Is human intelligence really evolving compared to the past?

ByEric Wienke

A test called intelligence test is used to measure human intelligence, and it is called intelligence index, so-called IQ, that numerically expresses the test result. A research team at King's College London in the UK gathered and analyzed the data of intelligence tests and it turned out that the score of IQ was rising compared to the past, but in the psychology and sociology A major debate has taken place in the field.

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The research team at Kings College London collects and analyzes data on intelligence tests conducted in 48 countries over the past 64 years. As a result, it turned out that the average value of IQ has increased by 20 points since 1950. However, such a rise in IQ was not the first time confirmed by the research team at King's College London this time, similar trends have been confirmed in several countries so far,Flynn effectIt is named.

ByZeLIG School

The Flynn effect is offered by the political faculty of Otago University in New ZealandJames FlynnThe phenomenon that Professor Emeritus originally proposed. Professor Flyn collected data on intelligence tests from 35 countries and discovered the fact that the IQ score is rising over generations in many countries and named this phenomenon the Flynn effect.

Focusing only on the results of research by Professor Kings College London and Professor Flynn, the intelligence of human beings seems to be rising as compared with the past because IQ's number is rising, but some scholars contend . He was a professor of educational psychology at the University of CaliforniaArthur Jensen"The Flynn effect took place because human intelligence did not rise, I am accustomed to IQ testing," he said.

As the times passed, there was a change in how the examinees tried to test the tests, so that they became accustomed to the pressure received from the tests and became able to set up a test strategy, and the score rose. However, if Mr. Jensen's point is correct, the score of the test other than the intelligence test should also be rising, but that fact is not confirmed.

ByAlberto G.

Professor Flynn who discovered the flynn effect also makes a conclusion that it can not be said that human intelligence has not increased, while raising the IQ score as a fact. So why the flyin effect occurs, Professor Flynn mentioned the change in the social environment.

The social environment surrounding the world changed significantly in 50 years. For example, in 1965 and 2015 the landscape of the city has changed a lot. Buildings and stations, such as buildings, have changed aesthetically, and as a result of the development of television and the Internet, the information received by human eyes is explodingly increased compared to 50 years ago, which is associated with an increase in IQ score There is a possibility that it may be related to.

ByMariano Mantel

However, Professor Flyn said, "Because the information received by human eyes has increased, the ability to recognize information has not increased, there is a possibility that the part of the brain that is used is changing only compared with the past The opinion is stated. The fact that human capabilities themselves have not evolved just by changing how the brain is used in conjunction with changes in the social environment.

Meanwhile, Robin Morris, who led the study of King's College London, said, "The numerical value of IQ is rising compared to the past, as human intellectual function has evolved with social development "This is a different way of thinking from Professor Flyn.

In the study of King's College London, it is a type of intelligence testRaven progressive matrix inspectionThe score of was used. Raven gradual matrix test is a test using geometric figures like the image below, which does not require knowledge or language understanding. Therefore, it was confirmed that the score rise in the same test because the ability to handle information with eyes has increased due to changes in the social environment, so it is not unnatural to say.


At this stage it is not clear why the IQ value is rising, and there are many discussions on this phenomenon. The cause of the flyin effect has been elucidated and it is a very worrisome question whether human intelligence is really smart as compared to the past as shown by the increase in IQ value.