In the first article of this special issue of the Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, I critiqued Flynn’s theoretical explanation of the Flynn effect because he depended too heavily on an apparently huge generational gain on the WISC Similarities subtest; I claimed he was comparing apples with oranges because that subtest changed too much when the WISC was first revised. Four sets of esteemed researchers were invited to respond to my article and also to an article by Zhou, Zhu, and Weiss—Flynn, Sternberg, McGrew, and Ceci and Kanaya. Flynn disagrees strongly with my critique of his theory, a theory that posits striking generational shifts from concrete (utilitarian) thinking to a kind of fluid reasoning that Flynn nicknames “scientific spectacles.” In this final article of the special issue, I respond to Flynn’s claims, and also to the points made by the other invited respondents. In addition, I respond to the range of opinions expressed by the scholars who were invited to write an essay on whether or not IQs should be adjusted for the Flynn effect in capital punishment cases (Fletcher et al., Hagan et al., and Reynolds et al.). Ultimately, I disagree with Flynn’s explanation of the Flynn effect, but I agree with his position that IQs should be adjusted for the effect in death penalty cases.
Allison, J., Blatt, S.J., & Zimet, C.N. ( 1968). The interpretation of psychological tests. New York, NY: Harper & Row.
2.
Bayley, N. ( 1993). Bayley scales of infant development-Second edition. San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.
3.
Bayley, N. ( 2006). Bayley scales of infant and toddler development-Third edition. Technical manual. San Antonio, TX: Harcourt Assessment.
4.
Beaujean, A., & Osterlind, S.J. (2008). Using item response theory to assess the Flynn effect in the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 79 Children and Young Adults Data. Intelligence, 36, 455-463.
5.
Ceci, S.J., & Kanaya, T. ( 2010). "Apples and oranges are both round": Furthering the discussion on the Flynn effect. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment , 28, 441-447.
6.
Cohen, J. ( 1952). A factor-analytically based rationale for the Wechsler-Bellevue . Journal of Consulting Psychology, 16, 272-277.
7.
Elliott, C.D. ( 2007). Differential Ability Scales-Second edition (DAS-II). San Antonio, TX: The Psychological Corporation.
8.
Fletcher, J.M., Stuebing, K.K., & Hughes, L.C. ( 2010). IQ scores should be corrected for the Flynn effect in high-stakes decisions. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment , 28, 469-473.
9.
Flynn, J.R. ( 1987). Massive IQ gains in 14 nations: What IQ tests really measure. Psychological Bulletin, 101, 171-191.
10.
Flynn, J.R. ( 1998). IQ gains over time: Toward finding the causes. In U. Neisser (Ed.), The rising curve: Long-term gains in IQ and related measures. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
11.
Flynn, J.R. ( 2007). What is intelligence?New York, NY : Cambridge University Press.
12.
Flynn, J.R. ( 2009a). Requiem for nutrition as the cause of IQ gains: Raven’s gains in Britain 1938-2008. Economics and Human Biology, 7, 18-27.
13.
Flynn, J.R. ( 2009b). What is intelligence? (Expanded Edition). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
14.
Flynn, J.R. ( 2010). Problems with IQ gains: The huge vocabulary gap. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28, 412-433.
15.
Glasser, A.J., & Zimmerman, I.L. (1967). Clinical interpretation of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). New York, NY: Grune & Stratton.
16.
Hagan, L.D., Drogin, E.Y., & Guilmette, T.J. (2010). IQ scores should not be adjusted for the Flynn effect in capital punishment cases. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28, 474-476.
17.
Hunt, E. ( 2000). Let’s hear it for crystallized intelligence. Learning and Individual Differences, 12, 123-129.
18.
Kaufman, A.S. ( 1979). Intelligent testing with the WISC-R. New York, NY: Wiley.
19.
Kaufman, A.S. ( 2001a). Do low levels of lead produce IQ loss in children? A careful examination of the literature. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 16, 303-341.
20.
Kaufman, A.S. ( 2001b). WAIS-III IQs, Horn’s theory, and generational changes from young adulthood to old age. Intelligence, 29, 131-167.
21.
Kaufman, A.S. ( 2009). IQ testing 101. New York, NY: Springer.
22.
Kaufman, A.S. ( 2010). "In what way are apples and oranges alike?" A critique of Flynn’s interpretation of the Flynn effect. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28, 382-398.
23.
Kaufman, A.S., & Kaufman, N.L. ( 2004). Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children-Second edition (KABC-II). Circle Pines, MN: American Guidance Service.
24.
Kaufman, A.S., & Lichtenberger, E.O. (2006). Assessing adolescent and adult intelligence (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Wiley.
25.
Kausler, D.H. ( 1991). Experimental psychology, cognition, and human aging. New York, NY: Springer.
26.
Matarazzo, J.D. ( 1972). Wechsler’s measurement and appraisal of adult intelligence (5th and enlarged ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
27.
McGrew, K.S. ( 2010). The Flynn effect and its critics: Rusty linchpins and "lookin’ for g and Gf in some of the wrong places."Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28, 448-468.
Owens, W.A. ( 1966). Age and mental ability: A second adult follow-up. Journal of Educational Psychology, 57, 311-325.
30.
Reynolds, C.R., Niland, J., Wright, J.E., & Rosenn, M. ( 2010). Failure to apply the Flynn correction in death penalty litigation: Standard practice of today maybe, but certainly malpractice of tomorrow. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28, 477-481.
31.
Rodgers, J.L. ( 1998). A critique of the Flynn effect: Massive IQ gains, methodological artifacts, or both?Intelligence, 26, 337-356.
Sattler, J.M. ( 1974). Assessment of children’s intelligence (Rev. ed.) . Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders .
34.
Sternberg, R.J. ( 2010). The Flynn effect: So what?Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28, 434-441.
35.
Sundet, J.M., Barlaug, D.F., & Torjussen, T.M. (2004). The end of the Flynn effect? A study of secular trends in mean intelligence test scores of Norwegian conscripts during half a century. Intelligence, 32, 349-362.
36.
Teasdale, T.W., & Owen, D.R. ( 2005). A long-term rise and recent decline in intelligence test performance: The Flynn effect in reverse. Personality and Individual Differences, 39, 837-843.
37.
Weiss, L.G. ( 2010). Considerations on the Flynn effect. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28, 482-493.
38.
Woodcock, R.W., McGrew, K.S., & Mather, N. ( 2001). Woodcock-Johnson III. Itasca, IL: Riverside.
39.
Yang, Z., Zhu, J., Pinon, M., & Wilkins, C. ( 2006, August). Comparison of the Bayley-III and the Bayley- II. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA.
40.
Zhou, X., Zhu, J., & Weiss, L.G. ( 2010). Peeking inside the "black box" of the Flynn effect: Evidence from three Wechsler instruments. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28, 399-411.
