Introduction
Over a long period of time it has been evidenced that the level of intelligence has been on a rise from one generation to the other. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the Flynn effect, named after Dr James Flynn. Many young people have been made to believe that they are more intelligent than their parents, which according to the Flynn effect it is a matter of knowledge accumulation rather. The Flynn phenomenon has led to many researchers to enquire more on the role of genes and also the environment where an individual is from in affecting the intelligence level. The various statistics from the many research carried out over time help us to track the rising curve effect, as noted in different individuals.
Uses of IQ Tests
The IQ tests have many uses in different fields in our society. Some of the uses are as follows: in testing children’s learning disabilities, and also the level of intelligence, the tests are also used to test many adults in the working environment. For example the Army used IQ tests in the recruitment process. Another use of IQ test is to gain information for general use, for instance in comparing between friend’s intelligence levels.
The above various uses of IQ tests should not be used in isolation other factors should be put into consideration so as to avoid instances of bias. The other major limitation of IQ is its inadequacy to be used alone, since there must be use of normative data. This mainly happens in the field of neuropsychology by clinicians. Other major problems with normative data are its inaccuracy especially from the population involved, and these results to non-reliability for the data in decision making. For clinical psychologists to be able to make informative conclusions they should also consider the sample size to be used.
The Influence of Flynn Effect on The IQ Tests Uses
The Flynn effect has many influences in all the aspects of the theory of neuropsychological and even in the normal practice. The IQ curve shows the increasing in the level of intelligence among different generations; clearly outlines the trend in change. Generally there are potential aspects in the cognitive traits as compared to time taken.
Another aspect of Flynn effect that has been noted over time is the influence of formal education. The test of children before the age of entering school and those in the school were compared to those in school, notes that the most crucial age of influence in children is before they get to school. The level of creativity in them is very high as even compared to adults.
Conclusion
According the studies of various researchers, it can be clearly evident that the IQ level has been increasing over time. The issue of children being smarter than their parents is not scientifically testable. The Flynn effect has greatly contributed to the major researches carried out since it is the one that intrigues the need for research. It is also clear that IQ tests have various uses in the life of individuals. The extent to which IQ level differs from one region to another is highly shown in all the tests carried out.
References
Flynn, & J., R. (2010). Problems with IQ gains: The huge vocabulary gap. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment , 28, 412–433.
Neisser, & U. (1998). The rising curve. American Psychological Association .
William, & W., M. (1998). Are we raising smarter children today? School and home-related influences on IQ. The rising curve.
