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Old February 22nd, 2005 #1
Jenab
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Default Oddities regarding the Flynn Effect in intelligence measurements

The Flynn Effect is an alleged rise in human intelligence during the 20th century, occurring in every country and among all races. Psychologists have proposed a number of environmental and cultural factors to explain the rise, most especially an improvement in nutrition.

However, any Flynn Effect in the 20th century cannot have been a continuation of a trend beginning as early as the Industrial Revolution, since there wouldn't have been anyone smart enough in 1750 to do the industrializing. And Thomas Jefferson would have been a moron. As that obviously isn't so, we can assume that the Flynn Effect began about the same time that IQ testing did.

That's a suspicious coincidence.

Further, the Flynn Effect posits that the IQ's of today's high school seniors are higher than those of 100 years ago. Substantially higher: 30 points. Someone whose intellectual abilities earned him respect as a near-genius in 1900 would be pitied as a near-retard if he were time-travelled a century forward to the year 2000.

That's suspicious, too. We know that the academic standards that were required of high school graduates in 1900 were higher than, not lower than, those required in 2000. In 1900, it was common for a young adult to know Latin or Greek well enough to write verse, to speak one modern foreign tongue well enough to have conversation, to use English flawlessly (at need), to be mathematically adept, to understand the principles of logic, and to be familiar with different systems of philosophy. Nowadays, a kid can get through high school without knowing as much. The academic standards fell greatly during that 100 years; they did not rise greatly.

Further, the SAT has been renormed in the direction opposite to that which the Flynn Effect has proposed for IQ tests. Every change in the way the SAT has been scored has made it possible for lower-scoring students to get scores HIGHER than he'd have gotten if the renorming had not occurred. In contrast, the Flynn Effect posits that IQ tests have been renormed in such a way that test-takers get a LOWER score than he'd have gotten if the renorming had not occurred.

For these reasons, I am suspicious of the Flynn Effect hypothesis.

Does anybody know something I don't know? I'd like this mystery cleared up. I wrote to Black educator Thomas Sowell, asking him for his opinion, and I got a personal insult as my only reply.

Someone else is asking similar questions.
http://hiqnews.megafoundation.org/20...Conundrums.htm

Jerry Abbott
 
Old February 22nd, 2005 #2
Abzug Hoffman
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I read an old quote the other day that pointed out that the rise of public school systems and the disappearance of men of genius seemed to go hand in hand.
 
Old February 23rd, 2005 #3
bluedog39
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Here's a recent discussion of the Flynn Effect at gnxp.com
http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/003606.html
 
Old February 24th, 2005 #4
Alex Linder
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jenab
Does anybody know something I don't know? I'd like this mystery cleared up. I wrote to Black educator Thomas Sowell, asking him for his opinion, and I got a personal insult as my only reply.

Someone else is asking similar questions.
http://hiqnews.megafoundation.org/20...Conundrums.htm

Jerry Abbott
No kidding, an insult. What did you ask and what did he respond, I'm quite curious, if I may ask? You must have IDed yourself as a WN. He doesn't seem like the insulting type. I have most of Sowell's books, they're good. He's pretty much the only black scholar who deserves the title. Of course, he's committed to culture first and lats and in between.

I don't know the answer to your question, but your observations are certainly true. I don't see any empirical evidence people are getting more intelligent.
 
Old February 25th, 2005 #5
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Sounds like yet another jewish demonstration of the BIG LIE, if you ask me.

According to The Bell Curve, the current average IQ of African blacks is 75, which Murray/Hernstein admits is a "generous" calculation.

If we are to believe that the IQs of all Races have increased by about 30 points in the past century, then simple math concludes the niggers back then had lower IQs than Chimpanzees do now. (Which BTW I can be led to believe).
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