INTELLIGENCE IN CHINA
2+o|A RICHARD LYNN
wGsRS[ University of Ulster, Northern Ireland
Z5(enTy- Studies of the intelligence of' Oriental peoples in Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore
G{9X)|d
and the United States have typically reported slightly higher mean IQs than those of
is?2DcSl5 British and American Caucasoids. Recently results have become available for a
gRJfX%*F standardization of Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices in the People's Republic of
S/ [E8T" China. The results show that Chinese 6-15 year-olds obtain a mean IQ of 102.1 in relation
*[+)7 to an American Caucasoid standard of I00.
%Sk@GNI_ A number of studies have shown that the Oriental or Mongoloid peoples
9\;|x have higher mean IQs than whites or Caucasoids of European origin in the
7^*"O&y_al United States and Britain. Much of the literature on this question is reviewed
?BA^YF in Lynn (1987). The IQ advantage of Mongoloid populations has generally
PX(pX> been found to lie between 2 to 8 IQ points. A number of studies of
8|Y.|\ intelligence in Japan indicate that the mean IQ is approximately 105. Studies
"YU{Fkl#j of the intelligence of children in Taiwan and Singapore have obtained mean
9#d+RT IQs of approximately 103. A recent study of children in Hong Kong obtained
8ho[I] a mean IQ of 110 (Lynn, Pagliari & Chan, 1988). The extensive literature
'b*%ixa on the intelligence of ethnic Orientals in the United States was reviewed by
U-kVNBs Vernon (1982) who concluded that the mean non-verbal IQ was about 110
Gfp1mev and the verbal IQ about 97, which can be averaged to give a figure of 103.5.
+;}#B~: Although data are now available on the intelligence levels of Mongoloids
L I >(RMv in a variety of locations, the jewel in the crown is missing. This is the
JPn$FQD intelligence of the population in the People's Republic of China. The interest
k>jbcSY(z< in obtaining data on intelligence in China is twofold. Firstly, this is the
_ee
dBpV homeland of by far the greatest number of Mongoloids. Secondly, the high
7Q w|! intelligence levels of Mongoloids in several locations could have been
41a.#o determined by selective emigration from China. This is suggested by Flynn
CSPKP#,B0[ (1989) for the Chinese in the United States, and the same argument could be
`#-P[q<v- applied to the Chinese populations of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
sbj(|1,ac Data on the intelligence level of the population of mainland China are crucial
CzCQFqXI for the resolution of this problem. The required data have recently become
2lKV#9" available and are the subject of this report.
?E%ELs_Dl METHOD
R"MRnr_4K A Chinese standardization of the Progressive Matrices was carried out by
P +"Y Hou Can Zhang of Beijing Normal University in the mid-nineteen eighties.
3@Z#.FV~C[ The standardization sample consisted of 5,108 individuals drawn as a
#@@Mxr'F stratified sample from the 6 principal administrative areas of China and from
_p-t<ytnh small, medium sized and large towns within these areas. The results are given
(+<1*5BEkT in the form of norm tables in Raven and Court (1989). These norm tables
E37<"(; consist of raw scores for a number of age groups and the percentile
@+F4YJmB?l equivalents of raw scores, set out in the same format as those given for the
W|:lVAP.|} United States in Raven (1986) and for Britain in Raven (1981).
%ek'~ RESULTS
~ 9)"! The American norm tables give the most precise percentile equivalents for
fb~=Y$| raw scores and for this reason are the most satisfactory standard with which
+
b$=[nfG to compare results from China and elsewhere. For the Chinese data it is
:j')E`#
possible to derive American percentile equivalents for 20 age groups over the
!o=U19) age range 6-15 years. These have been collapsed into 5 age groups, the
<s5qy- percentiles transformed into IQs and the Chinese results given in relation to
@yXfBML?] American IQ means of 100 and SDs of 15 in Table 1. Mean IQs of British
ofY
lR| children are also given in the Table, making the same calculations from the
p
Dx-2:} British standardisation sample.
ZQ^r`W9_+ TABLE 1: MEAN SCORES AND IQs OF AMERICAN, BRITISH
C9
8]9 AND CHINESE CHILDREN ON RAVEN'S STANDARD
[email protected]\#- PROGRESSIVE MATRICES.
3kcTE&1^ It will be seen that the Chinese children obtain consistently higher means
/&F,V+x than the American and a marginally higher overall mean than the British.
W>VP'vn} The mean IQ of American children is depressed by the presence of
!zj0/Q G\ substantial numbers of blacks in the population. The mean IQ of white
/xGmg`g<# Americans is 102.2 (Jensen and Reynolds, 1982). Hence in relation to an
0;4t&v7 American Caucasoid mean IQ of 100, British children obtain a mean of 101.2
@_:]J1jw7 and Chinese children of 102.1. The statistical significance of the higher mean
Uw,2}yR obtained by the Chinese children in relation to the American can be tested by
~8"8w(CG*I calculating the standard errors. The difference between the means is greater
;zM*bWh9 than twice the standard errors and can therefore be considered statistically
r<F hY significant. The Chinese-British difference is not statistically significant.
R8rfM?"W DISCUSSION
{~|OE-X][ The results show that the intelligence level of children and adolescents in
Ev7J+TmXM mainland China is slightly higher than that of Caucasoids in the United States
PHA-9\jC{ and in Britain, although the Chinese-British difference is not statistically
?pgG,=?
significant. In evaluating the result, account needs to be taken of the very low
w.,Q1\*rPp living standards in China.
+aF}oA&X[ Few dispute that intelligence is to some degree determined by envi-
oAWzYu(v ronmental conditions and standards of living. Thus children adopted by
O=SkAsim middle-class families enjoying good living conditions obtain higher IQs than
wC `+ their siblings reared in working-class families (Dumaret, 1985; Capron &
/ kt2c[9 Duyme, 1989). Furthermore, the increase in living standards in the
Y]]}
*8 economically developed western nations over the course of the last half
PP:(EN1 century has been accompanied by a rise in intelligence of approximately 15
pfu1O6R IQ points (Flynn, 1987; Lynn & Hampson, 1986). A major factor in this
uVzFsgBp rise has probably been that the increase in living standards has been
>5s6u`\ accompanied by better nutrition and this, in turn, has led to improvements in
N]KxAttt the neurological development of the brain (Lynn, 1990).
OGl$W>w1 In the mid-nineteen eighties the per capita income in China was 227 US
'13ZX: dollars as compared with 16,636 US dollars in the United States and 8,064
(b'B%rFO US dollars in Britain (United Nations, 1987). To equate the United States and
[7_56\G4 Britain with China for the standard of living it would be necessary to go back
|#6QThK at least to the beginning of the century when British and American mean IQs
upj]6f"( were substantially lower than they are today. Hence, if and when living
OHiQ7#y standards in China improve, the intelligence of the population can be
w
=.Fj expected to increase further.
[mEql,x3