Intelligence and Achievement

AP Psychology· difficulty 3/5

In a study, researcher James Flynn examined IQ test scores from many countries across the 20th century. After standardizing tests so that the average score was always 100, he discovered that raw scores on tests like the Raven's Progressive Matrices had risen by roughly 3 points per decade. This rise meant that someone who scored "average" by 1930 norms would score below average by today's norms.

This generational rise in IQ scores is known as:

  • A

    The stereotype threat effect

  • B

    The bell-curve effect

  • C

    The Flynn effect

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  • D

    The Hawthorne effect

Explanation

The Flynn effect describes the substantial generational rise in average IQ scores observed throughout the 20th century. The Hawthorne effect refers to changes in behavior due to being observed.

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