PREDICTION OF THE INTELLIGENCE-TEST SCORES OF 3-YEAR-OLD TO 8-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN BY HOME-ENVIRONMENT, SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS, AND BIOMEDICAL RISKS

The purpose of the study was to examine the relative contributions of biomedical risk conditions, SES, and HOME scores to the prediction of intelligence and to examine the association between extreme scores on HOME and SES and intelligence test performance. The sample consisted o f 128 children participating in a longitudinal study. The study showed that home environment was the single most important predictor of inte lligence at all ages (3 through 8 years). SES showed a smaller, but st ill significant, effect beginning at age 5 years. Birth risk factors w ere not significant predictors of intelligence at any age once the eff ects of home environment and SES were accounted for. Implications for intervention are described.