IQ Scores Are Declining All Around The World, But What Is Causing It?

By Mayukh Saha / Truth Theory

Are people really getting dumber with time?
It is a known fact and IQ scores have seen to decline in some of the leading countries.

People have enquired about the connection between intelligence and IQ and it was recognized that success depends on grit and other virtues just like IQ.

IQ tests that are under use, presently, capture durable and meaningful materials and research has suggested that IQ scores predict longevity and educational achievements. It was also seen that the scientific innovations and economic development of a country were linked to its average IQ.

SUBSCRIBE TO THE TRUTH THEORY YOUTUBE CHANNEL, CLICK HERE

When you see IQ scores are dipping that means progress on all these fronts is hampered, which leads to lower discoveries, stagnant economies, and a dimmer future for the population.

The US has not hit the same thing. But this is nothing to cheer for, as it can either signify that they are not an advanced economy or that they too would see the drop in the upcoming future.

Americans need to figure out why this Quotient is dropping so that they can prevent it from happening to them as well.

It Is Time To Look Into The Reason Behind The Drop In IQ

It was seen that researchers always rescaled the tests to correct the raw scores, but such scores had been on the rise for several types of tests for over 50 years.

The current Intelligence tests are done in such a way that it can measure core cognitive skills like problem-solving speed, memory and even processing something visually. These cognitive abilities can be chiseled by outer factors like demanding workspaces and higher quality of schooling.

READ: PLANET EARTH MAY BE AN INTELLIGENT ENTITY ACCORDING TO THESE SCIENTISTS

The rise in such scores was clear evidence that society was progressing and people were getting smarter. It was known as the “Flynn effect” and was named after JR Flynn who recognized its import.

 Flynn himself has now conceded that the IQ gained by the people of the 20th century has faltered. The decline was spotted in Britain, France, Australia, Germany, and Scandinavia.

The drop in IQ in Denmark and Norway appeared in longstanding tests of military conscripts while the French data was on a different test and a smaller sample size.

This drop had some explanations, one was quasi-eugenic. The average intelligence was pulled down because of the fact that people with lower intelligence had more children.

READ: PEOPLE WHO ‘WORSHIP’ CELEBRITIES TEND TO BE LESS INTELLIGENT SAY SCIENTISTS

A study from Norway in 2018 shattered those theories by proving that IQ did not just drop across the nation but even within families. Even the children, borne by high-IQ parents had slipped down the ladder.

Some external factors had caused a drop in the scores. One explanation behind it was that the lower-skill service jobs were on the rise which eventually made work less demanding, as people did not have to flex their brains much.

There were other possibilities like global warming where food had become less nutritious or devices reducing our abilities to focus.

It will be beneficial for us to pin down the main reason why the IQ score was dipping before we’re too dumb to figure it out ourselves.

Image credits: Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

123RF