Generational gains on the Draw-a-Person IQ scores: A three-decade comparison from Turkey

In 1977 Draw-a-Person test was administered to fifth grade school children in a city and its surrounding rural villages in Turkey. In 2010, more than thirty years later, the test was administered again to a corresponding group of fifth grade children in the same locations. It is rare that we get scores from the ‘same’ population over a period of more than three decades. This paper reports such a comparison over time and draws attention to continuities and changes that provide us with insights into the effects of social change and development on human performance. In line with the commonly reported increases in intelligence test scores over time, gains in the DAP scores were found. At the same time, the variations along the rural–urban and socio-economic development levels obtained in 1970s were maintained in 2010. The comparative results point to greater gains at the lower part of the IQ distribution, in the less developed areas, decreasing the overall variance among the different groups.

► Draw-a-Person Test was administered in Turkey 33 years after its first administration.
► Overall increase in fifth grade children's performance was found – A Flynn Effect.
► The more important finding was much higher gain in the lower part of the distribution
► Regional economic growth implies both nutrition and cognitive stimulation hypotheses.