Increasing IQ Test Scores and Decreasing <i>g</i>: The Flynn Effect and Decreasing Positive Manifold Strengths in Austria (2005–2018)
After almost a century of global generational IQ test score gains, the Flynn effect has, in the past decades, been observed to show stagnation and reversals in several countries. Tentative evidence from academic achievement data has suggested that these trajectory changes may be rooted in a decreasi...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Intelligence |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/12/12/130 |
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| author | Denise Andrzejewski Sandra Oberleiter Marco Vetter Jakob Pietschnig |
| author_facet | Denise Andrzejewski Sandra Oberleiter Marco Vetter Jakob Pietschnig |
| author_sort | Denise Andrzejewski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | After almost a century of global generational IQ test score gains, the Flynn effect has, in the past decades, been observed to show stagnation and reversals in several countries. Tentative evidence from academic achievement data has suggested that these trajectory changes may be rooted in a decreasing strength of the positive manifold of intelligence due to increasing ability differentiation and specialization in the general population. Here, we provide direct evidence for generational IQ test score and positive manifold strength changes based on IQ test standardization data from 1392 Austrian residents between 2005 and 2018. Our analyses revealed positive Flynn effects across all domains of the IQ test (Cohen’s d from 0.21 to 0.91) but a trend toward decreasing strength in the positive manifold of intelligence (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup> from .908 to .892), though these changes were not statistically significant. Our results are consistent with the idea that increasingly inconsistent Flynn effect trajectories may be attributed to increasing ability differentiation and specialization in the general population over time. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bc87aeedeb474d85ac0751b3577b5a4c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2079-3200 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Intelligence |
| spelling | doaj-art-bc87aeedeb474d85ac0751b3577b5a4c2025-08-20T02:55:45ZengMDPI AGJournal of Intelligence2079-32002024-12-01121213010.3390/jintelligence12120130Increasing IQ Test Scores and Decreasing <i>g</i>: The Flynn Effect and Decreasing Positive Manifold Strengths in Austria (2005–2018)Denise Andrzejewski0Sandra Oberleiter1Marco Vetter2Jakob Pietschnig3Department of Development and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Development and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Development and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Development and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, AustriaAfter almost a century of global generational IQ test score gains, the Flynn effect has, in the past decades, been observed to show stagnation and reversals in several countries. Tentative evidence from academic achievement data has suggested that these trajectory changes may be rooted in a decreasing strength of the positive manifold of intelligence due to increasing ability differentiation and specialization in the general population. Here, we provide direct evidence for generational IQ test score and positive manifold strength changes based on IQ test standardization data from 1392 Austrian residents between 2005 and 2018. Our analyses revealed positive Flynn effects across all domains of the IQ test (Cohen’s d from 0.21 to 0.91) but a trend toward decreasing strength in the positive manifold of intelligence (<i>R</i><sup>2</sup> from .908 to .892), though these changes were not statistically significant. Our results are consistent with the idea that increasingly inconsistent Flynn effect trajectories may be attributed to increasing ability differentiation and specialization in the general population over time.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/12/12/130Flynn effectpositive manifoldpsychometric <i>g</i>ability differentiationAustria |
| spellingShingle | Denise Andrzejewski Sandra Oberleiter Marco Vetter Jakob Pietschnig Increasing IQ Test Scores and Decreasing <i>g</i>: The Flynn Effect and Decreasing Positive Manifold Strengths in Austria (2005–2018) Journal of Intelligence Flynn effect positive manifold psychometric <i>g</i> ability differentiation Austria |
| title | Increasing IQ Test Scores and Decreasing <i>g</i>: The Flynn Effect and Decreasing Positive Manifold Strengths in Austria (2005–2018) |
| title_full | Increasing IQ Test Scores and Decreasing <i>g</i>: The Flynn Effect and Decreasing Positive Manifold Strengths in Austria (2005–2018) |
| title_fullStr | Increasing IQ Test Scores and Decreasing <i>g</i>: The Flynn Effect and Decreasing Positive Manifold Strengths in Austria (2005–2018) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Increasing IQ Test Scores and Decreasing <i>g</i>: The Flynn Effect and Decreasing Positive Manifold Strengths in Austria (2005–2018) |
| title_short | Increasing IQ Test Scores and Decreasing <i>g</i>: The Flynn Effect and Decreasing Positive Manifold Strengths in Austria (2005–2018) |
| title_sort | increasing iq test scores and decreasing i g i the flynn effect and decreasing positive manifold strengths in austria 2005 2018 |
| topic | Flynn effect positive manifold psychometric <i>g</i> ability differentiation Austria |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/12/12/130 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT deniseandrzejewski increasingiqtestscoresanddecreasingigitheflynneffectanddecreasingpositivemanifoldstrengthsinaustria20052018 AT sandraoberleiter increasingiqtestscoresanddecreasingigitheflynneffectanddecreasingpositivemanifoldstrengthsinaustria20052018 AT marcovetter increasingiqtestscoresanddecreasingigitheflynneffectanddecreasingpositivemanifoldstrengthsinaustria20052018 AT jakobpietschnig increasingiqtestscoresanddecreasingigitheflynneffectanddecreasingpositivemanifoldstrengthsinaustria20052018 |