Are you the smartest person in the room? What’s your IQ? Globally, the average IQ score is 100. Most people (about 68 percent) have an IQ between 85 and 115.
IQ stands for “intelligence quotient” and is a standard of measurement used to assess a person’s mental aptitude.
From 1932 through the 20th century, IQ scores rose 3 to five points per decade. This phenomenon is known as the “Flynn Effect.” However, a new study from Northwestern University suggests a “reverse Flynn Effect” is happening in the United States.
Why are we dumbing down?
According to Study Finds, scientists say the reason for our sinking scores is due to poor nutrition, worsening health, media exposure, excessive screen time and changes to education. Abstract reasoning is receiving less attention in school. There is also a drop in motivation.
Americans are seeing a drop in verbal reasoning like logic and vocabulary. There is a dip in visual problem solving and analogies. Letter and number series with regards to computation and math are also trending down.
The one bright spot in the study is spatial reasoning. Scores in 3D rotation have increased over the past decade.
Are Hoosiers losing smarts too?
It’s good news for Indiana. We are smarter than the average American! Although barely, Indiana scored above the average IQ score. The state ranked at number 19 with an IQ score of 101.7. The nation as a whole averages roughly a 98 IQ. Overall, about 98% of people have a score below 130. Only 2% of the population score above that and are considered above average.
Here are the estimated average IQ rates for residents of each U.S. state, as compiled by Michael McDaniel, formerly a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University as published in the Washington Post.
The results:
- Massachusetts 104.3
- New Hampshire 104.2
- North Dakota 103.8
- Vermont 103.8
- Minnesota 103.7
- Maine 103.4
- Montana 103.4
- Iowa 103.2
- Connecticut 103.1
- Wisconsin 102.9
- Kansas 102.8
- New Jersey 102.8
- South Dakota 102.8
- Wyoming 102.4
- Nebraska 102.3
- Virginia 101.9
- Washington 101.9
- Ohio 101.8
- Indiana 101.7
- Colorado 101.6
- Pennsylvania 101.5
- Idaho 101.4
- Oregon 101.2
- Utah 101.1
- Missouri 101
- New York 100.7
- Michigan 100.5
- Delaware 100.4
- North Carolina 100.2
- Texas 100
- Illinois 99.9
- Maryland 99.7
- Rhode Island 99.5
- Kentucky 99.4
- Oklahoma 99.3
- Alaska 99
- West Virginia 98.7
- Florida 98.4
- South Carolina 98.4
- Georgia 98
- Tennessee 97.7
- Arkansas 97.5
- Arizona 97.4
- Nevada 96.5
- Alabama 95.7
- New Mexico 95.7
- Hawaii 95.6
- California 95.5
- Louisiana 95.3
- Mississippi 94.2