Generally people from poorer socio-economic backgrounds have lower IQ results. This is because poverty, poor nutrition and lack of educational opportunities probably have an impact on intelligence. Racial discrimination has been shown to have an impact on intelligence test scores. Studies have been done which show that in many different societies the minority groups have lower IQ scores even if that group is not racially different from the dominant group. Cultural influences also play a part in development of intelligence.
Some cutlers place more emphasis on education and other on survival skills.
One study showed that there were no significant difference in IQ among American, Japanese and Chinese schoolchildren in early childhood. These examples show the influence of environment on intelligence however because the different groups also have different heredity characteristics is difficult to say which has more influence. Other environmental influence which often cause the failure to reach inherited potential are often factors such as difficult family life, drugs, violence and even wars and poverty and poor health standards. The debate over the relative importance of heredity and environment will probably still continue as there seems to be no way to separate the effects of heredity or environment on intelligence genes that set the upper and lower limits of our intellectual capabilities but environmental factors play a significant role in whether we reach our genetically determined potential. Other characteristics such as our personality determination and drive which we may inherit also interact with our environment and our ability to utilise intelligence.