The Flynn Effect: Meaning, Importance, Potential Reversal, & More

The Flynn effect is unequivocal proof that each generation is more intelligent than the previous one, which is contrary to popular belief. However, psychologists are less certain about its causes, implications, and indications for the future.

Still, there is enough information to confirm that the Flynn effect is real and surprisingly consistent. In this article, we will review some of the research to help you better understand this fascinating phenomenon.

So, let’s get started.

Key Takeaways

• James Flynn was the first to notice the Flynn effect, which is a steady increase in IQ in the general population, amounting to 3.3 points every ten years.
• The Flynn effect proves that humans are getting smarter and that environmental factors play an essential role in IQ development.
• Likely causes of the Flynn effect include education, improved nutrition, better healthcare, and exposure to complex tasks and technology.
• Scientists also observed and studied cases of Flynn effect reversal, likely caused by modern lifestyles, pollution, or the natural process of social mixing.

What Is the Flynn Effect?

What Is the Flynn Effect?

The Flynn effect is a steady increase in average IQ scores in the general population over time. According to psychometricians, IQ increases by 0.33 points per year, which amounts to about 3.3 points every decade.

As a result, psychometricians must regularly revise IQ tests to account for the Flynn effect and keep the average score at 100. To do that, they use a sample of younger test-takers and adjust the new IQ tests to their abilities.

The Flynn effect was first observed in 1984 by James Flynn, an intelligence researcher who followed and documented the rise of IQ scores over time. However, American psychologist Richard Herrnstein and political scientist Charles Murray were the ones who actually coined the term in 1994.

In one of his many speeches on this topic, Flynn gave an example of the Flynn effect, claiming that past generations would have an average IQ of 70 if they were held to today’s standards.

On the other hand, current generations would all be geniuses if they took the same IQ test that was in use a hundred years ago, with an average score of 130.

Why Is the Flynn Effect Important in Psychology?

The Flynn effect is important in psychology because it provides empirical evidence that human intelligence is increasing over time. That increase can be measured and followed, allowing us to gain more insight into our own progress.

In addition to understanding our general progress, we can also learn which specific areas of intelligence we have improved in the most.

As it turns out, the most significant increase has been observed in the domain of abstract and hypothetical thinking. Compared to a century ago, abstract thinking is far more dominant in society and education, leading to generations who are trained to use it from a young age.

Moreover, the Flynn effect has important implications for factors that affect IQ.

Scientists have always wondered which determines intelligence—nature or nurture. And while there’s evidence that genetics plays the most significant role, the Flynn effect proves that environmental factors are far from negligible.

After all, the genetic pool couldn’t have drastically changed in only a century, but our environment certainly has. Above all, basic education is widespread and available to everyone, which wasn’t the case in the early 1900s.

In that sense, the Flynn effect also confirms that our education is effectively producing smarter people.

5 Reasons Why the Flynn Effect Occurs

The reasons the Flynn effect occurs are likely related to better living conditions in the 21st century compared to the early 1900s. After all, environmental factors can greatly impact our cognitive development.

Below, we examine what causes the Flynn effect in a bit more detail.

#1. Education

Books and a tablet in a school classroom

In the past, education was highly exclusive and primarily reserved for the upper echelons of society, while most of the general population never had the same opportunities.

However, in modern times, basic education is considered a right, and it’s mandatory in most countries in the world. As a result, the general population is exposed to knowledge, information, and different ways of thinking from an early age.

Most importantly, basic education boosts both fluid intelligence through subjects such as math and language classes and crystallized intelligence with subjects focused on accumulating knowledge.

Since both are crucial components of general intelligence measured by IQ, good basic education gives us an edge on IQ tests that people in the past didn’t have.

#2. Improved Nutrition

Improved nutrition as a reason for the Flynn effect

A study conducted on Ugandan children proved once and for all that better nutrition is linked with higher intelligence. Namely, the malnourished children struggled to solve tasks that tested working memory, selective attention, and other cognitive functions compared to those whose diet was adequate.

These results aren’t surprising when we consider that their brains are still developing and, therefore, need proper nutrition. However, they do explain the difference in intelligence observed between us and our predecessors.

Although there is some debate over whether the food quality improved or decreased, there’s no doubt that the quantity is higher than a century ago. In addition, we know more about nutrition than before, so we can make better choices.

As a result, malnourishment isn’t as common in the developed world, which allows our brains to reach their full potential.

#3. Healthcare

A doctor looking at the patient's report

Health has a similar effect on the brain as proper nutrition—the healthier you are, the more likely you are to have a high IQ. This is especially true during the developmental years, as various diseases, including infectious ones such as meningitis, cerebral malaria, and parasites, can lead to a lower IQ.

However, thanks to advancements in healthcare, these diseases are far less common today than they were in the past. Even when a child contracts an infection, modern medicine offers treatments that help them fight it off and conserve the energy required for brain development.

#4. Exposure to Complex Tasks

Complex tasks as reason to the Flynn Effect

With the spread of education, our world has also become more complex. In the past, only the educated elite needed to concern themselves with difficult questions and important decisions. But nowadays, almost everyone does to a greater or lesser extent.

As we navigate the complexity of everyday life, our brains become increasingly better at solving problems and understanding abstract ideas. And considering that these are major aspects of intelligence, our collective IQ grows as well.

#5. Technology

Various technologies on a desk

New technology also requires a developed and flexible mind that can quickly adapt to it and grasp how it works. Over the last century, technological advancements have been staggering, and the last couple of decades have demanded that we get used to something new every few years.

Not to mention, an important part of the technological boom has been the development of video games, which may contribute to the general increase in IQ. They are known to improve cognition and boost our reasoning, problem-solving skills, and abstract thinking.

The Flynn Effect Reversal

The Flynn effect reversal is the recent discovery that average IQ scores have begun to drop instead of increasing by 0.33 points every year. These findings have been documented in several countries, including America, France, and Norway.

Although the Flynn effect showed consistent growth in average IQ in the 20th century, things seem less clear in the 21st century. Reports of average IQ stagnation or decline are numerous, but scientists aren’t sure if this is a reason for concern.

Some believe that the Flynn effect reversal might be caused by the new predominant lifestyle that emphasizes scrolling through social media instead of reading books or spending time on more intellectually stimulating hobbies.

On the other hand, there is evidence to suggest that worsening air pollution could also affect cognition and, by extension, IQ. According to a Chinese study, an aging brain is particularly susceptible to pollution, which negatively affects both verbal skills and logical thinking.

The Flynn Effect Reversal As a Natural Process

It’s not all bleak, though. More optimistic psychologists believe that the Flynn effect reversal is a natural process that occurs due to migration and social mixing and, therefore, isn’t a cause for panic.

Specifically, developed countries have likely reached somewhat of a plateau in collective IQ growth, and now the Flynn effect isn’t as noticeable as before. On the other hand, developing countries aren’t on the same level yet.

As a result, when people migrate from developing to developed countries, we may observe the reversal of the Flynn effect. That seems to be the case in the countries that recorded the reversal, as they all experienced more migration than ever before.

Still, as time goes by and developing countries reach their full potential, differences in average IQ will even out, and the Flynn effect reversal will likely diminish.

Criticisms of the Flynn Effect

Criticisms of the Flynn Effect

Criticisms of the Flynn effect mostly center around the uncertainty over whether the phenomenon shows an increase in general intelligence or our improved ability to solve IQ tests.

Although the increase in average IQ test scores is undoubtedly real, some psychologists suspect the Flynn effect doesn’t actually indicate we’ve become smarter than our predecessors. It simply means we’ve grown more accustomed to solving the kinds of tasks that appear on IQ tests.

Considering how widely available practice IQ tests are, that might not be entirely off the mark. Moreover, our education system has taught us more sophisticated test-taking strategies, but that doesn’t mean our intelligence has increased.

However, it’s nearly impossible to accurately determine whether the Flynn effect occurs due to an actual increase in intelligence or an improvement in our test-taking strategies. Ultimately, both Flynn’s supporters and detractors can only speculate.

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Final Thoughts

The Flynn effect proves that younger generations aren’t as incompetent as their parents and grandparents like to believe. In fact, considering they are expected to perform in an increasingly fast-paced digital world, their mental agility and processing speed have to be much higher.

The question is, how long can this continue, and have we reached our limit? The Flynn effect reversal seems to suggest so, but the only way to understand its true implications is to wait and see how the trend will develop in the future.