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The legacy of James Flynn: Why is his name associated with the IQ revolution?
The concept of IQ revolution entered the academic field with the name of James Flynn. The Flynn Effect refers to the phenomenon in which test scores for fluid and crystallized intelligence continued to rise significantly in many regions of the world during the 20th century. This phenomenon occurred when the intelligence test was first standardized and the average score was set at 100. In each subsequent revision of the test, the average score of young subjects was almost always higher than 100. This makes researchers wonder: What exactly causes the continued rise in IQ?
Contemporary intelligence tests are revised periodically, yet average scores continue to rise based on the performance of standardized samples, which not only shows the development of intelligence tests, but also confirms the evolution of knowledge and abilities.
The definition and origin of the Flynn effect
James Flynn aims to document this phenomenon and its impact on society. The term was first proposed by Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray in their 1994 book "The Bell Curve". What they were referring to was a "mundane rise in IQ scores," a theory that no one specifically supported, but over time, more and more psychology textbooks began to use the "Flynn Effect" to describe the phenomenon.
The update frequency of IQ tests continues to increase, and the average of these tests is set to 100. It is thought-provoking that even if the group education level is similar, the IQ growth between different age groups is still significant.
The growth of IQ and its significance
The push for standardized testing continues, but increases in IQ raise questions about the nature of intelligence. Do increases in IQ directly correspond to increases in general intelligence, or are they simply related to improvements in testing skills? Not only that, many studies point to various factors such as social environment, education level, and cultural changes.
Although there is clear evidence of increased IQ in various tests, whether everyone has a corresponding increase in intelligence is still a focus of academic debate.
Discuss the reasons for improving IQ
One explanation for the Flynn effect is longer years of education and familiarity with the test, but this explanation has also been questioned. The increase in IQ persisted even among groups with similar educational levels. In addition, with the development of society, the overall environment has become more and more complex, and exposure to various media environments has exposed each generation to richer visual materials.
Scholars believe that "more stimulating environments" are one of the driving forces of today's intellectual growth, and people's ability to master abstract concepts has been significantly enhanced.
The connection between nutrition and health
In nutrition, improved health is also considered to be one of the reasons for rising IQ. As the quality and quantity of food intake improves, human physical development further promotes brain development. In contrast, research shows that long-term malnutrition may have irreversible effects on intellectual development.
Looking for a more in-depth explanation
Faced with the collective rise in IQ data, researchers have begun to explore various hypotheses and models to explain this phenomenon. Including the interaction between genes and environment, as well as the impact of epidemics, have attracted widespread attention in the research community. These studies not only help us understand the rise of IQ, but also give us a better understanding of the complexity of intelligence itself.
Despite various different studies and explanations, I believe that with changes in society, environment, and culture, IQ will continue to be re-evaluated and understood. Facing the future, we need to deeply explore the nature of intelligence and its changes: In fact, is the growth of intelligence behind the proof of cultural progress or just the result of improved testing?
