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from the tv-and-video-games-cause-brain-rot dept.
A Norwegian study published Monday found a seven-point dip in IQ test scores per generation among men born from 1962 to 1991. The results suggest a reversal in the Flynn effect, an observed increase in IQ scores throughout the 20th century in developed countries.
Coverage from The Week adds:
The reasons for the Flynn effect and its apparent reversal are disputed. "Scientists have put the rise in IQ down to better teaching, nutrition, healthcare and even artificial lighting," says The Times.
But "it is also possible that the nature of intelligence is changing in the digital age and cannot be captured with traditional IQ tests", adds the newspaper.
"Take 14-year-olds in Britain. What 25% could do back in 1994, now only 5% can do," Shayer added, citing maths and science tests.
More from The Daily Mail:
Two British studies suggested that the fall was between 2.5 and 4.3 points every ten years.
But due to limited research, their results were not widely accepted.
In the latest study Ole Rogeburg and Bernt Bratsberg, of the Ragnar Frisch Centre for Economic Research in Oslo, found that Norwegian men's IQs are lower than the scores of their fathers when they were the same age.
The pair analysed the scores from a standard IQ test of over 730,000 men – who reported for national service between 1970 and 2009.
(Score: 5, Informative) by looorg on Thursday June 14 2018, @11:36AM (2 children)
That could very well be, I'm not entirely sure about how the Norwegian system worked but I assume it is quite similar to the other Scandinavian systems. You could postpone service but you could never postpone or skip the testing phase. The testing phase normally happens at the age of what would in the US be High School age (so between 16-18). So it used to be once you finished that stage of your education you would do military service unless you immediately went to College/University. The alternative being that you did so poorly on the testing that even the military didn't want you in which case you became exempt from service usually due to poor physical or mental health. But you couldn't really bank on that since it was basically "free labor" so they could almost always find something for you to do. Also at that time 'not doing military service' as a man was seen as something weird, there was clearly something wrong with you -- so there was some kind of social pressure so you had better have a real good excuse for not doing it.
(Score: 3, Informative) by VLM on Thursday June 14 2018, @01:54PM (1 child)
A very distant coworker of mine in a wheelchair all his life did something for AmeriCorps out of high school, I never asked what. AFAIK, if you're not so messed up you're permanently institutionalized, they're kinda legally required to accept your labor. At least thats how it works in the USA. I would imagine someone with brain problems instead of no legs would end up pushing a broom for two years or whatever.
Also an aspect of privatization, in the old days the Army had potatos to peel for low IQ draftees, but thats all privatized to contractors serving highly processed fast food type stuff, so there's literally not much for a low IQ individual to do in the Army anymore. Even bulletcatcher infantry, its not the old days, programming GPS and doing land nav and using the radios and all that stuff takes some brains.
(Score: 3, Informative) by looorg on Thursday June 14 2018, @02:09PM
Those things existed here to at the time to, "kitchen staff" and "janitor". I had (or have) a friend that served his time as a librarian, 18 months on base sorting books. Those that for some reason such as religious or pacifism usually got some kind of nursing training.
I'm uncertain exactly how the system works today but since they re-instituted the draft again they are once again preparing to test everyone, they start with a pre-screening online test now to try and narrow it down. Still a crime not to take the test so you can't ignore or refuse the test -- you can still just tank the test if you like or write something stupid in it. Not sure how wise that is since those records are kept forever and things might come back to haunt you.