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Measurement-Invariant Fluid Anti-Flynn Effects in Population : Representative German Student Samples (2012–2022)
Oberleiter, Sandra; Patzl, Sabine; Fries, Jonathan; u. a. (2026): Measurement-Invariant Fluid Anti-Flynn Effects in Population : Representative German Student Samples (2012–2022), in: Bamberg: Otto-Friedrich-Universität, S. 1–9.
Faculty/Chair:
Publisher Information:
Year of publication:
2026
Pages:
Source/Other editions:
Journal of Intelligence, Basel: MDPI, 2024, Jg. 12, Nr. 1, 9, S. 1–9, ISSN: 2079-3200
Year of first publication:
2024
Language:
English
Abstract:
Generational IQ test scores in the general population were observed to increase over time (i.e., the Flynn effect) across most of the 1900s. However, according to more recent reports, Flynn effect patterns have seemingly become less consistent. So far, most available evidence on this phenomenon has been categorized by drawing on the classic fluid vs. crystallized intelligence taxonomy. However, recent evidence suggests that subdomain-specific trajectories of IQ change may well be more complex. Here, we present evidence for cross-temporal changes in measurement-invariant figural reasoning tasks in three large-scale, population-representative samples of German secondary school students (total N = 19,474). Analyses revealed a consistent pattern of significant and meaningful declines in performance from 2012 to 2022. Results indicate a decrease in figural reasoning of 4.68 to 5.17 IQ points per decade (corresponding to small-to-medium effects, Cohen ds from 0.34 to 0.38). These findings may be interpreted as tentative evidence for a decreasing strength of the positive manifold of intelligence as a potential cause of the increasing number of recent reports about inconsistent IQ change trajectories.
Keywords: ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Flynn effect
figural reasoning
measurement invariance
psychometric g
Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) intelligence model
cognitive abilities
multi-group confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA)
secondary school students
DDC Classification:
RVK Classification:
Peer Reviewed:
Yes:
International Distribution:
Yes:
Type:
Article
Activation date:
February 3, 2026
Permalink
https://fis.uni-bamberg.de/handle/uniba/112922