Nutrition, the Flynn Effect, and Substance Abuse
Carly Gottsponer
PSY 3813-TC3
Korey Davis
September 17, 2017
“The Flynn Effect is the tendency of IQ scores to change over time, and specifically, the apparent increase in intelligence in the general population evidenced by a steady increase in IQ scores. It was first noticed by James Flynn” (The Flynn Effect). As years went by and IQ tests were restandardized, it was noticed that when previous tests were taken the outcomes were better on the previous tests than the tests that were in current circulation. The Flynn Effect has a number of factors that can attribute to the effect taking place. One factor in particular that has been discussed by many different people is the factor of overall better nutrition. Overall better nutrition has occurred in many places over the last 100 years or so. This improvement has been linked to head growth, earlier maturation of children, increased height, and faster growth (Williams). Increased head growth most likely means that human brains are growing which can subsequently be linked to the increased intelligence that is proven by IQ scores. The earlier maturation and faster growth of children can also be linked to how a population’s intelligence improves over many years. The Flynn Effect and nutrition are related through the correlation of increased intelligence and increased overall nutrition. The effects of the Flynn effect on nutrition and vice versa are extensive. The
Barry M Popkin, Linda S Adair, Shu Wen Ng; Global nutrition transition and the pandemic of obesity in developing countries. Nutr Rev 2014; 70 (1): 3-21. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00456.x
Sir Francis Galton (1869, 1883) quantified traits that were assumed to be correlated, and developed the first comprehensive test of intelligence. By the end of the 19th century, the foundation was laid for modern day intelligence testing (Wicket, 1998). In 1905, the French psychologist Alfred Binet published the first modern intelligence test to identify students who needed special help in coping with the school curriculum (Neiser, et al. 1996). Shortly thereafter in 1908 and 1911, Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon published revisions of the Binet intelligence test (Wicket). The mental age concept was adopted to express the results in adequate units. The concept is based on an individual’s performance in comparison to the average performance of individuals in a specific chronological age group (Kaplin, & Saccuzzo).
Which data indicates the need for the nurse to evaluate Mrs. Rusk further for altered nutrition? (Select all that apply.)
In today’s modern world, recent scientific research has been conducted, which reveals that world-wide IQ test scores have risen, and continue to rise every year. In Alison Gopnik’s article, “Smarter Every Year? Mystery of the Rising IQs,” she discussed how these recent scientific discoveries relate to our society throughout the last century. It is evident that in our society a person’s level of intelligence is extremely important in our culture which is obsessed with being knowledgable. In her article, Gopnik addresses the historical evidence that supports the conclusion that people are getting smarter as the years go on because of today’s society. Gopnik effectively explains the fact that people’s IQs are rising every year, by using the results
Also, in the early 1900’s there were different intelligence test conducted mainly to “justify racial and ethnic discrimination”. According to the understanding race website, “The results of these intelligence tests were influential in shaping U.S. immigration policy that limited immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe, and in justifying race-based segregation in public education, and U.S. conscription during World War I. Previously, the scientific debate centered largely on perceived differences in racial intelligence based on cranial size”. (Science: 1900s-1930s Race and Intelligence)
Just as nutrition can have drastic effects on one’s physical health, nutrition can affect one’s mental health as well. The most common mental disorders that are prevalent in numerous countries are depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The dietary pattern of the general population in many countries reflect that they are often deficient in many nutrients, especially essential vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids. Deficiency in these vitamins can lead to depression.
Everyone wants to lose weight, whether they need to or not. Since November 2015, I have lost almost 30 pounds, using nutritional therapy. I have not consumed any products to achieve my goal. What are the 5 ways I did it?
2. IQ- If differences in IQ across the world are largely due to exposure to infectious disease during childhood, then reducing exposure to disease should increase IQ.(8)
Differences have been observed in mean IQ levels for racial/ethnic groups, as measured by intelligence tests
There are a variety of topics that are interesting in life. This interest may then become a point of inquisition, where an individual may formulate a relationship between two variables, which may or may not influence each other. Next, a hypothesis is formed and tested. In this same manner, a school educator was interested in determining the potential relationship between grade point average (GPA) and IQ scores among ninth graders. The educator random sampled 30 ninth graders, ages 14 years old and administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). This writer will be expanding further on this topic and will formulate the null and alternative hypothesis, describe the four scales of measurement, describe whether if there is a correlation significant (positive, negative, or no correlation) enough between both variables, describe the strength of the relationship, describe what the results reveals about the hypothesis, and what conclusions can be drawn from the results.
It has been proven that every decade the human IQ goes down by 1.6 points.
At least 1 million malnourished children die every year because they lack access to the necessary treatment; 17 million children suffer from severe acute malnutrition, a deadly condition if not treated according to Action against Hunger and organization taking steps to alleviate hunger around the world. Not only is malnutrition a current issue presiding in our world it is that of a growing nature and stemming far beyond that of a hunger issue. Inadequate intake of essential vitamins and nutrients has repercussions on the entire body. One of the most concerning aspects of malnutrition on the body is that of its impact on the brain. The brain is singularly in charge of thinking, conducting emotion and producing bodily reactions; with that the
Scientific research in child development flourished from the early 1900’s. One major stimulus was the introduction (1916) by the American psychologist Lewis Terman of the test known today as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test. This test led to a number of studies about children’s intellectual development. In the 1920’s scientists at more than a dozen leading universities began large-scale observational studies of children and heir families; these included the Berkeley Growth Study at the University of California (started in 1929 and still active today), the Fels Growth Study at Antioch College, and the Harvard Growth Studies. All used the longitudinal method, in which the same children are observed and tested at over a specific time period (The Volume Library 1990: Volume 2).
While this assumption is accepted by a majority of geneticists and behavioral scientists, there is great disagreement on the degree of influence each contributes. Arguments for environmental influences are compelling; at the same time there is growing evidence that genetic influence on intelligence is significant and substantial (Eyesenck, 1998; Mackintosh, 1998; Plomin, 1994; Steen, 1996). The purpose of this paper is to explore the question: "How is intelligence influenced by heredity and environment?"