IQ among Americans is falling

[Tinker Grey]

I suspect the IQ test isn't measuring modern ways of thinking. Think "back in my day". If a test were given that measured one's ability to use a slide rule, we'd almost all fail ... and mutter "so what, not relevant". Remember when teachers used to say "they won't let you use a calculator in college".

Anyway, ways of processing the world change ... probably faster than tests that measure that do.

Just a WAG.

 

[durangodawood]

I suspect the IQ test isn't measuring modern ways of thinking. Think "back in my day". If a test were given that measured one's ability to use a slide rule, we'd almost all fail ... and mutter "so what, not relevant". Remember when teachers used to say "they won't let you use a calculator in college".

Anyway, ways of processing the world change ... probably faster than tests that measure that do.

Just a WAG.

Im skeptical.

The new ways of processing the world are shallower, on average, than the old ways. The have to be to pass the ever narrowing gates of our contemporary attention spans.

 

[Ceallaigh]

IQ started falling in Europe before the US. It seems the US has finally caught up. It doesn't seem to be due to immigration, as countries that have less immigration have sometimes had more average IQ drop. It also doesn't seem to be due to dysgenic mating (eg, Idiocracy), as we can see IQ drops within the same family (younger siblings vs. older siblings).

I wonder if it's due to the changing nature of kids' free time. When I was growing up, we played with actual toys, blocks, Legoes, board games, that sort of thing. We also had actual physical books to read. Now days, kids are spending time in front of cell phones or tablets, and probably spend alot less time reading.

I'd say it's mainly the education system. Outside of school kids in the 70s spent time watching TV and listening to music.

I've heard the education system has become less challenging in a pursuit of equality. Basically meaning it's been taken down to the level of low achievers to make it more fair for them.

 

[durangodawood]

I'd say it's mainly the education system. Outside of school kids in the 70s spent time watching TV and listening to music.....

In the 70s people had the patience to listen to a record. Remember them? 45 minutes of the same band.

 

[Pommer]

In the 70s people had the patience to listen to a record. Remember them? 45 minutes of the same band.

With only a pause to turn the record over.

 

[LizaMarie]

IQ started falling in Europe before the US. It seems the US has finally caught up. It doesn't seem to be due to immigration, as countries that have less immigration have sometimes had more average IQ drop. It also doesn't seem to be due to dysgenic mating (eg, Idiocracy), as we can see IQ drops within the same family (younger siblings vs. older siblings).

I wonder if it's due to the changing nature of kids' free time. When I was growing up, we played with actual toys, blocks, Legoes, board games, that sort of thing. We also had actual physical books to read. Now days, kids are spending time in front of cell phones or tablets, and probably spend alot less time reading.

I wouldn't be surprised if what you mentioned is behind it.

 

[durangodawood]

.....When I was growing up, we played with actual toys, blocks, Legoes, board games, that sort of thing. We also had actual physical books to read......

Not to mention romping around in the hills, woods, tidal marshland, etc*, pretending at all kinds of self created scenarios, negotiating, building connections to the natural world, developing agility. All that sharpens the mind in ways underappreciated, I think.

(*or whatever unruly space was available to you and your friends)

 

[Chesterton]

I wonder if Darwin's idea of survival of the fittest plays a role in this. Part of being fit is being smart, you know, avoiding winning the Darwin Award. Because...

<puts on grumpy old man hat>

...when I was a kid, cars didn't have seat belts. You had to drive safer. And we didn't have school zones where people had to drive ridiculously slow. If a kid didn't have sense enough to look both ways before crossing the street, he might get whacked by a car. If he survived, it would be what Obama used to call "a teachable moment". He got learned something. Then there's these modern children's playgrounds, with the squishy ground and all made of plastic. In my day, playgrounds were made of wood, concrete and steel. You either learned to negotiate a treacherous environment or you didn't.

I could go on, but I need to go yell at some kids that are on my lawn.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Look, I'm old, but don't you think it's at least possible we're getting it wrong.

 

[durangodawood]

View attachment 347939

Look, I'm old, but don't you think it's at least possible we're getting it wrong.

For sure I considered that possibility. But I really think the attention span thing is a big deal. Its the key to penetrating deeper insights and difficult topics, and its suffering in the current always-on mobile/media environment.

 

[essentialsaltes]

View attachment 347939

Look, I'm old, but don't you think it's at least possible we're getting it wrong.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

You know what will solve this, more spending on public education!

 

[durangodawood]

I wonder if Darwin's idea of survival of the fittest plays a role in this. Part of being fit is being smart, you know, avoiding winning the Darwin Award. Because...

<puts on grumpy old man hat>

...when I was a kid, cars didn't have seat belts. You had to drive safer. And we didn't have school zones where people had to drive ridiculously slow. If a kid didn't have sense enough to look both ways before crossing the street, he might get whacked by a car. If he survived, it would be what Obama used to call "a teachable moment". He got learned something. Then there's these modern children's playgrounds, with the squishy ground and all made of plastic. In my day, playgrounds were made of wood, concrete and steel. You either learned to negotiate a treacherous environment or you didn't.

I could go on, but I need to go yell at some kids that are on my lawn.

The article indicated genetics are not the issue, for reasons it explains. So Darwin can stay seated.

 

[2PhiloVoid]

The article indicated genetics are not the issue, for reasons it explains. So Darwin can stay seated.

I don't know about that: environments do provide a testing ground for the fitness of individuals. Sometimes, one's social environment can make or break an otherwise genetically endowed person. And sometimes, some of those like me---------who don't have a particularly high IQ------------are given wings because I somehow managed to marry above my own trophic level.

 

[Grafted In]

For my mom, her biggest thrill as a kid was the hoop and stick.
Very high tech.

 

[Larniavc]

IQ scores among Americans are falling. The evidence seems to be that it is due to environmental changes, possibly due to social media consumption and screen time:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/13/health/falling-iq-scores-study-intl/index.html

I’m more inclined to believe that IQ testing is becoming more redundant as a valid measure as the world moves away from the era in which IQ tests were initiated.

We know part of IQ test are culturally specific so it should come as no surprise.

 

[Larniavc]

You know the Portuguese man o' war? What is the plural of that? Man o' wars? Mans o' war? Men o' war?

Oh sorry I forgot we were talking about something else.

Man of Wars.

 

[Nithavela]

Anything IQ helps with is bound to be done by AI soon, so that's not a big deal.

 

[Sabertooth]

IQ scores among Americans are falling. The evidence seems to be that it is due to environmental changes, possibly due to social media consumption and screen time:

https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/13/health/falling-iq-scores-study-intl/index.html

One of the biggest hits to our collective IQ is the unprecedented increase in regressive autism.*

Autism Subtypes...

The common feature of all autism is that we are dys social (not anti -social); that is, we are social klutzes who still desire to connect w...

autlanders.blogspot.com

*In terms of the ICD-11, it is known as Autism w/Cognitive Deficits as opposed to Autism w/o Cognitive Deficits.

 

[Ceallaigh]

One of the biggest hits to collective IQ is the unprecedented increase in regressive autism.*

Autism Subtypes...

The common feature of all autism is that we are dys social (not anti -social); that is, we are social klutzes who still desire to connect w...

autlanders.blogspot.com

*In terms of the ICD-11, it is known as Autism w/Cognitive Deficits as opposed to Autism w/o Cognitive Deficits.

Don't level 2 and 3 autistics only make up a tiny percentage of the population?