The Flynn effect is constantly mischaracterized. It did not document some gradual increase in general intelligence in Western countries. The increase was all found in one very specific subtest, visual-spatial reasoning (your ability to have a mental map of the world around you, what it contains, where everything is relative to everything else). Since the increase was only in one very specific subset of intelligence (everything else stayed the same), the cause is some kind of shared environmental factor.
My personal guess is the impact of automobiles, both car accidents killing off people with low ability, sometimes entire crappy gene pools at a time and also the rigors of driving training everyone to be better at visual-spatial reasoning. I like my theory because the Flynn effect shows up in countries about when automobiles become widespread, and its end roughly coincides with the widespread adoption of airbags, crumple zones, other stupidproofing.
Elsewhere I have read that the Flynn Effect was, generally speaking, a product of getting enough calories, which also allows you to pay more attention in school and allowed for full biological development, and removal of parasites like stomach worms, from children.
That would make sense, in that the introduction of automobiles coincides with the increase in standards of living as mass industrialization lead to food and clothing, etc. being far cheaper.
Another argument is that current generations are learning and thinking more about abstract concepts while forgoing more practical knowledge used to survive in a non digital world.
The Flynn effect is constantly mischaracterized. It did not document some gradual increase in general intelligence in Western countries. The increase was all found in one very specific subtest, visual-spatial reasoning (your ability to have a mental map of the world around you, what it contains, where everything is relative to everything else). Since the increase was only in one very specific subset of intelligence (everything else stayed the same), the cause is some kind of shared environmental factor.
My personal guess is the impact of automobiles, both car accidents killing off people with low ability, sometimes entire crappy gene pools at a time and also the rigors of driving training everyone to be better at visual-spatial reasoning. I like my theory because the Flynn effect shows up in countries about when automobiles become widespread, and its end roughly coincides with the widespread adoption of airbags, crumple zones, other stupidproofing.
Elsewhere I have read that the Flynn Effect was, generally speaking, a product of getting enough calories, which also allows you to pay more attention in school and allowed for full biological development, and removal of parasites like stomach worms, from children.
That would make sense, in that the introduction of automobiles coincides with the increase in standards of living as mass industrialization lead to food and clothing, etc. being far cheaper.
Another argument is that current generations are learning and thinking more about abstract concepts while forgoing more practical knowledge used to survive in a non digital world.