UV Radiation, not European Ancestry, Explains States’ Cognitive Performance in Brazil and USA
A debate in Mankind Quarterly positing racial categorization of populations vis-à-vis biological effects of UV radiation was based on data from a single country, used absolute latitude instead of UV radiation, and limited the analysis to path analysis. To overcome limitations of the studies, we uti...
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Universidad Católica San Pablo
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Revista de Psicología |
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| Online Access: | https://revistas.ucsp.edu.pe/index.php/psicologia/article/view/1396 |
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| author | Federico R. León Mayra Antonelli-Ponti Andrés Burga-León |
| author_facet | Federico R. León Mayra Antonelli-Ponti Andrés Burga-León |
| author_sort | Federico R. León |
| collection | DOAJ |
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A debate in Mankind Quarterly positing racial categorization of populations vis-à-vis biological effects of UV radiation was based on data from a single country, used absolute latitude instead of UV radiation, and limited the analysis to path analysis. To overcome limitations of the studies, we utilized measurements of UV radiation for 26 Brazilian and 48 USA states instead of absolute latitude and performed seemingly unrelated regressions in addition to path analysis. NAEP scores and infectious disease rate were collected in USA and PISA scores and infant mortality in Brazil. Significant cognitive effects of European ancestry were replicated, but showed spuriousness, disappearing when the effects of UV radiation were controlled. Our evidence strongly suggests that UV radiation is a consistent antecedent of cognitive ability directly and through income in the USA and Brazil and through infant mortality in Brazil, whereas European ancestry only influences cognitive ability positively by reducing infectious diseases in the USA or infant mortality in Brazil. The between-country consistency of our findings compensates for methodological weaknesses that took place especially in the Brazil study. Psychologists and economists should be aware of these findings to avoid making erroneous inferences based on genetic or cultural variables.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3435d7c97eef436ebfec618280866dc4 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2306-0565 2311-7397 |
| language | Spanish |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | Universidad Católica San Pablo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revista de Psicología |
| spelling | doaj-art-3435d7c97eef436ebfec618280866dc42025-08-20T02:40:14ZspaUniversidad Católica San PabloRevista de Psicología2306-05652311-73972022-02-0111210.36901/psicologia.v11i2.1396UV Radiation, not European Ancestry, Explains States’ Cognitive Performance in Brazil and USAFederico R. León0Mayra Antonelli-Ponti1Andrés Burga-León2Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima, PerúUniversidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, BrasilUniversidad de Lima, Lima, Perú A debate in Mankind Quarterly positing racial categorization of populations vis-à-vis biological effects of UV radiation was based on data from a single country, used absolute latitude instead of UV radiation, and limited the analysis to path analysis. To overcome limitations of the studies, we utilized measurements of UV radiation for 26 Brazilian and 48 USA states instead of absolute latitude and performed seemingly unrelated regressions in addition to path analysis. NAEP scores and infectious disease rate were collected in USA and PISA scores and infant mortality in Brazil. Significant cognitive effects of European ancestry were replicated, but showed spuriousness, disappearing when the effects of UV radiation were controlled. Our evidence strongly suggests that UV radiation is a consistent antecedent of cognitive ability directly and through income in the USA and Brazil and through infant mortality in Brazil, whereas European ancestry only influences cognitive ability positively by reducing infectious diseases in the USA or infant mortality in Brazil. The between-country consistency of our findings compensates for methodological weaknesses that took place especially in the Brazil study. Psychologists and economists should be aware of these findings to avoid making erroneous inferences based on genetic or cultural variables. https://revistas.ucsp.edu.pe/index.php/psicologia/article/view/1396Cognitive abilityEuropean ancestryUV radiationincomeBrazilUSA |
| spellingShingle | Federico R. León Mayra Antonelli-Ponti Andrés Burga-León UV Radiation, not European Ancestry, Explains States’ Cognitive Performance in Brazil and USA Revista de Psicología Cognitive ability European ancestry UV radiation income Brazil USA |
| title | UV Radiation, not European Ancestry, Explains States’ Cognitive Performance in Brazil and USA |
| title_full | UV Radiation, not European Ancestry, Explains States’ Cognitive Performance in Brazil and USA |
| title_fullStr | UV Radiation, not European Ancestry, Explains States’ Cognitive Performance in Brazil and USA |
| title_full_unstemmed | UV Radiation, not European Ancestry, Explains States’ Cognitive Performance in Brazil and USA |
| title_short | UV Radiation, not European Ancestry, Explains States’ Cognitive Performance in Brazil and USA |
| title_sort | uv radiation not european ancestry explains states cognitive performance in brazil and usa |
| topic | Cognitive ability European ancestry UV radiation income Brazil USA |
| url | https://revistas.ucsp.edu.pe/index.php/psicologia/article/view/1396 |
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