What is The Flynn Effect?

The Flynn effect was first introduced by researcher James Flynn in the 1980s when IQ test scores increased compared to the past. “The IQ level of the human population shows an increase of about 3 points every 10 years.” became the theory with the word. Flynn has found many supporters by other researchers investigating this effect. A research article published by psychologist Lisa Trahan and colleagues combined the results of other published studies (bringing together more than 14,000 participants in total.) And saw that IQ scores have really increased since the 1950s. Studies also show that although there are some exceptional documentation, IQ scores have generally increased over time. Facing this reality, Trahan and her colleagues made the following statement: “The existence of Flynn effect should rarely be discussed.”

What Causes the Flynn Effect?

Researchers put forward several theories when explaining the Flynn effect. In addition to the developments in the field of health and nutrition, which are of primary importance in this theory, they have stated that the factors such as decrease in the use of cigarettes and alcohol in pregnancy, harmful lead, and the use of paint have been effective in the prevention and treatment of diseases.

When today’s psychologists Scott Barry Kaufman discusses today’s psychology, he said, “The Flynn effect undeniably contributes to the increase in the number of healing people, giving us more opportunities to heal over time.”  In other words, since the twentieth century, with the influence of Flynn, many public health problems have been introduced that have prevented people from reaching their full potential in previous generations.

Another explanation for the Flynn effect is related to the social changes that took place in the last century as a result of the Industrial Revolution. In a TED talk, Flynn explains that the world today is “a world in which we have to develop new mental habits, new mental habits.” Flynn attributes the increase of IQ scores to the intellectual activities in solving the fastest growing problems in the complex world. He argues that the similarities between different things and more abstract types of problem solving enable us to think, analyze and realize more in the modern world.

Several ideas have been proposed to explain why modern society has achieved higher scores in IQ tests. For example; Most of us today want a good position to use analytical thinking.  Education in schools has also changed in connection with these requests. While a test at school in the early 1900s might have focused more on memorization, a test today is more likely to focus on explaining the reasons for something. Also, more people can finish high school and go to college today. The family structure tends to be smaller, and this has been said to be allowed to acquire new vocabulary as this will increase the interaction time with the parents of the children.

The time we spend for our entertainment outside of work has become more complicated. For example, trying to understand and predict an important point in a favorite TV show or a book we read can actually make us smarter.

What Does the Flynn Effect Teach Us?

The Flynn effect tells us that the human mind is much more adaptable and agile than we thought. It proves that our intellectual activities will be developed with environment and education, not necessarily from birth. Especially if the society has gone into modern industry, our outlook on the world will develop much more than our ancestors.

While discussing the Flynn effect, Malcolm Gladwell from New York writes: “Even if the scale of IQ tests achieves higher results in one generation, the only reason for this cannot be innate intelligence. In other words, the Flynn effect says that IQ is not actually what we think, but rather a natural, birth-gained intelligence measure, a phenomenon that can be shaped by the education we receive and the society we live in.