Americans’ IQ scores are lower in some areas, higher in one
news.northwestern.edu
A new study from Northwestern University has found evidence of a reverse “Flynn effect” in a large U.S. sample between 2006 and 2018 in every category except one. For the reverse Flynn effect, there were consistent negative slopes for three out of the four cognitive domains.

cross-posted from: https://lemmit.online/post/5372005

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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/tyrion2024 on 2025-03-11 02:20:22+00:00.

Original Title: TIL a 2023 study examined the cognitive ability scores of nearly 400,000 Americans between 2006-2018 and found that over that 13-year period, Americans’ IQ scores had dropped in three out of the four cognitive domains included in the analysis.

  • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.orgEnglish
    0·
    8 days ago

    I have a completely unsubstantiated theory that as phone screens got taller, people became dumber. I’m not going to pretend correlation equals causation, but it is funny the timelines for this study and my theory match up.

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    8 days ago

    Ability scores of verbal reasoning (logic, vocabulary), matrix reasoning (visual problem solving, analogies), and letter and number series (computational/mathematical) dropped during the study period, but scores of 3D rotation (spatial reasoning) generally increased from 2011 to 2018, the study found. Composite ability scores (single scores derived from multiple pieces of information) were also lower for more recent samples. The differences in scores were present regardless of age, education or gender.

    So we dropped in the areas removed from public education, and increased in the part video games help…

    The downside to the Flynn effect is people think we naturally get smarter, when it was just being getting better educations.

    The reason it dropped across education levels, is the issue is fundamental shit we’re supposed to learn in k-12

    Even private schools de prioritized this stuff, because if it’s not a metric it’s a “waste” of resources.

    And people still act surprised Republicans gained with the youth vote, we ain’t teaching them how to tell when something is bullshit anymore.