The Flynn effect! Are children smarter than their parents?

The Flynn effect refers to the observed tendency of increasing intelligence test performance over generations. The effect was named after New Zealand psychologist James Flynn, who discovered this effect in the 1980s. 

Whether this means that today's children are "really wiser" depends on the definition of intelligence and cleverness. However, it is known that the environment in which children grow up plays an important role in their cognitive development. 

Intelligence is the ability to learn from experiences, solve problems and use knowledge in order to adapt to new situations. Raymond Cattell and John Horn reduced the definition to two factors:

• Fluids/liquid intelligence (GF): ability and speed when solving e.g. logical problems
• Crystalline intelligence (GC): accumulated knowledge, vocabulary, applied skills

There are also theories of multiple intelligence. Intelligence consists of several skills that come in different packages. In people with Savant syndrome and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) there are indications of multiple intelligence.

There are experts who say that success is much more than high intelligence; Very successful people are also conscientious, well networked and persistent (Grit). Experts spend about a decade with intensive daily training. "Deliberate Practice" is particularly important. 

The reasons for the Flynn effect are diverse and still not fully understood. Some theories indicate that the effect is due to an improved nutrition, increased education and a generally more demanding environment. Other research results indicate that the Flynn effect is due to the increasing spread of information and communication technologies.

In his groundbreaking work, Flynn found evidence that "representative samples from Americans at IQ tests over a period of 46 years, whereby the total profit corresponded to an increase in the middle IQ of 13.8 points" (Flynn, 1984).

Assuming that IQ tests are a precise representation of intelligence, this result indicates an increase in human intelligence over time.

Flynn explains: "If you evaluate people after modern norms a century ago, you would have an average IQ of 70. If you rate us according to your standards, we would have an average IQ of 130" (Flynn, 2013).

Regardless of the exact causes of the Flynn effect, this effect has important effects on our society. For example, many countries have updated their intelligence tests due to the Flynn effect to ensure that the test results remain meaningful.

Another important aspect of the Flynn effect is whether a constant increase in intelligence test performance actually means that we as a society become more intelligent. Some critics argue that the Flynn effect only reflects a change in the ability to solve intelligence tests and does not necessarily suggest an increase in general intelligence.

Some research results suggest that in Norway, Denmark, Australia, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and German-speaking countries could exist a persistent reverse Flynn effect (a decline in IQ values). In certain cases, this apparent reversal may be due to cultural changes that make parts of intelligence tests unnecessary. Meta-analyzes indicate that the overall Flynn effect continues, either with the same rate or with a slower rate in developed countries.

Regardless of this debate, the Flynn effect is an important phenomenon in psychology and has an important effect on the way we measure and understand intelligence and human abilities.

Completion - Flynn effect

The Flynn effect shows that an increase in IQ values ​​can be observed over generations, which is evaluated as evidence of IQ growth and an improvement in the ability to solve IQ tests.

But there are also voices that lead the so-called anti-Flynn effect, which in some countries indicates a reversal of the Flynn effect, where the average IQ even drops. This could be due to cultural changes or changed learning environments.

Regardless of this, the intelligence quotient remains an important measured value, but whether rising IQ points really indicate an overall smarter society remains an exciting question in intelligence research.

References: 

Cole, M. W., Ito, T., & Braver, T. S. (2015). Lateral Prefrontal Cortex Contributes to Fluid Intelligence Through Multinetwork Connectivity. Brain Connectivity, 5, 497–504. https://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2015.0357 

Trahan, Lisa H.; Stuebing, Karla K.; Fletcher, Jack M.; Hiscock, Merrill (2014). "The Flynn Effect: A Meta-Analysis". Psychological Bulletin. 140 (5): 1332–1360. doi:10.1037/A0037173. ISSN 1939-1455. PMC 4152423. Pmid 24979188.

https://www.simplypsychology.org/flynn-effect.html

Category: James R Flynn/ IQ Test/ IQ value/ IQ growth/ intelligence test/ generation/ industrial nations/ trend/ results/ humanity/ researcher/ image/ studies/ medium/ societies