RISING IQ SCORES - IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ELDERLY

Data from twenty nations show not a single exception to massive IQ gai ns over time. The escalation of whatever skills are involved probably began no later than the onset of the industrial revolution. There are national differences, of course. However, over the last 60 years, the most interesting differences are in terms of the kind of IQ test. Test s of fluid intelligence like Raven's Progressive Matrices, which measu re on-the-spot problem solving using patterns presumed to be recognisa ble across cultures, show gains of about 20 IQ points per generation ( 30 years). Wechsler Performance Scales show gains ranging from 9 to 20 points, Wechsler Verbal Scales average at about 9 points, while acade mic achievement tests show small gains or even losses [1,2,3]. The imp lications for the elderly fall under three headings: how much does cog nitive performance decline with age; can we compete with our children and grandchildren; are we being surrounded by an intellectually enrich ed culture?