READING PASSAGE 2

PASSAGE 2

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 14-26, which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.

The Flynn Effect: Rising IQ Scores

How they are changing and what the changes signify

Studies from numerous countries suggest that IQ scores have been rising fast since at least the 1950s - enough to mean that someone with an IQ classed as average at that time could be labelled as having low intelligence today. However, psychologists disagree about what the upward trend in scores really means. Some researchers argue that people are not getting more intelligent overall, but just getting better at a particular sort of problem solving. Others say they have found echoes of rising IQ scores in real world measures of intelligence. To confuse things still more, there are suggestions that IQ scores may now be dropping in some places.

The rise in IQ scores is known as the Flynn effect, named after the New Zealand-based political scientist James Flynn. He documented the phenomenon in the mid-1980s, and became famous after others dubbed the pattern he had observed the Flynn effect. In a landmark analysis, Flynn examined data from tests used to measure intelligence. These IQ tests are composed of several sub-tests, each measuring a different aspect of intelligence, such as verbal, numerical and visuo-spatial abilities. This last test category usually includes "Raven's matrices" - sequential patterns with one piece missing. The candidate has to choose, from a set of alternatives, which shape to put in the empty space. When Flynn took a closer look at the scores, the pattern was clear. The strongest gains in almost every case were on Raven's matrices and similar tests, while verbal and arithmetical scores showed more modest rises. Since presenting his original paper, Flynn has looked at data from further countries and found the same upward trend, with the same skills responsible.

Flynn feels that his eponymous effect is meaningful, but does not interpret it as evidence that people are becoming cleverer. "Our grandparents were not retarded and we are not geniuses," he says. More likely we have simply developed the skills needed to do well on this type of test. They are the skills involved in seeing analogies and connections, and - importantly - we take such problems seriously. Flynn believes that demands on visuo-spatial abilities have grown because of TV, computers and cars, and also that, in societies where intelligence has become something people focus on, abstract problem-solving skills develop faster than other skills.

One proposed explanation is that improvements in nutrition, healthcare, and education over the 20th century have created better conditions for cognitive development. Another theory is that we live in an increasingly complex visual and symbolic world, which trains our brains to think in more abstract and logical ways from a young age. However, recent data from some developed nations indicates that the Flynn effect may have plateaued or even reversed, with average IQ scores stabilizing or declining slightly. This has sparked new debates about potential causes, such as changes in educational focus, increased screen time displacing more cognitively demanding activities, or even demographic shifts.

Ultimately, the Flynn effect demonstrates that average IQ scores are not fixed, but are sensitive to environmental, social, and cultural factors. It challenges the notion that intelligence is a static, purely inherited trait and suggests that what we measure as "intelligence" is a set of skills that can be nurtured and enhanced by the world we live in.

Questions 14-26

Questions 14-18

Complete the summary below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

Flynn Effect Summary
  • The steady increase in IQ scores over decades is known as the 14.
  • This phenomenon was identified by James Flynn, who found the most significant improvements were in tests of 15 abilities, such as Raven's matrices.
  • In contrast, improvements in 16 and numerical skills were smaller.
  • Flynn himself does not believe the increase means people are more 17, but rather that they have become more skilled at specific test-related problem-solving.
  • Recent data suggests the trend may have 18 or reversed in some countries.
Questions 19-22

Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 2?

Write:

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer

NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

19 A person with an average IQ in the 1950s would have a below-average IQ by today's standards.
20 James Flynn was the first psychologist to notice rising IQ scores.
21 Flynn believes that modern technology like TV and computers has helped develop visuo-spatial skills.
22 The passage confirms that improved nutrition is the definitive cause of the Flynn effect.
Questions 23-26

Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D.

23 What was the key pattern James Flynn observed in IQ score gains?
24 According to Flynn, why might people perform better on modern IQ tests?
25 What does the recent plateau or decline in scores in some nations suggest about the Flynn effect?
26 What is the main implication of the Flynn effect discussed in the final paragraph?