Do non-g gains from the Flynn effect actually matter? IQ scores have been rising for decades across populations, but apparently a lot of these gains aren’t in g (general intelligence) but in specific cognitive skills. So are these increases meaningful or just people getting better at taking tests?
The gains seem real in terms of abstract reasoning and problem-solving skills that modern life requires. Even if they’re not pure g increases, don’t they still reflect genuine cognitive improvements?
It’s complicated. Non-g gains matter practically because they reflect real improvements in skills our society values like abstract thinking, pattern recognition, and test-taking ability. Better nutrition, education, and cognitively demanding environments have made populations functionally smarter in specific ways. However, these gains don’t necessarily mean underlying general intelligence has increased, which is why they might not predict life outcomes the same way g does. So yes, they matter for functioning in modern society, but no, they’re not the same as increases in fundamental cognitive ability. The distinction matters for understanding what’s actually changing and what interventions can realistically accomplish.