James R. Flynn

For other people of the same name, see James Flynn (disambiguation).

James R. Flynn in June 2007

James Robert Flynn PhD FRSNZ (born 1934), aka Jim Flynn, Emeritus Professor of Political Studies at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, researches intelligence and is famous for his discovery of the Flynn effect, the continued year-after-year increase of IQ scores in all parts of the world. His discovery was profiled in a 2007 article in The New Yorker magazine.

Flynn's son Victor is a maths professor at New College, Oxford.

Academic work

Flynn has written seven books. His research interests include humane ideals and ideological debate, classics of political philosophy, and race, class and IQ (see race and intelligence). His books combine political and moral philosophy with psychology to examine problems such as justifying humane ideals and whether it makes sense to rank races and classes by merit. He is currently a member of the editorial board of Intelligence. and on the Honorary International Advisory Editorial Board of the Mens Sana Monographs. Originally from Washington DC, educated in Chicago, Flynn immigrated to New Zealand in 1963.

Flynn defines intelligence to be independent of culture, emphasizing that the style of thought required to deal with problems of survival in a desert (mapping, tracking..), is different from that required to do well in the modern West (academic achievement etc.), but that both undoubtedly require intelligence.

A 1999 article published in American Psychologist, summarizes much of his research. On the alleged genetic inferiority of Blacks on IQ tests, he lays out the argument and evidence for such a belief, and then contests each point. He interprets the direct evidence—when Blacks are raised in settings that are less disadvantageous—as suggesting that environmental factors explain genetic differences. And yet, he argues that the environmental explanation gained force after the discovery that IQ scores were rising over time. Inter-generational IQ differences among Whites and across nations were larger than the Black-White IQ Gap and could not be accounted for by genetic factors, which, if anything, should have reduced IQ, according to scholars he references. He posits that the Black-White IQ score gap can be entirely explained by environmental factors if "the average environment for Blacks in 1995 matches the quality of the average environment for Whites in 1945." He summarizes his rejection of the theory that Blacks are genetically inferior to Whites by stating that "Nothing at present coerces rational belief."

Flynn is transparent about his belief in racial equality in his work, but he advocates for open scientific debate about controversial social science claims. He only urges those who hold such beliefs to refrain from advancing them without solid evidence.

Flynn's most recent book The Torchlight List proposes the controversial idea that a person can learn more from reading great works of literature than they can from going to university.

Flynn effect

Main article: Flynn effect

The Flynn effect is the name given to a substantial and long-sustained increase in intelligence test scores measured in many parts of the world. When intelligence quotient (IQ) tests are initially standardized using a sample of test-takers, by convention the average of the test results is set to 100 and their standard deviation is set to 15 IQ points. When IQ tests are revised they are again standardized using a new sample of test-takers, usually born more recently than the first. Again, the average result is set to 100. However, when the new test subjects take the older tests, in almost every case their average scores are significantly above 100.

Test score increases have been continuous and approximately linear from the earliest years of testing to the present. For the Raven's Progressive Matrices test, subjects born over a 100 year period were compared in Des Moines, Iowa, and separately in Dumfries, Scotland. Improvements were remarkably consistent across the whole period, in both countries. This effect of an apparent increase in IQ has also been observed in various other parts of the world, though the rates of increase vary.

There are numerous proposed explanations of the Flynn effect, as well as some skepticism about its implications. Similar improvements have been reported for other cognitions such as semantic and episodic memory. Recent research suggests that the Flynn effect may have ended in at least a few developed nations, possibly allowing national differences in IQ scores to diminish if the Flynn effect continues in nations with lower average national IQs.

Political activities

In 1967, Flynn served as a chairperson for the Congress for Racial Equality (CORE), a civil rights organization in the U.S. South.

Flynn campaigns passionately for left-wing causes, and became an initiating member of both the NewLabour Party and of the Alliance. He also advised Labour Prime Minister Norman Kirk on foreign policy. He has stood as a Parliamentary candidate in the general elections on several of occasions, most recently in 2005 as an Alliance list-candidate. As of 2008 he acts as the Alliance spokesperson for finance and taxation.

Controversial remarks

During 2007, new research from the 2006 New Zealand census showed that women without a tertiary (college) education had produced 2.57 babies each, compared to 1.85 babies for those women with a higher education. During July 2007, The Sunday Star-Times quoted Flynn as saying that New Zealand risked having a less intelligent population and that a "persistent genetic trend which lowered the genetic quality for brain physiology would have some effect eventually". He referred to hypothetical eugenicists' suggestions for reversing the trend, including some sort of oral contraceptive "in the water supply and ... an antidote" in order to conceive.

Flynn later articulated his own views on the Close Up television programme in an interview with Paul Henry, suggesting that the Sunday Star-Times had grossly misrepresented his opinions. In the article, Flynn argued that he never intended for his suggestion to be taken seriously, as he only said this to illustrate a particular point.

Partial bibliography

• Race, IQ and Jensen London and Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1980. ISBN 0710006519 Reviews the debate, as of 1980, about the research of Arthur Jensen and his critics.
• Humanism and Ideology: an Aristotelian View London and Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1973. ISBN 0710074425
• Asian Americans : Achievement Beyond IQ Hillsdale, N.J.: L. Erlbaum Associates, 1991. ISBN 0805811109
• How to defend humane ideals: substitutes for objectivity Lincoln, Neb.: University of Nebraska Press, 2000. ISBN 0803219946
• What is intelligence? : beyond the Flynn effect Cambridge, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. ISBN 9780521880077
• Where Have All the Liberals Gone?: Race, Class, and Ideals in America Cambridge, UK ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008. ISBN 9780521494311
• The Torchlight List: Around the World in 200 Books New Zealand: Awa Press, 2010. ISBN 9780958291699

Further reading

• Eckland, Bruce (1983) "Does IQ Mean Anything Anymore?". Contemporary Sociology. Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 15--17.
• Leventman, Seymour (1981). "Race, IQ and Jensen by James R. Flynn". Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Vol. 457, pp. 225--226.
• Smith, Tony (1981). "Statistics replace sentiment". British Medical Journal. Vol. 282, p. 135.

External links

• [1] None of the Above: What IQ Doesn't Tell You About Race
• Author profile page with Awa Press
• Otago University personal page
• Jim Flynn against eugenics - Scoop article
• "Progressive taxation and NZ": Professor Jim Flynn - Scoop
• Audio: James Flynn in conversation on the BBC World Service discussion show The Forum'