The Flynn Effect
Version 1.0.0 · Updated 2026-07-30
CORE DEFINITION
Over the past century, the average IQ test scores of the global population have been continuously rising at a rate of about 3 points per decade. This is mainly attributed to improvements in nutrition, education, and environmental complexity, rather than genetic changes. Scaffolding role: The environment reshapes the brain. The human brain is not fixed hardware, but software that upgrades with the environment. This also reminds us not to measure modern cognitive abilities with standards from decades ago; modern society itself is a huge cognitive training camp.
SCAFFOLDING EFFECT
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The environment reshapes the brain. The human brain is not fixed hardware, but software that upgrades with the environment. This also reminds us not to measure modern cognitive abilities with standards from decades ago; modern society itself is a huge cognitive training camp.
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The Flynn effect refers to the rise in average IQ test scores globally by about 3 points per decade over the past century, mainly attributed to environmental factors (nutrition, education, complexity) rather than genetics. It indicates that cognitive abilities are plastic in response to the environment.
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- en.wikipedia.orghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effectverified
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