EVANSTON, Ill. — IQ scores significantly increased from 1932 through the 20th century all over the world, with differences ranging from roughly three to five IQ points per decade. This phenomenon is known as the “Flynn Effect.” Now, however, a new study out Northwestern University suggests a “reverse-Flynn Effect” of sorts may be taking place in the United States.
This reverse-Flynn Effect was present across a large U.S. sample covering between 2006 and 2018 in every category — except one. Still, there were consistent negative slopes among three out of four cognitive domains.
Ability scores pertaining to verbal reasoning (logic, vocabulary), matrix reasoning (visual problem solving, analogies), and letter and number series (computational/mathematical) all dropped over the course of the study period. However, scores of 3D rotation (spatial reasoning) generally increased between 2011 to 2018.
Composite ability scores (single scores derived from multiple pieces of information) were also lower across the more recent samples. These score differences persisted regardless of age, education, or gender.
Sugarcoating the findings?
Despite the observed decline in IQ scores, corresponding study author Elizabeth Dworak posits people shouldn’t read these findings and think, “Americans are getting less intelligent.
“It doesn’t mean their mental ability is lower or higher; it’s just a difference in scores that are favoring older or newer samples,” explains Dworak, a research assistant professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in a media release. “It could just be that they’re getting worse at taking tests or specifically worse at taking these kinds of tests.”
Study authors used the Synthetic Aperture Personality Assessment (SAPA) Project, a free survey-based online personality test that gives test-takers feedback focusing on 27 temperament traits (adaptability, impulsivity, anxiety, humor), in addition to their ability scores.
Survey responses were analyzed from 394,378 Americans collected between 2006 to 2018 in an attempt to examine if cognitive ability scores changed over those 13 years. A smaller cohort of individuals (303,540) was also recruited between 2011 and 2018. The 3D rotation data, though, only exists for subjects who took the survey between 2011 and 2018.
More IQ scores needed
This project did not attempt to determine the reason for the decline in IQ scores. That being said, researchers add there is no shortage of possible explanations and theories in the scientific community, ranging from poor nutrition, and worsening health to media exposures and changes to education. “There’s debate about what’s causing it, but not every domain is going down; one of them is going up,” Prof. Dworak notes. “If all the scores were going in the same direction, you could make a nice little narrative about it, but that’s not the case. We need to do more to dig into it.”
To that end, Prof. Dworak and her colleagues are now attempting to access a dataset containing 40 years worth of data in order to conduct a follow-up study.
A change in societal values may have also affected IQ scores, Prof. Dworak adds. “If you’re thinking about what society cares about and what it’s emphasizing and reinforcing every day, there’s a possibility of that being reflected in performance on an ability test,” she continues.
For example, there’s been more emphasis on STEM education in recent decades. So, does that mean other academic areas, like abstract reasoning, are receiving less attention in schools?
Yet another factor could be a drop off in motivation. Since the SAPA Project is advertised as a personality survey, individuals who enrolled may have been more engaged with sections related to the measurement of temperament and less engaged with sections seemingly unrelated to personality.
And yes, there’s some tongue-in-cheek wordplay up there in the headline.
The study is published in Intelligence.
Hardly surprising when you substitute indoctrination for education.
Just read the comments here to see how STUPID people really are.
UNREAL.
There are a number of studies showing lower IQs and not just in the US. There are MANY reasons, just as there are MANY reasons for the poor overall health of Americans.
It takes a very special skill to design a healthcare system costing MORE per person than in other countries and resulting in a much shorter life expectancy. Not to mention the low quality of life.
Corporate governance. And people vote for that. So dumbed down.
It’s quite simple, back in the early 90’s, the teacher unions turned to politisize the public schools. The problem was, they would hire anyone with a college diploma. So our schools got the dregs of college grads that no high paying company would hire! These are the ones who spent more time on the streets with signs than book studying! So we have been in decline forv3 decades. Former Sub teacher.
We’ve been in decline since Jimmy Carter federalized the public school system in 1979. If you want something to fail get the federal government to operate it.
“If you want something to fail get the federal government to operate it.” Oh, you mean like our armed forces? Perhaps you mean Social Security or maybe Medicare, or perhaps Obamacare? Oh, I know, the Interstate Highway System! Or maybe FEMA that all state governors demand when their state has some sort of natural disaster.
What do you expect when the schools push DEI, Transgender, CRT while reading, writing, math, science go by the wayside as is it no longer matters…BUT IT DOES!
It’s partly about the breeding. When drunk hookups and random slutting around, choosing the best twerkers, replaces sober choosing of mates for long term dating, ya breeds a different breed of cat.
IQ scores have declined as phones got smarter.
how can this be when almost 70% of college students are now female?
more dumber ?? With authors like this, I’d say “YES!”
It’s either dumber or more dumb! NOT BOTH!
As soon as I read that line, I stopped reading.
Cell Phones.
No challenge. No critical thinking required. Instant entertainment. Near instant addiction.
Cell Phones need to be illegal in every single school.
An increase in the number of Democrat/Communists and/or Liberal Arts majors like history, fine arts and sociology majors would contribute; how could I forget underwater basket weaving majors?
The falling IQ scores can probably be traced directly to the number of people who watch the View and think that it’s a news show.
The competence level is understandable and expected (not a concern), mostly resulting from the government controlling “education,” fast food (malnutrition), and your live being dominated by a play phone during your waking hours. The masses have become illiterate, but how competent do you need to be to be the 2nd assistant manager of the red Chinese toilette seat shelf at Walmart, anyway?
What concerns me is the acceptance of increased savagery, and the government feeding it.
A lot of people here are confusing IQ with education. IQ can be defined as an innate problem solving ability that is acquired genetically while education is learned knowledge, not the same thing although they are connected as those who are fortunate enough to have been born with a high IQ tend, generally, to make better use of their educations.
I would expand on your thoughts somewhat..
IQ is not considered a innate genetic trait by researchers on the topic. It certainly has a genetic component to it, but that is only partial, nutrition and social setting also affect it.
And it is not strictly a ‘problem solving ability’, IQ tests attempt to evaluate ‘G’ (general intelligence), a broad measurement of mental capacity encompassing problem solving, verbal acuity, reasoning and other skills.
And lastly it correlates to success much more broadly than education. For the last century, we’ve used college entrance exams which correlate tightly to IQ. Therefore, the low IQ person lacking connections was simply excluded from entry to many higher education institutions. In the same way, banks, insurance companies, the US Military gave tests that correlated to IQ and excluded people from opportunity and education based upon IQ.
All of this was based upon the ideals of the original ‘Progressives’ who saw a social good in a modernist future where the best minds were directed to the highest usages in consideration of making the most productive overall society possible. And of course, at the other end of that scale, it led them to embrace eugenics.
Nah, that’s impossible! We’re too smart for that. 😉
Hmmm…. gee, what could it be?
Were being poisoned. Water, food, cultural, everything. We are being physically and psychologically poisoned.
“We are being poisoned.”
Of course you are. You are poor and hence have no value in the eyes of your Conservative leadership.
“Conservative leadership”? You are confusing the issue by adding conservative to your argument. ANY leadership would be more accurate. Elites, left, right, liberal, there is no difference in terms of how they value you. The level of corruption across the globe is caused by greed, envy, call it what you will. No one in power cares about any of you, they care about power. And if it takes a gun, a handout, or stifling your voice, they will use it.
Bingo!
Senile little girl fondling Joe Biden, Commie-la Harris and the slimy lying, cheating crooked DemocRATS lower the average IQ of this nation by at least 20 points.
“Senile little girl fondling Joe Biden” – Texan Pedo.
Demographics is destiny.
well, duh. That’s the only reason why a monster like Donald Trump could be elected as a president. The dumbing down of America
Americans are now too stupid to know how to elect effective leadership that isn’t mentally ill.
Hence American is no longer a viable nation.
But we elected Joe. Doesn’t that compensate for the dark Trump years?
Loser
Really? “More dumber”
Is it to catch someones attention, or are you a victim of the dumbing down of society.
I find it so strange that so many journalists do not use proper grammar. I thought
journalism was a language art. The educational system has failed. The woke teachers
are more concerned with pronouns and trans ideology, than equipping students with the
skills necessary to be a productive citizen of society. This is causing irreparable damage
to our children. We have the highest paid and most pampered educators in the world, yet
too many high school graduates cannot read and do basic mathematics, much less communicate.
No wonder people don’t communicate well with each other.
So Sad.
“highest paid”? nope, not true for first world countries. “too many high school graduates cannot read”? I would like to see a few peer reviewed citations here. Also, about the reading levels, I’d like to see the curve of literacy over several decades. A surprising measure of low literacy has been present in the US for decades.
Phew, so glad I’m not the only one who saw the irony of ” more dumber” !
The movie Idiocracy comes to mind here
The author mentions that the title is a humorous play on words towards the end.
did you read all the way to the end?
“And yes, there’s some tongue-in-cheek wordplay up there in the headline.”
obviously not. what a great way to identify those who only read the headlines and don’t bother to read the actual article…
Indulging the fantasy of ego, especially one’s own, is the root to every problem in existence, from the personal to the global every problem resulting from some ego insisting on being catered with its thoughts and feelings prioritized by others enduring their own. And Americans *only* hero-worship the most self-serving among them, not the self-sacrificing who define heroism. Of course the comments here would entail idiots arguing over which marketing they’ve been sold on, all believing greatness comes by osmosis or just really wanting it badly enough.
It must be true if even the author lacks knowledge of the proper use of the English language:
It’s either “more dumb” or it is “dumber”, but certainly not “more dumber”!
His favorite movie must have been Idiocracy
or.. neither of you read the whole article and missed this part:
“And yes, there’s some tongue-in-cheek wordplay up there in the headline.”