What Is the Flynn Effect? Discuss and Describe the Four

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--Mysteriously, IQ scores were rising at a rate of about three points per decade, a phenomenon later dubbed the Flynn effect. The magnitude of the Flynn effect is mind-boggling. It suggests that, on average, our IQs are a full 15 points higher than those of our grandparents who lived 50 years ago (see Figure 9.12). With a few exceptions, most researchers agree that the Flynn effect is a result of unidentified environmental influences on IQ, because it’s unlikely that genetic changes could account for such rapid rises in IQ over brief time periods.

(1) Increased test sophistication. According to this explanation, the rise in IQ scores results from people becoming more experienced at taking tests. This hypothesis implies that the Flynn effect reflects an increase in IQ scores but not in underlying intelligence (Flynn, 1998). There may be some truth to the test sophistication hypothesis, but there’s a fly in the ointment. The Flynn effect is most pronounced on “culture-fair” tests, such as Raven’s Progressive Matrices, to which people have had the least exposure.

(2) Increased complexity of the modern world. With television, email, the Internet, fax machines, cell phones, and the like, we’re forced to process far more information far more quickly than our parents and grandparents ever did. So the modern information explosion may be putting pressure on us to become more intelligent (Greenfield, 1998; Schooler, 1998).

(3) Better nutrition. Most evidence suggests that the Flynn effect is affecting primarily the lower, but not the upper, tail of the bell curve. One potential explanation for this finding is diet. People are better fed than ever before, and the rates of severe malnutrition in many (although not all) parts of the world are declining (Lynn, 1998; Sigman & Whaley, 1998). As we’ve already learned, there’s good evidence that nutrition can affect IQ.

(4) Changes at home and school. Over the past several decades, families in Canada, the United States, and many parts of Europe have become smaller, allowing parents to devote more time to their children. Parents also have more access to intellectual resources than ever. In addition, children and adolescents spend more years in school than in previous generations.

What Is the Flynn Effect? Discuss and Describe the Four

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What Is the Flynn Effect? Discuss and Describe the Four

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