Abstract
A number of recent studies have shown that the intelligence of children has been increasing over the last half-century. Evidence from the standardizations of the Cognitive Abilities Test in Britain in 1972 and 1984 confirms this. It was found that the increases over a 12-year period were 3.0 IQ points for Non-Verbal Ability, 3.6 points for Verbal and 6.4 points for Quantitative. The inferences drawn are that there has been no diminution in recent years in the rate of increase of intelligence; that the rate of increase of the reasoning primary ability in Britain is approximately 2.5-3.0 IQ points per decade; that the verbal comprehension primary has been increasing at a lower rate; and that crystallized educational abilities show variable rates of increase depending on changes in the curricula taught in schools and the motivation of pupils and teachers.
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