THE FLYNN EFFECT ESSAY Flashcards
(6 cards)
PARAGRAPH ONE
Intelligence testing is a complex and influential concept with wide-reaching implications for education, policy, and our understanding of human potential. For decades, psychology has been concerned with defining and measuring intelligence, and through this process has uncovered some surprising patterns. The Flynn Effect, as first systematically documented by James R. Flynn (1987), has been one of the most perplexing. This phenomenon refers to the substantial and sustained rise in mean IQ scores over time. Flynn initially observed that the average American IQ had increased by 5 to 25 points—more than one standard deviation—between the 1930s and the 1970s. Since then, the trend has been replicated across both industrialised and developing nations, sparking widespread interest in uncovering its underlying causes.
PARAGRAPH TWO
Initial responses to the Flynn Effect attempted to explain the phenomenon through genetic and evolutionary factors, however, this argument was quickly dismissed. As noted by Plomin and Deary (2015), evolution is a slow process that unfolds over many generations, and therefore cannot account for a dramatic rise in IQ scores within just a few decades. This led researchers to focus on environmental and societal factors as the primary drivers.
PARAGRAPH THREE
A range of environmental and societal processes have been proposed to explain the Flynn Effect, often operating in combination to produce broad-based cognitive gains. As noted by Neisser (1996), from the 1930s to the 1970s, schooling systems became more standardised, the length of formal education increased, and curricula became more cognitively demanding. These changes not only exposed individuals to more complex information, but also better prepared them for the types of tasks found on IQ tests, directly contributing to rising scores. In parallel, modern environments grew increasingly cognitively stimulating, with greater exposure to abstract reasoning through technology, media, and daily problem-solving, which likely strengthened the same reasoning abilities measured by IQ tests. At a societal level, improved nutrition, especially in prenatal and early childhood stages, supported optimal brain development (Lynn, 1990), while reductions in infectious disease freed up metabolic resources essential for neurological growth (Eppig et al., 2010). Together, these factors created conditions that enhanced the cognitive functioning of entire populations, offering a compelling explanation for the consistent upward trend in IQ scores observed across generations.
PARAGRAPH FOUR
While some critics argue that the Flynn Effect does not represent a true increase in intelligence, but rather improved test-taking strategies and familiarity with abstract tasks, this view underestimates the broader cognitive shift taking place. Flynn 2012 suggested that rising scores may reflect a genuine transformation in cognitive style—from concrete thinking to more abstract reasoning—driven by the demands of modern life. Exposure to formal education, technological media, and abstract problem-solving in everyday contexts may not increase innate intelligence, but they do enhance the types of thinking that IQ tests measure. In this sense, the Flynn Effect may not capture a rise in raw intellectual capacity, but rather a meaningful shift in how people engage with complex, symbolic information.
PARAGRAPH FIVE
Overall, the Flynn Effect highlights how intelligence, as measured by IQ tests, is deeply shaped by environmental and societal influences. Rather than reflecting changes in innate ability, the effect underscores a broader shift in the cognitive demands placed on individuals in the modern world.
REFERECNES
Flynn (1987) - P1 general
Plomin and Deary (2015) - Evolutionary argument
Neisser (1996) - Schools
Lynn, (1990) - Nutrition
Eppig et al., 2010 - infectious disease
Flynn (2012) - change in cognitive style
