The Bell Curve was misleading in one area that I am aware of. He cited a transracial adoption study showing that African American infants adopted by whites had IQs comparable to infants raised in African American homes. Sandra Scarr was one of the authors of the study. I forget the others.
BUT, the white adopted infants used for comparison had been adopted before their first birthday and had had fewer and higher quality foster home placements before adoption.
African American infants, on the other hand, were not adopted until an average age of 3 AND had gone through more foster homes--and homes of lower quality--before adoption.
Thus, genetic and environmental variables were confounded, making the study far less conclusive than Murray and Herrnstein suggested.
Also, really struck by the contradiction/disingenuousness of Sullivan saying, "it is always better to air this stuff than to suppress it". Not, "I used to think this" or "I've changed my mind about this", just flat out, "it is always better". Then immediately saying he wouldn't publish it now because "the harm outweighs the good." Having his cake and eating it.
No one listens to me, but I think that any time you mention Charles Murray, I think that you need to add the note that as a teen, he burnt a cross next to a police station, and to this day has not apologized for doing so.
The Bell Curve was misleading in one area that I am aware of. He cited a transracial adoption study showing that African American infants adopted by whites had IQs comparable to infants raised in African American homes. Sandra Scarr was one of the authors of the study. I forget the others.
BUT, the white adopted infants used for comparison had been adopted before their first birthday and had had fewer and higher quality foster home placements before adoption.
African American infants, on the other hand, were not adopted until an average age of 3 AND had gone through more foster homes--and homes of lower quality--before adoption.
Thus, genetic and environmental variables were confounded, making the study far less conclusive than Murray and Herrnstein suggested.
Also, really struck by the contradiction/disingenuousness of Sullivan saying, "it is always better to air this stuff than to suppress it". Not, "I used to think this" or "I've changed my mind about this", just flat out, "it is always better". Then immediately saying he wouldn't publish it now because "the harm outweighs the good." Having his cake and eating it.
No one listens to me, but I think that any time you mention Charles Murray, I think that you need to add the note that as a teen, he burnt a cross next to a police station, and to this day has not apologized for doing so.
First paragraph below the first quote, the word "responded" (which is a hyperlink) is repeated.