIVE MATRICES. vI0,6fOd6
It will be seen that the Chinese children obtain consistently higher means <
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than the American and a marginally higher overall mean than the British. r KUtTj
The mean IQ of American children is depressed by the presence of B=L!WGl<!
substantial numbers of blacks in the population. The mean IQ of white hxH6Ii]\
Americans is 102.2 (Jensen and Reynolds, 1982). Hence in relation to an d"06
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American Caucasoid mean IQ of 100, British children obtain a mean of 101.2 GDSXBa*7
and Chinese children of 102.1. The statistical significance of the higher mean iD G&