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Culture & Religion

Women Now Have Higher IQs Than Men

One of the world's foremost authorities in IQ measurement says that over the last century, women have grown smarter at a faster rate than men, perhaps because they've been given more rights. 

What’s the Latest Development?


One of world’s foremost experts in IQ measurement says that in recent decades, women have grown smarter at a faster rate then men and that they now generally have higher IQs than their male counterparts. Psychologist James Flynn tested 500 males and 500 females “from a wide variety of so-called advanced countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina and found women scored a half to a whole point higher in all of them. The only exception was Israel, where men still scored a couple of points higher than women.” His assertions are based on the Raven’s Progressive Matrices IQ test. 

What’s the Big Idea?

A notable result of Flynn’s research is that humanity, as a whole, has grown smarter in the last century, increasing its collective IQ by an average of three points. As for the growing difference between men and women’s intelligence, while Flynn cannot say exactly why women are getting smarter at a faster rate than men, “he theorizes that it’s likely due to the roles women now play in society, as compared to earlier times. Nowadays, he notes, women are expected to multi-task, to get jobs and go to work while still raising children. He believes that has caused women’s brains to adjust, making them smarter.”

Photo credit: Shutterstock.com


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