Are We Getting Smarter?: Rising IQ in the Twenty-First Century
October 29, 2012
- Author:
- James R. Flynn
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press (9/6/2012)
The ‘Flynn effect’ is a surprising finding, identified by James R. Flynn, that IQ test scores have significantly increased from one generation to the next over the past century. Flynn now brings us an exciting new book which aims to make sense of this rise in IQ scores and considers what this tells us about our intelligence, our minds and society. Are We Getting Smarter? features fascinating new material on a variety of topics including the effects of intelligence in the developing world; the impact of rising IQ scores on the death penalty, cognitive ability in old age, and the language abilities of youth culture; as well as controversial topics of race and gender. He ends with the message that assessing IQ goes astray if society is ignored. As IQ scores continue to rise into the 21st century, particularly in the developing world, the ‘Flynn effect’ marches on!
Kindle version also available at this link
Comments (3)
by Elyv
IQ is increasing for more reasons than simple external stimulations: we allow ourselves more sensual pleasures. Awakening the mind is happening because we are awakening the body, far from the ancient religious taboos, in line with the Sensual Meditation techniques that state: “pleasure is the fertilizer for opening the mind”.
by melajara
Concrete operations internalization (e.g. rotation of an imagined object) is improving. However, abstract thought process (e.g. hypothetical-deductive reasoning) is regressing. There are multiple reasons for that, among them:
1, Pressure from an environment with more and more “objects” and gadgets to manipulate (mediated effectors).
2, Mediated access to “engines of creation”, i.e. not anymore paper and pencil but a tablet to boot, a software to load, menus to access, mouse or stylus to manipulate and so on, granted, this one will be alleviated by gestures based UI but we are far from a standard for those types of UI.
3, lack of concentration and constant multitasking if not ADHD.
4, too much connectivity among individuals, preventing the emergence of genuinely original thoughts (with a direct impact on the number of really original scientific theories as there were so many from circa 1870 to 1940).
So, all in all, averaged increased IQ, yes but with mitigating factors for still unenhanced humans.
by Ralph Dratman
It should not be a surprise that IQ would increase as many external factors stimulate the mind. I can’t imagine that one could watch television without one’s intelligence being extended. But have you studied judgement, reality testing and other non-IQ measures? Those might actually be dropping.