Problems With IQ Gains: The Huge Vocabulary Gap
Abstract
Despite Kaufman, Raven’s Progressive Matrices and the Wechsler subtest Similarities are tests whose gains call for special explanation. The spread of “scientific spectacles” is the key, but its explanatory potential has been exhausted. Three trends force us to look elsewhere: (a) gains on Wechsler subtests such as Picture Arrangement, (b) gains in developed nations persisting into the 21st century, (c) the growing gap between the active vocabularies of parents and their children.
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The data offer an explanation for the puzzle that vocabulary increase has been larger for adults than children: vocabulary learning is continuing later into adulthood, possibly due to environmental factors.
“Our data offer an explanation: vocabulary learning is continuing later into adulthood, possibly due to environmental factors (e.g., continued exposure to new words).”
From When does cognitive functioning peak? The asynchronous rise and fall of different cognitive abilities across the life span (2015) · cites this paper as Flynn, 2010
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Intelligence: New findings and theoretical developments
Nisbett, R. E., Aronson, J., Blair, C., Dickens, W., Flynn, J., Halpern, D. F., & Turkheimer, E. (2012) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/a0026699 · Cited by 968 · see citing works
Self-citationHartshorne, J. K., & Germine, L. T. (2015) · Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/0956797614567339 · Cited by 788 · see citing works
The Flynn effect: A meta-analysis.
Trahan, L. H., Stuebing, K. K., Fletcher, J. M., & Hiscock, M. (2014) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/a0037173 · Cited by 364 · see citing works
“Although Flynn (2010) acknowledged that his “scientific spectacles” hypothesis may no longer explain current IQ gains, he maintained that there was a period of time when it was the foremost contributor.”
One Century of Global IQ Gains: A Formal Meta-Analysis of the Flynn Effect (1909–2013)
Pietschnig, J., & Voracek, M. (2015) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691615577701 · Cited by 316 · see citing works
- Authors
- Flynn, J. R.
- Affiliations
- University of Otago (NZ)
- Corresponding author
- Flynn, James R.
- Venue
- Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2010-07-20
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 412-433
- ISSN
- 0734-2829 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-5144
- OpenAlex
- W2106833250
- Cited by
- 36
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 5.83
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Keywords
- IQ gains, vocabulary gap, Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Raven's Progressive Matrices, vocabulary development
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