The Impact of the Flynn Effect on Recruitment

The Impact of the Flynn Effect on Recruitment The Impact of the Flynn Effect on Recruitment It is as if some unseen hand propelled scores upward at an unvarying rate between 1952 and 1982, a rate of 6 IQ points per decade, with individual nations scattering randomly around that value Culture-reduced tests of variabel intelligence show gains of as much as 20 points per generation (30 years) performance tests show 10-20 points and verbal tests sometimes show 10 points or below.- James R. Flynn, in his 20-nation study, IQ Gains Over Time Finding the Causes,1998EYE CLUE/Image Michael MoffaAt present rates of fertility and mortality and in the absence of changes within countries, the average IQ of the young world population would decline by 1.34 points per decade and the average per capita income would decline by 0.79% per year.- Gerhard Meisenberg, Wealth, Intelligence, Politics and Global Fertility Differentials, Journal of Biosocial Science,2009If applicants, clients and recruiters a re all, on average, getting smarter (or dumber) with each passing year and passing generation, what are the implications for the business of recruitment? If is actually the wrong word. It should be when, which, according to the research, may have been as early as the industrial revolution, or as recently as 1918, 1932 or 1950, depending upon which research and criteria of intelligence are tapped.The Flynn EffectIn 1994, American-born psychologist, James R. Flynn, now a professor at University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, made nachrichten headlines and scored a flood of research citations because of the Flynn Effect, named after him by the authors of the best-selling 1994 book The Bell Curve, Harvard psychologist Richard J. Herrnstein and American Enterprise Institute political scientist Charles Murray. (J. Philippe Rushton, a University of Western Ontario researcherbei whose own research claims about white-black IQ differences have stirred up a hornets nest of controversy, has ar gued that the Flynn Effect should be called the Lynn-Flynn Effect, after researcher Richard Lynn, because of a 1982 article by Lynn (in the respected journal Nature) which identified the trend in Japan.)The Bad News Tolled by The Bell CurveIn a sense, The Bell Curve seemed to break the bad news, while Flynn heralded the good. The- to many, gloomy- central thesis of The Bell Curve is that, more than anything else, IQ is the predictor of your odds, if you are a non-Hispanic white, of being unemployed, living in poverty, getting divorced, being incarcerated, having an illegitimate child, being a chronic welfare recipient, and/or being a high school dropout. IQ even trumped parents socio-economic status (SES, in the research jargon) as a predictor of behauptung outcomes, e.g., 0% of those with IQs over 125- apparently M.A./Ph.D.-level intelligence- surveyed were chronic welfare recipients, high school dropouts or ever incarcerated. Not one. However, critics of The Bell Curve- and there are many- argue that Herrnstein and Murray got it entirely backwards Low SES causes low IQs, not vice versa, the critics insist. To follow that debate, you can read the aptly titled 1995 book, The Bell Curve Debate, a collection of 81 expert essays.What makes this bell-curve hypothesis come across as bad news to many is that The Bell Curve research suggests that even though you cannot easily shape your IQ, it is virtually certain to shape you and your life options and outcomes. Unlike parental SES- which thanks to the socio-economic upward mobility typical of developed countries, can be surpassed- ones, IQ, like a tattoo, is generally both ineradicable and inalterable.The Good News Told by FlynnOn the other hand, the good news, disseminated by Flynns research, is that IQs have risen dramatically in the past two generations, and not only in the U.S. or some select countries, but globally, with estimates of the increases varying between as much as 30% and no less than 5%, depending on which test was administered and re-administered to determine the trend, the age group, the country, the time span, etc.In his 1984 paper, The Mean IQ of Americans Massive Gains 1932 to 1978, Flynn reportedThis study shows that every Stanford-Binet and Wechsler standardization sample from 1932 to 1978 established norms of a higher standard than its predecessor. The obvious interpretation of this pattern is that representative samples of Americans did better and better on IQ tests over a period of 46 years, the total gain amounting to a rise in mean IQ of 13.8 points. (IQ Gains Over Time,Encyclopedia of Human Intelligence,1994). The basic approach used in all of these studies was to administer the most current IQ test of a given type, e.g., Raven Progressive Matrices, Stanford-Binet or Wechsler, and then re-test using the much older tests of previous decades. The results consistently revealed much higher scores on the re-testing- increases not attributable to the mere fact of being r etested (an effect that was carefully controlled for and eliminated in the testing).This result has been interpreted by Flynn and the research community as indicating that a score of 100 on a more recent test actually is equivalent to a much higher score on the earlier tests, the gain depending on the test and the age group. One figure cited is that the average IQ is no longer the nominal 100 of the normalized bell curve, but more like 113.8-115 (depending on the test), which is more than enough for high school graduation and many college diplomas, whereas 100 is 4-5 points short of high school graduation, on average.What is astonishing about the Flynn Effect, is that it is world-wide, dramatic- in terms of the massive increase in average IQ scores and that its cause or causes are still being debated and investigated. Equally dramatic are some of the implications for matters of life-and-death, and, less dramatically, for recruiting.What has continued to mystify and divide researcher s ever since Flynn published his results is the question of what has caused the global increase in IQs- which many of them, including Flynn, have argued is not the same thing as a global increase in the genetic component of intelligence, at least because the time scale is far too short for natural selection or evolution to have bred such a huge jump in intelligence.Why the Surprise Rise?The following have all been cited, debated, dog-eared and/or dismissed by some researcher or otherImproved test preparation and practice, e.g., because of modern cram schools, standardized test guidesThe ongoing modern shift from concrete to abstract thinking (Flynns most recent hypothesis, in his book What Is Intelligence?)The stimulation and information explosion of the 20th-centuryThe rise of computer skills and jobsDramatically increased post-secondary education (necessitating more academic streaming, at the expense of vocational training, and a shift in emphasis to verbal skill cultivation in hi gh school)Longer schooling in general (including cram schools, private tutoring, expansion of public school services, longer school year, e.g., Japan and China)Global urbanizationComplex technology (requiring and engaging high-level cognition, e.g., choosing software settings)Global gains in socio-economic status (with attendant nutritional and motivational gains)Smaller families (only children have, on average, higher IQs- which may partially account for the Chinese whiz-kid phenomenon)Delayed childbirth (e.g., to the extent it correlates with improved SES)Flaws in IQ test design and/or administration (e.g., some of the re-tests were unsupervised)Eradication of various childhood diseasesLamarckian inheritance, viz., genetic transmission of acquired skills to the next generationDecline of farming (and its more concrete, motor-skill oriented intelligence)The Industrial Revolution (at least as a catalyst for the decline of agrarian intelligence)(Educational) TVVideo games (contributin g to certain cognitive skills, such as tracking multiple stimuli, short-term memory and eye-hand coordination, but at the almost certain expense of others, such as thinking)The unique visual characteristics of Chinese written characters (that require visual processing similar to that of visual IQ tests, like the Raven- as a partial explanation of high Chinese scores)Better schools and teachers (rejected by Flynn, noting that gains tend to disappear the more the test content matches that in school curricula)The Lethal Implications of Rising IQ ScoresIn his 2007 book, What is Intelligence?, Flynn cites a potentially lethal consequence of rising IQ scores the use of outdated IQ tests and norms could lead to the execution of someone convicted of a capital crime who, by todays standards, would be legally adjudged mentally disabled, although normal as measured by his test taken decades earlier.Before considering the implications of this massive shift in IQ scores, trying to fathom the cau ses seems a reasonable prior task, to the extent that identification of the causes can reveal the implications. For example, if the gains are attributable to the quick visual judgments required in playing globally-marketed computer games- a skill more germane to fluid visual tests like the Raven Progressive Matrices test than to crystallized Stanford-Binet and Wechler tests, the observed largest Raven Progressive Matrices-based increase in IQ scores will matter only in recruitment of those kinds of skills.On the other hand, if improvements in nutrition and elimination of toxins, such as air- or water-borne lead, are key factors, the gains will, once again, not translate into anything relevant to high-level recruiting. Thats because the improved nutrition and elimination of lead will overwhelmingly affect those whose low scores were caused by their under-exposure to nourishing food and overexposure to lead. Hence, despite the increase in their IQs, they still wont be competitive with the highest scorers, who are precisely those who are overwhelmingly most likely to apply for high-powered jobs.Otherwise, if the gains are to a significant extent attributable to ECE- early childhood education or to watching TV, surfing the Net or reading owners manuals for hi-tech gizmos, the score increases are more likely to show up in applicant traffic.(Non-)Implications for RecruitmentWhat are the implications- even if not so gravefor recruitment? Does it mean that a 25-year-old job applicant is likely to have an IQ substantially higher than a 50-year-old applicant, even if that younger applicant cant stop saying Im like.? No.First, some of the data indicate that the older the test subject, the greater the gains have been over the years, when compared to the performances of same-age older and younger test takers decades ago. Flynn cites British Raven test data that show gains of 20 points for 18-32-year-olds between 1942 and 1992, but gains of 30 points in the 33-67 age groupS econd, according to some studies and some tests, the greatest gains have been among the low-scorers on IQ tests- people unlikely to end up in your recruiter office, causing a skewing, rather than a simple and uniform shifting of the scores.These results indicate that even though the average IQ score has dramatically increased, the increases have not been uniformly distributed across the bell curve. What this means is that the mental picture of an IQ bell curve being rigidly shifted as a whole to the right, with the mean shifting from 100 to, e.g., 113.8, is the wrong image. Instead, the far left, lower scores have disproportionately shifted to the right, while the highest scores have hardly budged. The genius boom has not happened.(On the other hand, in one paper, Flynn maintains that the increase is uniform and across the board. However, this seems to be a minority report in the research corpus.)Flynn Non-Effect on Short-ListingGiven that the average applicant a recruiter will be s hort-listing is very likely to come from the high end of the scale, where scores have risen very little, if at all, the Flynn Effect is not so likely to manifest itself in the screening.This null observation is of critical importance in offsetting any age bias that might be based on any misconception that the Flynn Effect suggests that younger applicants, on average will have higher IQs, and therefore be smarter, on average, than older applicants.Credit the Schools?It also merits emphasizing, as Flynn noted, that the most dramatic gains in scores have not been on tests like the Stanford-Binet that involve reading, vocabulary and other school-influenced skills. The Stanford-Binet and the Wechsler IQ tests measure crystallized intelligence that includes verbal skills and general knowledge-influenced dimensions of intelligence, unlike the Raven Progressive Matrices, which is a purely visual IQ test involving row and column information processing.Its the latter kind of test, across many cultures, that has had the biggest jumps in scores- suggesting that teachers and schools cant take much credit for the gains and that verbal fluency in an interview is an unsound basis for concluding that the applicant, of any age, must be one of the highest-gain IQ test-takers, e.g., someone who took the Raven Progressive Matrices test.Moreover, there is clear and paradoxical evidence that the younger applicant may be drawn from a pool that, on average, had substantially lower S.A.T. scores than the older applicants age cohort. In The Mean IQ of Americans Massive Gains 1932 to 1978, Flynn, addressing the precipitous drop in S.A.T. scores between 1963 and 1981, states..these values entail a decline in non-IQ personal traits, motivation, self-discipline, and so forth, from 1963 to 1981 of such magnitude as to constitute a national disaster. The first step is to calculate how much a one-if both IQ gains and SAT losses are taken to be real, rather than artifacts of sampling error, the n the deterioration of non-IQ personal traits among young Americans must have been very great.But 1984, except perhaps politically, is a long time ago. To what extent that deterioration has continued up until today is hard to gauge, given that the S.A.T. was replaced in 2005 by the S.A.T. Reasoning Test, which has a drastically different format and contents.The Need for CautionStill, Flynns data and observations are still quite relevant to the recruiting process, for the inverse correlation between IQ and S.A.T. trends can manifest itself even in the formation of informal judgments of an applicants skills and aptitudes. As a recruiter, you are not very likely to ask for or get IQ, S.A.T or other applicant scores. You are far more likely to not even care. But, like everyone else, you cant help getting impressions, having hunches and forming opinions about how smart an applicant is and in what ways.Like a former president of Mensa, who identified intelligent people by a certain sensit ivity around the mouth and eyes, you will, of necessity, if your processing does not include aptitude testing, use your intuition. Hence, given the inverse IQ-S.A.T. correlation or the latest equivalent inverse relationship, you may get a confused impression of an applicants abilities, or worse, mistakenly take the higher/lower of the two indicators as the only indicator.For example, an applicant caught up as a statistic in the precipitous decline in written and oral fluency may nonetheless have high-order intelligence. If you cant see that, imagine Stephen Hawking. On the other hand, a highly articulate candidate possessed of a phenomenal memory may be unable to reload his stapler or follow your corporate structure flow chart.That caveat offered and given that you probably cannot help speculating on or estimating an applicants intelligence, what workable concept of intelligence can you adopt? Thats a challenge, especially since IQ scores have increased much more rapidly than the ge nes that determine intelligence could have, suggesting, as Flynns research does, that the gains are due to changes in what is learned, how it is learned, how soon and how fast, not in innate capacity.Duking It OutMy advice about how to approach applicant intelligence is implicit in what, in retrospect, I regard as one of the most entertaining moments in my entire education In a psychology seminar I audited for fun during my graduate studies in philosophy at Duke University, the professor- visiting from Princeton, as I recall- asked the group, What is intelligence? just as Flynn did, more recently, in the title of his 2007 book.A very eager graduate student rattled off a pedagogical mantra Its what we measure utilizing a Stanford-Binet test, cross-correlated or supplemented with a Wechsler, based on test items that are valid and reliableThe professor interrupted her and said, No, no.What we do is look at someone and say, Hmmmlooks intelligent. We then administer all sorts of tests un til we find the one that best confirms our intuition.Not ready to give up, the student shot back, But what happens if you look at someone and say, intelligent, but I look at him and say, not intelligent?Clearly prepared for this and/or very intelligent, the prof, faster than lightning, shot back, Well, in that case..we take a second look at you.

How to Find a Summer Camp Job

How to Find a Summer Camp JobHow to Find a Summer Camp JobSo you enjoy working with kids, like to be outdoors and are wondering what you can do this summer for work? Well, maybe a camp job is worth considering since summer camps hire thousands of teens and older students each summer to work as counselors, staff-in-training, activity specialists, kitchen staff, office workers, and groundskeepers. Although jobs are abundant, an effective job search campaign is essential to find the right position. Here are some tips to help you land a fun camp job this summer. Tips for Finding a Summer Camp Job Start your search as early as possible when most jobs are still available. Camps normally begin hiring during the winter months but dont dismay if you get a late start since there are often some positions still available in May and June.For counselor and activity specialist positions get some experience working with children. Babysitting, tutoring, volunteering with after-school programs, as sisting coaches for kids teams, helping drama/dance/music teachers, assisting scout leaders or acting as a Big Brother/Big Sister are all examples of viable experience. Ask guidance counselors, clergy, coaches, teachers or college volunteer coordinators for suggestions. Camps are often zulauf by teachers and coaches so ask your favorites for ideas about jobs. If you have impressed them, they may hire you or refer you for a job.If you have attended a camp or recreation program as a younger kid, consider contacting the director as one of their own.If you are under 17, inquire about counselor-in-training positions or support jobs in the kitchen, landscaping, or the office. Most camps require counselors to be 17 or 18 years old. However, some camp jobs may be available for 16-year-olds or younger (depending on hiring policy and state labor laws). Check the camps? job application and hiring information for details. For those targeting specialist positions, make koranvers you gain certifi cations or secure references which attest to your competence in swimming/aquatics, art, drama, sports, technology, horseback riding, climbing, etc.Define the types of camps you would like to target including overnight or day, special needs or special focus like environmental, adventure, art, music, sports, academic, etc.Some camps are specialized. For psychology, social work, education or health-related majors consider working at a camp for those with special needs like weight loss, asthma, learning disabilities, cancer or emotional challenges. Search a variety of websites which list summer camp jobs like CampJobs, CampChannel, CampPage, and CampDepot. Also, review some of the summer jobs sites like Cool Works for interesting listings.Use the same sites to identify camps and then apply online or contact camp directors to inquire about jobs. Not all camps will post jobs on the sites referenced above but all will hire young people for summer jobs so you will want to reach out directly to any camps where you would really like to work.Contact local YMCAs and other youth organizations since many will run summer day and/or overnight camps. If you prefer a local day job, contact your town and/or county recreation department to ask about positions with their summer programs. Make sure that you are well prepared for interviews and follow some of the tips above and you will be well on your way to a satisfying summer camp job.

4 Motivating Reminders for a Long Job Search - The Muse

4 Motivating Reminders for a Long Job Search - The Muse4 Motivating Reminders for a Long Job SearchWe know. The idea of job searching doesnt really do it for you. It can be tedious, agonizing, and sometimes really discouraging. After spending hours upon hours perfecting resumes, customizing cover letters, and receiving Thanks, but no thanks emails, you probably feel like throwing in the towel. Look, Ive been there. Suddenly the job I welches so desperate to leave seemed appealing after a few weeks of hearing nada. Well, thats leid true, the thought of coming home after a long day of work and doing nothing felt appealing. So, even though I was tempted to give up my dream of finding a career I loved, I kept at it. Remember Theres a reason why you started searching for a job- probably multiple reasons- and if you stop now, those reasons will all still be there. Every. Single. Day.So, rather than settling for what you have now- push yourself a little bit further. I know your next amazing gig is just around the corner. And if you dont believe me that itll all be worth it, read a few reminders below.1. You Cant Compare Yourself to Anyone ElseIts really easy to feel discouraged when you see someone around you land an awesome new gig while your search has been, well, fruitless. But the reality is, you dont know what his job search was like. All youre seeing is the end result- he got a new job and he took it. You probably have no clue how much time he spent looking, who he knew at the company, how long he spent crafting cover letters, or how many informational interview coffee dates he endured. But even if you do know all of the above, the fact remains that, just as you and he are different people, your job searches will be different, too. So, rather than beat yourself up when you think people are moving faster than you- focus on your own career goals. And if you dont have those literally written out, do that now. Seeing them clearly will help you remember that youre on a personal mission here- and it cant be completed by accepting any old position.2. You Cant Lose Confidence in Your AbilitiesWhen your efforts continue to be met with silence and rejections, its easy to start doubting yourself and your skills. But once you start believing youre not qualified for the positions youre going after, the search will only get harder.Give yourself leistungspunkt for the experience you do have, the things you know, all your past accomplishments, and your shining strengths. And if youre struggling to remember these as the no emails pile up, make a list. Not only do you know so much more than you realize, but youve also accomplished so much since you walked out of college however many years ago.Its easy to get lost in the daily grind and forget just how much youre able to do now that would seem inconceivable back then. From completing complicated reports to using industry tools to knowing the difference between CC and BCC, youve come a long way. 3. You Cant T ake Your Eyes Off the GoalI bet youve heard the saying You miss 100% of the shots you dont take more than enough times. And yes, Wayne Gretzky may have been talking about hockey when he said this, but little did he know he was giving career advice, too.Yes, there are times a recruiter or professional contact will reach out to someone with a job opportunity and just place it on the persons (lucky, lucky) lap. That does happen. But you certainly cant count on it. If you quit applying for jobs, youre not going to get one. And then youll be right back where you started when you decided you wanted to look for a new job in the first place. So keep that personal mission in mind every time you think about quitting this process. Youve got this4. You Cant Let This Process Consume YouWe hear a lot about work-life balance these days- and while this means different things for everyone, the same principles apply to your search, too. Looking for a new gig is work in itself, and you shouldnt let it take up all of your free time. Sure, you may have to spend some of your weekend hours submitting applications, but if you spend every waking minute working at this, youll drive yourself crazy. Remember that your job doesnt need to be your life- so neither does your job search. Next time you find yourself growing frustrated or antsy, take a deep breath, and move onto a new activity. Treat yourself to a good meal, a good movie, or even a good splurge. Its unlikely that the job of your dreams will be posted and snatched up within the 24 hours you took a break. Trust me- your email will all still be there when youre ready to get going again.So, if you are really ready to go somewhere new, keep at it. When you land the next job, youll be glad you didnt quit. And while these four reminders wont make the hunt for a job fun, per se, they will hopefully make it a little less painful. Photo of sunset runner courtesy of Shutterstock.