It turns out that in adults, BMI is negatively correlated with height. So, if human heights have been increasing over time, we’d actually expect BMI to decrease over time.
Rockenots
Karma: 5
Since molecular squiggle maximizers and paperclip maximizers both result in a universe-shard that’s a boring wasteland, despite the fact that they maximize different things, what’s the practical difference between talking about molecular squiggle maximizers instead of paperclip maximizers?
A key consideration when selecting for latent mental traits is whether a common pathway model holds for the latent variable under selection. In an ideal common pathway model, all covariance between indicators is mediated by a single underlying construct.
When this model fails, selecting for one trait can lead to unintended consequences. For instance, attempting to select for Openness might not reliably increase open-mindedness or creativity. Instead, such selection could inadvertently target specific parts of whatever went into the measurement, like liberal political values, aesthetic preferences, or being the kind of person with an inflated view of yourself.
Unlike personality factors, which demonstrate mixed evidence for a coherent latent structure, IQ has been more consistently modeled using a common pathway approach.
TL;DR: Selecting for IQ good. Will get smarter children. Selecting for personality risky. Might get child that likes filling in the rightmost bubble on tests.
Sources:
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-24385-001
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7839945/