Academic performance, IQ, and generational shifts
in Psychology ·
bluemason3 said:Sorry, I couldn't think of a title that really captures this, so feel free to edit 😬
This might lean toward pedagogy, but since we don't have a dedicated sub-forum for it here, I'll just drop it in.
Research suggests that IQ scores actually trend upward over time. I won't get bogged down in the specifics of what an IQ test measures or how much it relies on education levels. It’s enough to note that tests are scaled so that 100 remains the average; essentially, today’s average score would have been considered above average decades ago.
On the flip side, there seems to be a noticeable dip in student quality over the last few generations. I'm not citing specific studies for this—or at least, I haven't read them lately—but rather relying on the general consensus among university professors. This isn't just limited to one school or even one country; it seems to be a widespread sentiment across the West. Of course, it's hard to say if this perception is truly objective (subjective biases are common), and if anyone has data to disprove this, I'm all ears. For now, let's just treat it as a working hypothesis. The same might apply to K-12, though I don't have firsthand insight there.
A few possibilities come to mind:
- Failed attempts at large-scale educational reforms, similar to the shifts seen in European systems.
- A higher standard of living leading to more "entitlement" and, consequently, less drive.
- A shift in how we process information following the rise of the internet and computers, where
a - the educational system failed to adapt its methods and criteria to these new realities
or
b - certain cognitive skills have actually suffered due to overexposure to digital tools.
- Excessive liberalization regarding students, who often receive more rights than their experience allows them to use constructively, leaving faculty with very little room to maneuver.
- Increased social pressure to pursue higher education, pushing a larger percentage of people into universities without any genuine interest in the field or actual market demand.
- A lack of motivation or perspective stemming from some other unknown factor.
Those are just some quick thoughts I had while typing this out. Maybe I'll think of something else later.
Do you have other theories on what might be causing this, or perhaps evidence suggesting that the initial premise is flawed?
Also, does anyone know what the situation looks like in non-Western education systems? Just speculating, but it wouldn't surprise me if rising nations like China and India are seeing the exact opposite trend, given that education is becoming more accessible while economic pressure remains intense.
I pretty much agree with everything you wrote, but I’d highlight these four points specifically. As a college student, I see examples of this all the time. I assume you have plenty of your own, so I won't list them, but if you really want them, I can.
One thing I’d add is how incredibly hard it is for some people to accept that they just aren't cut out for certain majors. It gets absurd. You see someone with average—or even slightly below average—intelligence finish high school and decide *not* to go to college because they realize it might be too tough. Meanwhile, someone significantly below average thinks they can handle it and enrolls anyway (mostly because they aren't self-aware enough to know their limits). For instance, there’s a guy at my university who failed his entire freshman year twice. Even though he clearly tried, he eventually switched to a slightly—and I mean slightly—easier major, and now he's starting his third attempt at year one.
bluemason3 said:Sorry, I couldn't think of a title that really captures this, so feel free to edit 😬
This might lean toward pedagogy, but since we don't have a dedicated sub-forum for it here, I'll just drop it in.
Research suggests that IQ scores actually trend upward over time. I won't get bogged down in the specifics of what an IQ test measures or how much it relies on education levels. It’s enough to note that tests are scaled so that 100 remains the average; essentially, today’s average score would have been considered above average decades ago.
On the flip side, there seems to be a noticeable dip in student quality over the last few generations. I'm not citing specific studies for this—or at least, I haven't read them lately—but rather relying on the general consensus among university professors. This isn't just limited to one school or even one country; it seems to be a widespread sentiment across the West. Of course, it's hard to say if this perception is truly objective (subjective biases are common), and if anyone has data to disprove this, I'm all ears. For now, let's just treat it as a working hypothesis. The same might apply to K-12, though I don't have firsthand insight there.
A few possibilities come to mind:
- Failed attempts at large-scale educational reforms, similar to the shifts seen in European systems.
- A higher standard of living leading to more "entitlement" and, consequently, less drive.
- A shift in how we process information following the rise of the internet and computers, where
a - the educational system failed to adapt its methods and criteria to these new realities
or
b - certain cognitive skills have actually suffered due to overexposure to digital tools.
- Excessive liberalization regarding students, who often receive more rights than their experience allows them to use constructively, leaving faculty with very little room to maneuver.
- Increased social pressure to pursue higher education, pushing a larger percentage of people into universities without any genuine interest in the field or actual market demand.
- A lack of motivation or perspective stemming from some other unknown factor.
Those are just some quick thoughts I had while typing this out. Maybe I'll think of something else later.
Do you have other theories on what might be causing this, or perhaps evidence suggesting that the initial premise is flawed?
Also, does anyone know what the situation looks like in non-Western education systems? Just speculating, but it wouldn't surprise me if rising nations like China and India are seeing the exact opposite trend, given that education is becoming more accessible while economic pressure remains intense.
I don't have many connections outside of the US and neighboring countries, except for one friend studying in Syria (he was born there, just so we aren't confused thinking he's just an exchange student). I don't know if you'd consider them a "non-Western" society. Regardless, the situation there (at least before the war) was similar to ours; most people just enroll in college because it's what you do. So, I don't have much useful to add.