The secular increase in test scores is a "Jensen effect"

The "Jensen effect" results from the correlation between the g factor and a huge number of psychological and biological variables, Although Rushton (R ushton, J. P. (1999). Secular gains in IQ not related to the g factor and i nbreding depression - unlike Black-White differences: a reply to Flynn. Per sonality and Individual Differences, 26, 381-389) proposed that the secular increase in test scores is not a "Jensen effect", the present study demons trates that this is true for crystallized tests but not fluid tests. A flui d g factor is correlated with the generational changes observed in two succ essive Spanish standardizations of the DAT battery. Contrary to Rushton's ( 1999) findings - based on a crystallised g there is a positive correlation between a fluid g and the generational cognitive change. There is one stron g implication of the generational cognitive difference observed in the pres ent study for the comparison of contemporary human populations: an environm ental explanation of the current cognitive gap between some populations nee d only posit that the current average environment for population A (with a lower average score) marches the quality of the average environment for pop ulation B (with a higher average score) a generation ago. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.