Children Get Their Intelligence from Their Moms, Study Finds

Does the saying “mother knows best” have any scientific basis? Well first off, we often hear parents discussing about which parent their child looks like the most, but when we talk about the brains — it seems the moms definitely have this one.

While being academically intelligent is not the only important thing in the world, most parents love and appreciate having smart kids. Whether they admit it or not, it feels awesome to have kids who are not just well-mannered but are also brilliant in school.

Females have two X chromosomes, while males have one X and one Y chromosome. X chromosomes are known for intellect and since females have two of these genes, then that’s how the research derived to the conclusion that a child’s intelligence is believed to come from the mother.

In 2017, a government agency in Scotland conducted a study with 12,686 subjects, with ages ranging from 14 to 22. Every year, researchers collected information about them including IQ of children and parents, along with their race, education, and socioeconomic status.

As you might have already guessed, the study concluded that the best predictor for intelligence was the mother’s IQ.

However, dads shouldn’t feel so sad. After all, there’s still a chance their kids actually inherit some intelligence from their dad’s X chromosome.

Without a doubt, the findings of this and related studies about intelligence will continue to be evaluated and scrutinized. After all, no scientific study that makes claims to the development of intellect will ever be fully accepted by all.

Needless to say, if there is one conclusion that can be reached here is that mothers have a significant influence on their children’s cognitive abilities. Dads should get some credit for this, too. Besides, both parties are responsible for helping to create and nurture those incredible children.