Flynn Effect: Humanity Improves Focus Despite Declining IQ

Over the past 20–30 years, adults’ ability to concentrate has significantly improved, according to a meta-analysis published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences. A research team led by Denise Andrzejewski from the University of Vienna links this to a possible manifestation of the Flynn Effect—a phenomenon where the average IQ in various countries increased with each generation throughout the mid and late 20th century.

The Flynn Effect, first described by political scientist James Flynn in 1984, referred to an average increase in IQ scores by three points per decade. However, in recent years, this growth has slowed or even stopped in some countries, and in some places, a reverse trend has been observed. The reasons for the decline in IQ remain a topic of debate among experts.

The ability to concentrate is part of general intelligence, which could explain its connection to the Flynn Effect. The study analyzed 179 studies involving more than 21,000 people from 32 countries, including the United States, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. All participants took the d2 attention test between 1990 and 2021, which measures selective and sustained attention—that is, the ability to concentrate.

The test consists of rows of the letters “d” and “p,” each accompanied by a varying number of vertical marks above or below. Participants must quickly and accurately find the letter “d” with two marks, with only 20 seconds allowed per row.

The results showed that in recent decades, adults have demonstrated higher levels of concentration: the number of correct answers increased, while the number of mistakes decreased. For children, however, the picture is different: although their speed in completing the task increased, the number of errors also rose. Researchers attribute this to a tendency toward impulsive behavior during testing, likely linked to societal changes that emphasize speed over accuracy.

In German-speaking countries, different trends were observed. Among children, the number of errors actually decreased, while adults did not show noticeable improvement in concentration. However, the overall conclusion across 30 countries remains the same: the Flynn Effect extends to the ability to concentrate, which may be related to the general rise in intelligence.