The Flynn Effect
The Flynn effect explains the issues and development of general IQ scores of a population in a given period. In his research, James R. Flynn identified that the IQ scores increased in every generation. Flynn developed the hypothesis based on the understanding that the IQ test does not measure intelligence but correlate the causal links of intelligence. These changes point to the interplay of different factors that affecting intelligence. The Flynn perspective highlights the influence of environmental factors such as education, nutrition, and infectious diseases on intelligence.
Changes in literacy rates contribute to higher IQ score. The average schooling duration has increased over time, and so has intelligence. Such correlation identifies that people are spending more time acquiring knowledge in formal education settings (Graham & Plucker, 2018). Many studies reveal lower scores among infants who do not attend school.
The Flynn effects may be a result of the decreasing intensity of human disease witnessed with the developing world. Scientists Eppig and Fincher (2009) argue that the development of economies, education, nutrition, and technology influence intelligence by reducing the intensity of infectious outbreaks. Eppig further argues, “From an energetics standpoint, a developing human will have difficulty building a brain and fighting off infectious diseases at the same time, as both are very metabolically costly tasks.”
The improved nutritional level among public is another reason for increasing intelligence. Improved nutrition results in improved general health and stature. Scientific research explains that health improvement results in the analogous development of the average size of the brain. Micronutrient deficiency such as iodine deficiency reduces the development of intelligence. Delay et al. (2003) research in Kenya reveals that the hypothesis on nutrition best explains the variations.
References
Daley, TC; Whaley, SE; Sigman, MD; Espinosa, MP; Neumann, C (May 2003). “IQ on the rise: the Flynn effect in rural Kenyan children”. Psychological Science. 14 (3): 215–9
Eppig C, Fincher CL, Thornhill R (December 2010). “Parasite prevalence and the worldwide distribution of cognitive ability”. Proc. Biol. Sci. 277(1701): 3801–8
Graham, C., & Plucker, J. (2018). Human Intelligence: The Flynn Effect. Retrieved from https://www.intelltheory.com/flynneffect.shtml