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If a person with an average IQ today took the 1910 IQ test, that person would have _________ IQ score compared to an average person from 1910?

1) a higher
2) a lower
3) the same

1 Answer

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Final answer:

An average person today would have a higher IQ score on a 1910 IQ test due to the Flynn effect, where IQ scores ascend over time because of factors like better education and health.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a person with an average IQ today took the 1910 IQ test, that person would likely have a higher IQ score compared to an average person from 1910. This hypothesis is based on the 'Flynn effect,' which proposes that there has been a substantial and long-sustained increase in both fluid and crystallized intelligence test scores over time in many parts of the world. When IQ tests are standardized, they use a representative sample of the population, usually setting the mean IQ score at 100. However, as populations develop due to better health, education, and environment, the average IQ scores increase, which is taken into account every so often by updating and restandardizing the IQ tests. Thus, a contemporary individual would be taking a test that is over a century old and based on a population that was less educated and had less exposure to modern complexities that could potentially stimulate cognitive development.

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