What is the Flynn Effect: Latest Research Findings(Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research et al., 2018)

The theme of this issue is the Flynn Effect.
Let's take a look at what the Flynn effect is.
I will also mention the latest research findings on the Flynn effect.
The topics are as follows.

1. What is the Flynn Effect
   First, let's understand what the Flynn effect is.
2. Negative Flynn Effect
   Next, I will discuss the latest research findings on the Flynn effect.
   In fact, the latest research results show that the Flynn effect isnegatively correlated.
3. Causes of the Negative Flynn Effect
   Finally, I will explain what is considered to be the cause of thenegative Flynn effect.

What is the Flynn Effect

The Flynn effect is a trend in which intelligence quotient scorescontinue to rise year after year.
This effect was revealed by a study conducted in 1984.
The study collected and analyzed IQ test data from 35 countries.
As a result, the following two points were made clear.

• People born in 1978 had an IQ 13.8 points higher than those born in 1932.
• The human IQ has increased by 0.3 points per year and 3 points every10 years.

This means that IQ test scores have been growing continuously sincethe beginning of the 20th century.
From these results, the researchers concluded that humanity is gettingsmarter and smarter.

A variety of factors are thought to contribute to the Flynn effect,including nutrition, health care, and education.
Among them, the most likely factor is environmental change.Researchers believe that modern life increasingly requires abstractthinking, which is the underlying source of the Flynn effect.

Referenced Scientific Papers

Negative Flynn Effect

However, the latest research has revealed that IQ test scores havegradually declined over the past few decades.
In other words, it's not that humans are getting wiser, but on thecontrary, they are getting stupider.

What's more, similar results have been published by several research teams.
For example, a research team in Norway studied more than 730,000Norwegian males born between 1962 and 1991.
The team then analyzed the IQ test results they took when they weredrafted at the age of 18 or 19.
When the research team analyzed all the test results, they found thefollowing.

• The Flynn effect reached its peak in the mid-1970s.
• Since then, IQ test scores have fallen by an average of 7 points pergeneration.
• The test results have been completely reversed and the currentintelligence quotient is back to about 70 years ago.

Another British research team also found that since about the end ofWorld War II, IQ score results have fallen by 2.5 to 4.3 points every10 years.

Referenced Scientific Papers

Causes of the Negative Flynn Effect

Finally, I'll introduce some of the possible causes of the negativeFlynn effect.
First of all, the results of the Norwegian study show that lower IQ isnot causally related to genetic or environmental factors.
Therefore, other possible factors include lifestyle changes, methodsof educating children, and the child's growth process.
Diet is also a factor that affects the human intelligence quotient.
For example, it has been found that people who eat a lot of fish tendto have a higher IQ.
The fact that children in many countries nowadays don't eat much fishmay be a contributing factor to their poor IQ test results.

Summary

• The Flynn effect is a trend in which intelligence quotient scorescontinue to rise year after year.
• However, several recently published studies have revealed that IQ testscores have been gradually declining over the past few decades.
• According to a study published in 2018, the Flynn effect peaked in themid-1970s, and since then IQ has been 7 points lower pergeneration.
• The decline in IQ was not causally related to genetic or environmentalfactors.
• Therefore, other possible factors include lifestyle changes, methodsof educating children, and the child's growth process.
• Also, dietary changes may be one factor.
  For example, it has been found that people who eat a lot of fish tendto have a higher IQ.
  If you want to improve your IQ, you may want to start a fish-eating diet.