You learn something new every day they say. Today I learned that IQs have dramatically declined to such a degree that most of the population now would have been considered borderline 'retarded' pre-1985. Apparently the falling of IQs started with TV primarily eating up time that would have previously gone to reading and study, but since then has dramatically fallen at much steeper rates, that is the most dramatic declines have occurred over the last ~7 years.
This entry was edited (Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 11:01 PM)
Nanook
in reply to Mr Penguin • •@Mr Penguin Like
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IQ scores have generally increased over the 20th century due to the Flynn Effect, with some recent evidence of plateauing or mild declines in certain developed countries.
Historical Trends: The Flynn Effect
The Flynn Effect describes the long-term rise in IQ scores observed across many countries during the 20th century, first documented by James Flynn. Average IQ scores increased roughly 3 points per decade in the United States, with similar trends in Western Europe, Japan, and South Korea
Wikipedia
For example, British children’s scores on the Raven’s Progressive Matrices rose by 14 points between 1942 and 2008
Wikipedia
These gains were observed across fluid intelligence (problem-solving and reasoning) and crystallized intelligence (knowledge and vocabulary), as well as improvements in attention and memory
Wikipedia
Generational Comparisons
IQ scores are standardized so that the average is always 100, which complicates direct comparisons across generations. When older tests are administered to newer generations, raw scores are consistently higher, often by 10–15 points, indicating that modern individuals outperform previous generations on the same test
neurolaunch.com
Factors contributing to these gains include better nutrition, improved education, reduced exposure to toxins, and more cognitively stimulating environments
humanprogress.org
Generation X and Millennials benefited from lower lead exposure, higher formal education, and early exposure to abstract thinking through technology
neurolaunch.com
Recent Trends and Reversals
Some studies suggest a plateau or mild decline in IQ scores in certain developed countries since the 1990s, sometimes called the reverse Flynn Effect. For instance, Scandinavian countries like Norway and Denmark have documented declines in military conscript IQ scores for cohorts born after the 1970s and 1990s, respectively
neurolaunch.com
neurolaunch.com
. Causes may include cultural shifts, changes in education, or environmental factors, though the overall global trend still shows long-term gains
Wikipedia
Implications
While IQ scores have risen over time, it remains controversial whether these gains reflect true increases in intelligence or improvements in test-taking skills and environmental factors
Wikipedia
IQ remains a useful measure for cognitive abilities such as problem-solving, reasoning, and memory, but it does not capture creativity, emotional intelligence, or practical skills
jackvaughn.co.uk
Understanding these trends is important for education, public policy, and interpreting generational differences in cognitive performance.
In summary, IQ has increased steadily over the past century due to environmental and educational improvements, with some recent evidence of slowing or slight declines in certain regions, highlighting the complex interplay between biology, culture, and measurement methods
Wikipedia
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Mr Penguin
in reply to Nanook • • •Yea, so it sounds like this trend hasn't continued, at least according to some. The gist of it was in the last ~7 years, so 2008 pre-dates the last ~7 years by more than a decade. But according to the author there has been a decline since 1985. I don't know if that was immaterial, or what that depended on, so that part could be insufficient depending on how the data was evaluated.
You can have two things seemingly similar be correct, but depending on the details one may have a completely valid counter point and vice versa.
Nanook
in reply to Mr Penguin • •Mr Penguin
in reply to Nanook • • •Yea, it's worth taking with a grain of salt, but I also can point to specific changes in society I’ve seen in just my lifetime that suggest a broader downward trend of some kind. It may not be IQ, but it may also be that we’re seeing a decline there too. The population may be poorer even, but people are becoming more comfortable and lezza faire. There are many things my parents and their generation did "right" and no one or almost no one does right today. It would have been even more true of my grandparents generation. Do you have a checkbook? Your parents probably did and used it. Do you turn lights off when they’re not in use? Do you actively look for coupons or read a news paper? Do you have emergency savings for a rainy day? Do you think credit cards are the devil?
Both banks and schools turned the population into swipers through different programs. Many schools forced students to swipe for lunch in the cafeterias rather than pay cash (or even when paying cash). Banks instituted programs to "reward" people for swiping making keeping track of expenditures in a checkbook nearly impossible. You try it when there are thousands of little penny transactions on an account. There are people in their 70s today for whom most of their life they maintained a checkbook, but today they swipe without thinking as if money grew on trees. Yet they're simultaneously taking out debts in their 70s for everything from cars to houses to credit cards. It is a bit shocking when you see it, and it's not just the poor. It's people in the upper middle income range too (and not entirely senile). People who've got the money to pay cash.
Nanook
in reply to Mr Penguin • •sister_sam
in reply to Mr Penguin • • •sister_sam
in reply to Mr Penguin • • •Well I guess it is official. Asked an AI:
Is there any real evidence IQs are dropping in the US or in the West generally
Yes, there is substantial evidence from recent studies suggesting that average IQ scores in the **United States** and other developed Western nations have declined, reversing the long-standing "Flynn effect." A 2023 study published in the journal *Intelligence* analyzed data from nearly **400,000** American adults between 2006 and 2018, finding significant drops in **verbal reasoning**, **matrix reasoning**, and **mathematical abilities**.
Researchers from **Northwestern University** and the **University of Oregon** identified a "reverse Flynn effect," where cognitive scores fell across most domains despite a slight increase in spatial reasoning. This trend mirrors findings in other countries like **Finland**, **France**, and the **UK**, where IQ gains from the 20th century have stalled or reversed since the turn of the millennium.
Potential explanations for this decline include:
* **Educational shifts**: Changes in the quality or content of education and test-taking skills.
* **Technology and lifestyle**: Increased reliance on digital devices, reduced reading of printed material, and fragmented attention spans.
* **Environmental factors**: Issues such as nutrition and the less intellectually demanding nature of modern service-sector jobs.
Experts caution that while raw scores are falling, this does not necessarily mean humans are becoming less intelligent, as IQ tests measure specific cognitive skills that can be influenced by environmental and testing factors.
Nanook
in reply to Mr Penguin • •