It’s almost like something out of a Sci-fi movie. IQ scores across the globe started skyrocketing, an upward trend called the Flynn Effect.
The researcher who first brought attention to the phenomenon was the IQ researcher James Robert Flynn.
His work on the Flynn Effect reveals incredible insights about human intelligence and how it is truly possible for societies around the world to progress.
However, the upward trajectory has slowed.
Worse, in some regions, the trend has reversed.
Now, shockingly, we’re faced with a new phenomenon. Not surprisingly, people are calling it “The Reverse Flynn Effect.”
They’re fiercely debating both the rise and fall of IQs around the world too.
The question is:
What does the decline in IQ around the world mean for you?
To help make sure you escape this downward trend (and your kids too), let’s explore the scientific research, causes and exactly what you need to do.
What Is The Flynn Effect?
By definition, the Flynn Effect refers to James Flynn’s observations that IQ scores rose over a short period of time.
As you can see in this graph, IQ scores grew by approximately 3 points per decade from 1940 to 2010:
More specifically, the Flynn Effect suggested that many people living in industrialized nations enjoyed higher IQ than their parents.
Originally, Flynn argued that genetics did not cause IQ scores to rise over generations. He thought it mostly reflected environmental pressures and factors related to the measurement of IQ.
However, as this meta-analysis shows, other researchers did believe genetics played a role.
For example, this researcher argued that more randomness in people from around the world mating with each other. Ultimately, this thesis was rejected.
At the end of the day, it’s important to understand exactly what Flynn observed. Not all areas of intelligence improved equally.
The most dramatic improvements were seen in fluid intelligence, which is often confused with crystal intelligence.
What Causes The Flynn Effect?
If it’s not genetics, and researchers still don’t agree on why people like these have such high IQs, what else might have caused this upward swing.
Although researchers continue to debate the exact causes and how more knowledge could be used to help people, some of the possible causes include:
One: Improvements in Education
Without a doubt, access to education has increased over the last 100 years.
People have improved their critical thinking and developed more problem-solving models than ever before as a result.
As this study shows, IQ gains in Korea have been especially high in ways that tie to education improvements.
Two: Better Nutrition
Access to memory boosting foods, especially during childhood, have helped many people develop healthier brains.
Access to better food not only leads to stronger cognitive development. It means fewer incidents of malnutrition. As these researchers have found, malnutrition leads to lower intelligence.
Three: Technological Advances
Many people fear new technologies. But as AI expert Andrew Mayne has shown, things are getting better thanks to software programs like Chat-GPT.
Long before the artificial intelligence revolution started ramping up, people speculated that video games were boosting intelligence. Researchers later validated the hunch in studies like this one.
Four: Smaller Families Living in Cities
Although many are concerned by plummeting fertility rates, studies like this one show that your emotional intelligence will be higher if you come from a smaller family.
This effect likely happens because parents can pour more resources into the development of their children when they have more to go around.
Although you might think that living in a city raises IQ because you have greater access to libraries and museums, it’s not that simple.
Cities are more complex to navigate. This leads to many more cognitive demands which leads to stronger spatial intelligence and problem solving.
What To Make Of The New “Reverse Flynn Effect”
As time has passed and more researchers study the Flynn Effect, decline has been observed.
In places like the USA, these researchers have found a shocking drop. Compare this graph the one showing a dramatic rise I shared with you above:
The key factors behind the decline?
Again, researchers are divided, but some reasons probably include:
- Stagnation as advancements in both education and technology slow or become harder for many people to access
- Growing income disparity as “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”
- Disruptive policy changes in a large number of governments around the world
- Increased screen time causing digital amnesia and less engagement with meaningful reading materials
- Poor diet as people have started eating foods that are very bad for memory
- Rising anti-intellectual sentiments
In addition, how IQ tests are conducted has been challenged for bias over the years.
Some researchers have argued that intelligence assessments have historically not been fair. As changes to how IQ is measured change, the results change.
What This Means For You And How To Buck The Trend
Although the downward trend certainly appears shocking when you see it on a graph, keep hope.
There are a number of things you can do.
One: Prioritize Learning
One of the best ways to keep your mind sharp is to commit to being a lifelong learner.
By engaging your mind in continue education by taking classes, reading daily and continually building new skills, you will protect your brain.
You can shield it even further by learning a new language. There are too many cognitive improvement studies to share about this. But if I had to pick just one, this one about the advantages of bilingualism would be it.
Two: Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle
We all know that eating a healthy diet is key.
Focus on omega-3s, antioxidants and vitamins known to help with memory.
In addition, get proper sleep. I’ve been a bit of an insomniac from time to time, but I always enjoy better fluid intelligence when I get memory-friendly rest in ample doses.
Three: Limit Screen Time and Boost Mental Engagement
It’s critical to balance the time you spend in passive consumption with active engagement.
As I discuss in my post on how to teach yourself, researchers have found that we learn best when we actively take on challenges.
A large number of these challenges should involve handwriting. As this study shows, getting your hands involved in the learning process produces several benefits for your brain.
Four: Exercise Your Memory
One reason people forget information and wind up feeling like they have a low IQ is simply that they don’t do any kind of memory training.
My go-to exercises include:
- Memorizing poetry
- Committing scripture to memory
- Finding the main points in books and articles and using reflective thinking for memory exercise
You can also learn ancient memory techniques like the Memory Palace.
If you’d like more help with this particular skill, grab my free memory improvement course here:
In four detailed tutorial videos, you’ll learn how to use one of the most powerful mental training techniques in history.
You’ll get engaging worksheets too that will help you on your question to avoid the Reverse Flynn Effect.
This is important because as we’ve seen, intelligence is not fixed. We humans do have a capacity for growth and adaptation.
But we now know that constant growth is not guaranteed. Far from it.
Take proactive steps and you’ll be able to contribute to the next chapter of human development.
So what do you say?
Are you ready to prioritize lifelong learning and engage with the world around you with greater curiosity?
The potential of your mind is waiting to grow!
