Jensenism

[jen-suh-niz-uhm]

noun

1. the theory that an individual's IQ is largely due to heredity, including racial heritage.

Other Word Forms

• Jensenist noun
• Jensenite noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Jensenism¹

First recorded in 1965–70; named after Arthur R. Jensen (1923–2012), U.S. educational psychologist, who proposed such a theory; -ism

Example Sentences

The idea that intelligence cleaved along racial lines quickly became known as Jensenism, and its merits were the subject of heated public discussion for years afterward.

Read more on New York Times

Pilgrim, who is black, calls the claims of the extremists "pseudoscience" and "reverse Jensenism," referring to the controversial theories of Arthur Jensen, who argued that blacks were genetically less intelligent on average than whites.

Read more on Time Magazine Archive