Methodological Advances in Understanding the Flynn Effect

A special issue of Journal of Intelligence (ISSN 2079-3200).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2015) | Viewed by 44911

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Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Peabody, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203, USA

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

172 KiB  
Article
Methodological Issues Associated with Studying the Flynn Effect: Exploratory and Confirmatory Efforts in the Past, Present, and Future
by Joseph Lee Rodgers
J. Intell. 2015, 3(4), 111-120; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence3040111 - 30 Sep 2015
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 6475
Abstract
This essay, written by the guest editor, is an introduction to a special issue of the Journal of Intelligence devoted to methodological issues associated with the Flynn Effect. The essay evaluates past Flynn Effect research in terms of exploratory versus confirmatory efforts. Future [...] Read more.
This essay, written by the guest editor, is an introduction to a special issue of the Journal of Intelligence devoted to methodological issues associated with the Flynn Effect. The essay evaluates past Flynn Effect research in terms of exploratory versus confirmatory efforts. Future research is also cast within this same framework. Finally, the four special issue papers are briefly reviewed, including comments on their own exploratory/confirmatory status. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodological Advances in Understanding the Flynn Effect)
333 KiB  
Article
An Investigation of Growth Mixture Models for Studying the Flynn Effect
by Grant B. Morgan and A. Alexander Beaujean
J. Intell. 2014, 2(4), 156-179; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence2040156 - 16 Oct 2014
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 6661
Abstract
The Flynn effect (FE) is the well-documented generational increase of mean IQ scores over time, but a methodological issue that has not received much attention in the FE literature is the heterogeneity in change patterns across time. Growth mixture models (GMMs) offer researchers [...] Read more.
The Flynn effect (FE) is the well-documented generational increase of mean IQ scores over time, but a methodological issue that has not received much attention in the FE literature is the heterogeneity in change patterns across time. Growth mixture models (GMMs) offer researchers a flexible latent variable framework for examining the potential heterogeneity of change patterns. The article presents: (1) a Monte Carlo investigation of the performance of the various measures of model fit for GMMs in data that resemble previous FE studies; and (2) an application of GMM to the National Intelligence Tests. The Monte Carlo study supported the use of the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) and consistent Akaike information criterion (CAIC) for model selection. The GMM application study resulted in the identification of two classes of participants that had unique change patterns across three time periods. Our studies show that GMMs, when applied carefully, are likely to identify homogeneous subpopulations in FE studies, which may aid in further understanding of the FE. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodological Advances in Understanding the Flynn Effect)
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661 KiB  
Article
Future Efforts in Flynn Effect Research: Balancing Reductionism with Holism
by Michael A. Mingroni
J. Intell. 2014, 2(4), 122-155; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence2040122 - 15 Oct 2014
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 9115
Abstract
After nearly thirty years of concerted effort by many investigators, the cause or causes of the secular gains in IQ test scores, known as the Flynn effect, remain elusive. In this target article, I offer six suggestions as to how we might proceed [...] Read more.
After nearly thirty years of concerted effort by many investigators, the cause or causes of the secular gains in IQ test scores, known as the Flynn effect, remain elusive. In this target article, I offer six suggestions as to how we might proceed in our efforts to solve this intractable mystery. The suggestions are as follows: (1) compare parents to children; (2) consider other traits and conditions; (3) compare siblings; (4) conduct more and better intervention programs; (5) use subtest profile data in context; and (6) quantify the potential contribution of heterosis. This last section contains new simulations of the process of heterosis, which provide a plausible scenario whereby rapid secular changes in multiple genetically influenced traits are possible. If there is any theme to the present paper, it is that future study designs should be simpler and more highly focused, coordinating multiple studies on single populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodological Advances in Understanding the Flynn Effect)
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387 KiB  
Article
The Flynn Effect in Families: Studies of Register Data on Norwegian Military Conscripts and Their Families
by Jon Martin Sundet
J. Intell. 2014, 2(3), 106-118; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence2030106 - 18 Sep 2014
Cited by 181 | Viewed by 14641
Abstract
In the present paper published data and new analyses are presented and discussed in order to demonstrate the power of family data (siblings and parents to military conscripts with IQ data) in the study of the Flynn effect (FE). In particular, it is [...] Read more.
In the present paper published data and new analyses are presented and discussed in order to demonstrate the power of family data (siblings and parents to military conscripts with IQ data) in the study of the Flynn effect (FE). In particular, it is shown how studies of the mean intelligence changes in sibships of different sizes and changing proportions of sibship sizes can enhance our understanding how these factors may influence FE. Some new analyses of correlations between intelligence and sibship sizes illustrate how family data can be used to investigate changes in the correlation pattern across generations. It is shown that comparison of the secular trends in the general population and in sibling pairs can be a powerful method in the exploration of the relative influence of between-families and within-families factors in the FE. Surprising connections between the birth order effect on intelligence and the FE are demonstrated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodological Advances in Understanding the Flynn Effect)
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960 KiB  
Article
Can GE-Covariance Originating in Phenotype to Environment Transmission Account for the Flynn Effect?
by Janneke M. De Kort, Conor V. Dolan, Kees-Jan Kan, Catharina E. M. Van Beijsterveldt, Meike Bartels and Dorret I. Boomsma
J. Intell. 2014, 2(3), 82-105; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence2030082 - 01 Sep 2014
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 7397
Abstract
The Dickens and Flynn model of the Flynn effect (generational increases in mean IQ) assigns an important role to genotype-environment covariance (GE-cov). We quantify GE-cov in a longitudinal simplex model by modeling it as phenotype to environment (Ph->E) transmission in twin data. The [...] Read more.
The Dickens and Flynn model of the Flynn effect (generational increases in mean IQ) assigns an important role to genotype-environment covariance (GE-cov). We quantify GE-cov in a longitudinal simplex model by modeling it as phenotype to environment (Ph->E) transmission in twin data. The model fits as well as the standard genetic simplex model, which assumes uncorrelated genetic and environmental influences. We use the results to explore numerically the possible role of GE-cov in amplifying increases in environmental means. Given the estimated Ph->E transmission parameters, GE-cov resulted in an amplification (in std units) of a factor 1.57 (full scale IQ) to 1.7 (performance IQ). The results lend credence to the role of GE-cov in the Flynn effect. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Methodological Advances in Understanding the Flynn Effect)
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