Public issue or private achievement? A further comment on the issues of the social ecology of intelligence and educational attainment

In an earlier paper, the author made detailed methodological criticisms of Lynn's work on the social ecology of intelligence (Lynn, 1979; Kirby, 1980). These have been overlooked in a further study which extends the existing methodology to an analysis of French data (Lynn, 1980). In response, this present paper attempts three things: first, a reiteration of the critique of ecological studies; second, a detailed criticism of Lynn's causal reasoning with respect to the French data; and third, a brief review of the recent research that emphasizes the role of public provision in the process of educational attainment. 1982 The British Psychological Society