INTELLIGENCE IN CHINA rfwJLl/
RICHARD LYNN ;M~,S^U
University of Ulster, Northern Ireland
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Studies of the intelligence of' Oriental peoples in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore k{ qxsNM
and the United States have typically reported slightly higher mean IQs than those of p1UloG\
British and American Caucasoids. Recently results have become available for a X:W\EeH
standardization of Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices in the People's Republic of !n-Sh<8
China. The results show that Chinese 6-15 year-olds obtain a mean IQ of 102.1 in relation 0s;~9>
to an American Caucasoid standard of I00.
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A number of studies have shown that the Oriental or Mongoloid peoples ",/6bs#$
have higher mean IQs than whites or Caucasoids of European origin in the =yod
United States and Britain. Much of the literature on this question is reviewed ~+\=X`y
in Lynn (1987). The IQ advantage of Mongoloid populations has generally jEBn"]\D
been found to lie between 2 to 8 IQ points. A number of studies of UR'[?
intelligence in Japan indicate that the mean IQ is approximately 105. Studies '[$KG
of the intelligence of children in Taiwan and Singapore have obtained mean : s
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IQs of approximately 103. A recent study of children in Hong Kong obtained M/o?D <'
a mean IQ of 110 (Lynn, Pagliari & Chan, 1988). The extensive literature ED` 1)1<
on the intelligence of ethnic Orientals in the United States was reviewed by IBa0O|*6
Vernon (1982) who concluded that the mean non-verbal IQ was about 110 f;'*((
and the verbal IQ about 97, which can be averaged to give a figure of 103.5. P]Fb0X
Although data are now available on the intelligence levels of Mongoloids \IL)~5d
in a variety of locations, the jewel in the crown is missing. This is the |Hf|N$
intelligence of the population in the People's Republic of China. The interest v'hc-Q9+>
in obtaining data on intelligence in China is twofold. Firstly, this is the _Raf7 W
homeland of by far the greatest number of Mongoloids. Secondly, the high K#OL/2^
5
intelligence levels of Mongoloids in several locations could have been v`|]57?A
determined by selective emigration from China. This is suggested by Flynn KrGl}|
(1989) for the Chinese in the United States, and the same argument could be !aT:0m$:9c
applied to the Chinese populations of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. cEL:5*cAU}
Data on the intelligence level of the population of mainland China are crucial 1M`E.Ztw*
for the resolution of this problem. The required data have recently become {)qr3-EM#
available and are the subject of this report. [icD*N<Gc
METHOD Ow;thNN
A Chinese standardization of the Progressive Matrices was carried out by IWo'{pk
Hou Can Zhang of Beijing Normal University in the mid-nineteen eighties. Qder8I
The standardization sample consisted of 5,108 individuals drawn as a 9y!0WZE{e
stratified sample from the 6 principal administrative areas of China and from 'h$1
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small, medium sized and large towns within these areas. The results are given s@Q7F{z
in the form of norm tables in Raven and Court (1989). These norm tables 9lq5\ tL-
consist of raw scores for a number of age groups and the percentile 0
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equivalents of raw scores, set out in the same format as those given for the yQh
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United States in Raven (1986) and for Britain in Raven (1981). !ZTghX}D
RESULTS cO5F=ZxR
The American norm tables give the most precise percentile equivalents for m,HE4`g
raw scores and for this reason are the most satisfactory standard with which |+Wn5iT
to compare results from China and elsewhere. For the Chinese data it is -Lq+FTezE
possible to derive American percentile equivalents for 20 age groups over the HYdM1s6vo
age range 6-15 years. These have been collapsed into 5 age groups, the H'WYnhU&
percentiles transformed into IQs and the Chinese results given in relation to 9Q9{>d#"
American IQ means of 100 and SDs of 15 in Table 1. Mean IQs of British zH1;h
children are also given in the Table, making the same calculations from the NJBSVCb
British standardisation sample. T_*inPf
TABLE 1: MEAN SCORES AND IQs OF AMERICAN, BRITISH }d.X2?
AND CHINESE CHILDREN ON RAVEN'S STANDARD D\Ez~.H
PROGRESSIVE MATRICES. [<XYU,{R
It will be seen that the Chinese children obtain consistently higher means _^_3>}y5op
than the American and a marginally higher overall mean than the British. 0qN`-0Yk
The mean IQ of American children is depressed by the presence of /r7xA}se^
substantial numbers of blacks in the population. The mean IQ of white xT>9ZZcE
Americans is 102.2 (Jensen and Reynolds, 1982). Hence in relation to an yY8zTWji_
American Caucasoid mean IQ of 100, British children obtain a mean of 101.2 # xO PF9
and Chinese children of 102.1. The statistical significance of the higher mean 89M'klZ
obtained by the Chinese children in relation to the American can be tested by Jr5S8c|"
calculating the standard errors. The difference between the means is greater i
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than twice the standard errors and can therefore be considered statistically &{j!!LL
significant. The Chinese-British difference is not statistically significant. : #a
DISCUSSION F3bTFFt
The results show that the intelligence level of children and adolescents in eA&