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Oberleiter S, Wurzer J, Mikas M, Held M, Wieland B, Zeilinger EL, Voracek M, Pietschnig J. Generational IQ test score changes and the positive manifold of intelligence: evidence from Austrian Air Force pilots and air traffic controllers (1992-2016). Front Psychol 2025; 16:1547520. [PMID: 40438760 PMCID: PMC12118355 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1547520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2025] [Indexed: 06/01/2025] Open
Abstract
Increasingly inconsistent generational IQ test score change patterns across recent decades have been suggested to be due to increased ability differentiation as a consequence of cross-temporally decreasing strengths of the positive manifold of intelligence. Here, we investigate the Flynn effect and directly test the idea of a changing positive manifold, based on the performance of N = 204 Austrian Air Force pilots and air traffic controllers across twelve IQ subtests. Subscale change scores indicated consistent gains in measures related to the CHC (Cattell-Horn-Carroll) stratum II domains of fluid reasoning, quantitative knowledge, and retrieval. However, change patterns in the stratum II domains working memory and comprehension knowledge were ambiguous and suggest stratum I-based differentiation of the Flynn effect. In all, our results indicate positive and substantial Flynn effects in the majority of examined subscales, but no evidence for any meaningful changes in the positive manifold strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Oberleiter
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Vienna Doctoral School in Cognition, Behavior, and Neuroscience (VDS CoBeNe), University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jana Wurzer
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Mikas
- Department of Aviation Psychology, Austrian Armed Forces, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Held
- Department of Aviation Psychology, Austrian Armed Forces, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bettina Wieland
- Department of Aviation Psychology, Austrian Armed Forces, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabeth L. Zeilinger
- Department of Clinical Research SBG, Academy for Ageing Research, Haus der Barmherzigkeit, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Martin Voracek
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Social Sciences Advisory Board, Science Commission at the Federal Ministry of Defence, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jakob Pietschnig
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Social Sciences Advisory Board, Science Commission at the Federal Ministry of Defence, Vienna, Austria
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Helland-Riise F, Norrøne TN, Andersson B. Large-Scale Item-Level Analysis of the Figural Matrices Test in the Norwegian Armed Forces: Examining Measurement Precision and Sex Bias. J Intell 2024; 12:82. [PMID: 39330461 PMCID: PMC11433340 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence12090082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Figural matrices tests are common in intelligence research and have been used to draw conclusions regarding secular changes in intelligence. However, their measurement properties have seldom been evaluated with large samples that include both sexes. Using data from the Norwegian Armed Forces, we study the measurement properties of a test used for selection in military recruitment. Item-level data were available from 113,671 Norwegian adolescents (32% female) tested between the years 2011 and 2017. Utilizing item response theory (IRT), we characterize the measurement properties of the test in terms of difficulty, discrimination, precision, and measurement invariance between males and females. We estimate sex differences in the mean and variance of the latent variable and evaluate the impact of violations to measurement invariance on the estimated distribution parameters. The results show that unidimensional IRT models fit well in all groups and years. There is little difference in precision and test difficulty between males and females, with precision that is generally poor on the upper part of the scale. In the sample, male latent proficiency is estimated to be slightly higher on average, with higher variance. Adjusting for measurement invariance generally reduces the sex differences but does not eliminate them. We conclude that previous studies using the Norwegian GMA data must be interpreted with more caution but that the test should measure males and females equally fairly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tore Nøttestad Norrøne
- The Norwegian Armed Forces, 0593 Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Health Science, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Björn Andersson
- Centre for Educational Measurement (CEMO), University of Oslo, 0318 Oslo, Norway
- Centre for Research on Equality in Education (CREATE), University of Oslo, 0318 Oslo, Norway
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Eichelberger DA, Chaouch A, Rousson V, Kakebeeke TH, Caflisch J, Wehrle FM, Jenni OG. Secular trends in physical growth, biological maturation, and intelligence in children and adolescents born between 1978 and 1993. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1216164. [PMID: 38741909 PMCID: PMC11089810 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1216164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Human physical growth, biological maturation, and intelligence have been documented as increasing for over 100 years. Comparing the timing of secular trends in these characteristics could provide insight into what underlies them. However, they have not been examined in parallel in the same cohort during different developmental phases. Thus, the aim of this study was to examine secular trends in body height, weight, and head circumference, biological maturation, and intelligence by assessing these traits concurrently at four points during development: the ages of 4, 9, 14, and 18 years. Methods Data derived from growth measures, bone age as an indicator of biological maturation, and full-scale intelligence tests were drawn from 236 participants of the Zurich Longitudinal Studies born between 1978 and 1993. In addition, birth weight was analyzed as an indicator of prenatal conditions. Results Secular trends for height and weight at 4 years were positive (0.35 SD increase per decade for height and an insignificant 0.27 SD increase per decade for weight) and remained similar at 9 and 14 years (height: 0.46 SD and 0.38 SD increase per decade; weight: 0.51 SD and 0.51 SD increase per decade, respectively) as well as for weight at age 18 years (0.36 SD increase per decade). In contrast, the secular trend in height was no longer evident at age 18 years (0.09 SD increase per decade). Secular trends for biological maturation at 14 years were similar to those of height and weight (0.54 SD increase per decade). At 18 years, the trend was non-significant (0.38 SD increase per decade). For intelligence, a positive secular trend was found at 4 years (0.54 SD increase per decade). In contrast, negative secular trends were observed at 9 years (0.54 SD decrease per decade) and 14 years (0.60 SD decrease per decade). No secular trend was observed at any of the four ages for head circumference (0.01, 0.24, 0.17, and - 0.04 SD increase per decade, respectively) and birth weight (0.01 SD decrease per decade). Discussion The different patterns of changes in physical growth, biological maturation, and intelligence between 1978 and 1993 indicate that distinct mechanisms underlie these secular trends.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aziz Chaouch
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Quantitative Research, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Valentin Rousson
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Quantitative Research, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tanja H. Kakebeeke
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jon Caflisch
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Flavia M. Wehrle
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Neonatology and Intensive Care, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Oskar G. Jenni
- Child Development Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Meisenberg G, Lynn R. Ongoing trends of human intelligence. INTELLIGENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2022.101708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Egeland J. The ups and downs of intelligence: The co-occurrence model and its associated research program. INTELLIGENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2022.101643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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Stibel JM. Decreases in Brain Size and Encephalization in Anatomically Modern Humans. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2021; 96:64-77. [PMID: 34718234 DOI: 10.1159/000519504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Growth in human brain size and encephalization is well documented throughout much of prehistory and believed to be responsible for increasing cognitive faculties. Over the past 50,000 years, however, both body size and brain mass have decreased but little is known about the scaling relationship between the two. Here, changes to the human brain are examined using matched body remains to determine encephalization levels across an evolutionary timespan. The results find decreases to encephalization levels in modern humans as compared to earlier Holocene H. sapiens and Late Pleistocene anatomically modern Homo. When controlled for lean body mass, encephalization changes are isometric, suggesting that much of the declines in encephalization are driven by recent increases in obesity. A meta-review of genome-wide association studies finds some evidence for selective pressures acting on human cognitive ability, which may be an evolutionary consequence of the more than 5% loss in brain mass over the past 50,000 years.
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Hegelund ER, Teasdale TW, Okholm GT, Osler M, Sørensen TIA, Christensen K, Mortensen EL. The secular trend of intelligence test scores: The Danish experience for young men born between 1940 and 2000. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261117. [PMID: 34882746 PMCID: PMC8659667 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study investigated the Danish secular trend of intelligence test scores among young men born between 1940 and 2000, as well as the possible associations of birth cohort changes in family size, nutrition, education, and intelligence test score variability with the increasing secular trend. The study population included all men born from 1940 to 2000 who appeared before a draft board before 2020 (N = 1,556,770). At the mandatory draft board examination, the approximately 19-year-old men underwent a medical examination and an intelligence test. In the statistical analyses, the IQ mean and standard deviation (SD) were estimated separately for each of the included annual birth cohorts based on information from birth cohorts with available total intelligence test scores for all tested individuals (i.e. 1940-1958 and 1987-2000; the mean and SD were interpolated for the intermediate birth cohorts). Moreover, the possible associations with birth cohort changes in family size, height as a proxy for nutritional status, education, and IQ variability were investigated among those birth cohorts for whom a secular increase in intelligence test scores was found. The results showed that the estimated mean IQ score increased from a baseline set to 100 (SD: 15) among individuals born in 1940 to 108.9 (SD: 12.2) among individuals born in 1980, since when it has decreased. Focusing on the birth cohorts of 1940-1980, for whom a secular increase in intelligence test scores was found, birth cohort changes in family size, height, and education explained large proportions of the birth cohort variance in mean intelligence test scores, suggesting that these factors may be important contributors to the observed Flynn effect in Denmark.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie R. Hegelund
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Gunhild T. Okholm
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospitals, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Merete Osler
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Clinical Research and Prevention, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospitals, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - Kaare Christensen
- Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Erik L. Mortensen
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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The future of intelligence: The central meaning-making unit of intelligence in the mind, the brain, and artificial intelligence. INTELLIGENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2021.101562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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9
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Hegelund ER, Okholm GT, Teasdale TW. The secular trend of intelligence test scores in the present century: The Danish experience. INTELLIGENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2021.101525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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10
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Boman B. Parallelization: the Fourth Leg of Cultural Globalization Theory. Integr Psychol Behav Sci 2021; 55:354-370. [PMID: 33471296 PMCID: PMC8139916 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-021-09600-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Extending Pieterse's (1996) tripartite cultural globalization theory consisting of homogenization, hybridization and polarization, the current article outlines a set of exemplifications and justifications of a fourth theoretical underpinning labeled parallelization. The theory implies that at a global scale, crucial events that appear paradoxical or contradictory occur at the same time, such as carbon emissions due to growth-fixated global capitalism, while the causes of carbon emissions lead to greater resilience against the consequences of carbon emissions as wealth accumulates. Other examples discussed are large-scale migration flows which lead to increased segregation in host societies while integration of migrants occur as a parallel process; secularization visa-à-vis the resurgence of religions; clear indications of that the biological component of cognitive abilities decreases due to fertility patterns in many locations around the globe, while the IQ test scores have risen as a consequence of various environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Boman
- Department of Education, Stockholm University, Frescativägen 54, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Carvalho IP, Costa A, Silva S, Moreira B, Almeida A, Moreira-Rosário A, Guerra A, Peixoto B, Delerue-Matos C, Sintra D, Pestana D, Pinto E, Mendes FDC, Martins I, Leite JC, Caldas JC, Fontoura M, Maia ML, Queirós P, Moreira R, Leal S, Norberto S, Costa VD, Fernandes VC, Keating E, Azevedo LF, Calhau C. Children’s performance on Raven’s Coloured progressive matrices in Portugal: The Flynn effect. INTELLIGENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2020.101485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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12
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Must O, Must A. No decline in the principle-based thought of 9-year-old schoolchildren between 1991 and 2001. INTELLIGENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2020.101455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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13
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Gunnesch-Luca G, Iliescu D. Time and generational changes in cognitive performance in Romania. INTELLIGENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2020.101430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Do D, Schnittker J. Utilization of Medications With Cognitive Impairment Side Effects and the Implications for Older Adults' Cognitive Function. J Aging Health 2020; 32:1165-1177. [PMID: 31904296 DOI: 10.1177/0898264319895842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: Many medications have cognitive impairment, memory loss, amnesia, or dementia as side effects ("cognitive side effects" hereafter), but little is known about trends in the prevalence of these medications or their implications for population-level cognitive impairment. Method: We use data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2016) to describe trends in the use of medications with cognitive side effects among adults aged 60+ (N = 16,937) and their implications for cognitive functioning (measured using word learning and recall, animal fluency, and digit symbol substitution assessments). Results: Between 1999 to 2000 and 2015 to 2016, the prevalence of older adults taking one, two, and at least three medications with cognitive side effects increased by 10.2%, 57.3%, and 298.7%, respectively. Compared to non-users, respondents who simultaneously used three or more medications with cognitive side effects scored 0.22 to 0.27 standard deviations lower in word learning and recall (p = .02), digit symbol substitution (p < .01), and the average standardized score of the three assessments (p < .001). Limitation: Dosage of medications associated with cognitive side effects was not measured. Discussion: Concurrent use of medications with cognitive side effects among older adults has increased dramatically over the past two decades. The use of such medications is associated with cognitive impairment and may explain for disparities in cognitive function across subgroups. These findings highlight the need for cognitive screenings among patients who consume medications with cognitive side effects. They also highlight the synergic effects of polypharmacy and potential drug-drug interactions that result in cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duy Do
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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15
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Graves LV, Drozdick L, Courville T, Farrer TJ, Gilbert PE, Delis DC. Cohort differences on the CVLT-II and CVLT3: Evidence of a negative Flynn effect on the attention/working memory and learning trials. Clin Neuropsychol 2019; 35:615-632. [PMID: 31829090 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2019.1699605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although cohort effects on IQ measures have been investigated extensively, studies exploring cohort differences on verbal memory tests, and the extent to which they are influenced by socioenvironmental changes across decades (e.g. educational attainment; ethnic makeup), have been limited. METHOD We examined differences in performance between the normative samples of the CVLT-II from 1999 and the CVLT3 from 2016 to 2017 on the immediate- and delayed-recall trials, and we explored the degree to which verbal learning and memory skills might be influenced by the cohort year in which norms were collected versus demographic factors (e.g. education level). RESULTS Multivariate analysis of variance tests and follow-up univariate tests yielded evidence for a negative cohort effect (also referred to as negative Flynn effect) on performance, controlling for demographic factors (p = .001). In particular, findings revealed evidence of a negative Flynn effect on the attention/working memory and learning trials (Trial 1, Trial 2, Trial 3, Trials 1-5 Total, List B; ps < .007), with no significant cohort differences found on the delayed-recall trials. As expected, education level, age group, and ethnicity were significant predictors of CVLT performance (ps < .01). Importantly, however, there were no interactions between cohort year of norms collection and education level, age group, or ethnicity on performance. CONCLUSIONS The clinical implications of the present findings for using word list learning and memory tests like the CVLT, and the potential role of socioenvironmental factors on the observed negative Flynn effect on the attention/working memory and learning trials, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa V Graves
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA.,Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Troy Courville
- Professional Education, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Thomas J Farrer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Paul E Gilbert
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA.,Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Dean C Delis
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Moret-Tatay C, Murphy M. Editorial: Aging in the Digital Era. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1815. [PMID: 31447744 PMCID: PMC6692468 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Moret-Tatay
- Departamento de Metodología, Psicología Básica y Psicología Social, Universidad Católica de Valencia, San Vicente Mártir, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mike Murphy
- School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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A Flynn Effect in Kuwait, 1985–1998. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Abstract
For more than 50 years, psychologists, gerontologists, and, more recently, neuroscientists have considered the possibility of successful aging. How to define successful aging remains debated, but well-preserved age-sensitive cognitive functions, like episodic memory, is an often-suggested criterion. Evidence for successful memory aging comes from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies showing that some older individuals display high and stable levels of performance. Successful memory aging may be accomplished via multiple paths. One path is through brain maintenance, or relative lack of age-related brain pathology. Through another path, successful memory aging can be accomplished despite brain pathology by means of efficient compensatory and strategic processes. Genetic, epigenetic, and lifestyle factors influence memory aging via both paths. Some of these factors can be promoted throughout the life course, which, at the individual as well as the societal level, can positively impact successful memory aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sara Pudas
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
- Umeå center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
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Bratsberg B, Rogeberg O. Flynn effect and its reversal are both environmentally caused. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:6674-6678. [PMID: 29891660 PMCID: PMC6042097 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1718793115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Population intelligence quotients increased throughout the 20th century-a phenomenon known as the Flynn effect-although recent years have seen a slowdown or reversal of this trend in several countries. To distinguish between the large set of proposed explanations, we categorize hypothesized causal factors by whether they accommodate the existence of within-family Flynn effects. Using administrative register data and cognitive ability scores from military conscription data covering three decades of Norwegian birth cohorts (1962-1991), we show that the observed Flynn effect, its turning point, and subsequent decline can all be fully recovered from within-family variation. The analysis controls for all factors shared by siblings and finds no evidence for prominent causal hypotheses of the decline implicating genes and environmental factors that vary between, but not within, families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernt Bratsberg
- Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research, 0349 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole Rogeberg
- Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research, 0349 Oslo, Norway
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Genovese JEC. Evidence of a Flynn Effect in Children's Human Figure Drawings (1902-1968). The Journal of Genetic Psychology 2018; 179:176-182. [PMID: 29799338 DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2018.1469113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
The Flynn effect is the long-term trend for scores on tests of cognitive ability to increase across cohorts. Several samples of children's human figure drawings, published in 1902, 1926, 1963, and 1968, are examined for evidence of a Flynn effect. Results show that larger percentages of children draw more complete human figures over the course of the 20th century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy E C Genovese
- a Curriculum and Foundations, Cleveland State University , Cleveland , Ohio , USA
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22
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Dutton E, Bakhiet SFA, Osman HA, Becker D, Essa YAS, Blahmar TAM, Lynn R, Hakami SM. A Flynn Effect in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, 2004–2016. INTELLIGENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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23
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Baron J. Individual Mental Abiities vs. the World's Problems. J Intell 2018; 6:jintelligence6020023. [PMID: 31162450 PMCID: PMC6480718 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence6020023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The major problems in the world today are problems of government or the lack of it. Thus, the relevant parts of intelligence are those that make for good citizenship, such as supporting the best candidates and policies. I argue that dispositions, as well as capacities, are part of intelligence, and that some dispositions are the ones most crucial for citizenship, particularly the disposition to engage in actively open-minded thinking (AOT) and to apply it as a standard for the evaluation of the qualifications of authorities and leaders. AOT is a general prescriptive theory that applies to all thinking. It affects the aptness of conclusions and the accuracy of confidence judgments, and it reduces overconfidence when extreme confidence is not warranted. AOT may be affected by different factors from those that affect other components of intelligence and thus may undergo different changes over time. Whatever has happened in the past, we need more of it now.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Baron
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, 3720 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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