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Declines in vocabulary among American adults within levels of educational attainment, 1974–2016

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  • Twenge, Jean M.
  • Campbell, W. Keith
  • Sherman, Ryne A.

Abstract

We examined trends over time in vocabulary, a key component of verbal intelligence, in the nationally representative General Social Survey of U.S. adults (n = 29,912). Participants answered multiple-choice questions about the definitions of 10 specific words. When controlled for educational attainment, the vocabulary of the average U.S. adult declined between the mid-1970s and the 2010s. Vocabulary declined across all levels of educational attainment (less than high school, high school or 2-year college graduate, bachelor's or graduate degree), with the largest declines among those with a bachelor's or graduate degree. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses separating the effects of age, time period, and cohort suggest that the decline is primarily a time period effect. Increasing educational attainment has apparently not improved verbal ability among Americans. Instead, as educational attainment has increased, those at each educational level are less verbally skilled even though the vocabulary skills of the whole population are unchanged.

Suggested Citation

  • Twenge, Jean M. & Campbell, W. Keith & Sherman, Ryne A., 2019. "Declines in vocabulary among American adults within levels of educational attainment, 1974–2016," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 1-1.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:intell:v:76:y:2019:i:c:2
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2019.101377
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Reither, Eric N. & Masters, Ryan K. & Yang, Yang Claire & Powers, Daniel A. & Zheng, Hui & Land, Kenneth C., 2015. "Should age-period-cohort studies return to the methodologies of the 1970s?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 356-365.
    2. Duane F. Alwin & Ryan J. McCammon, 2001. "Aging, Cohorts, and Verbal Ability," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 56(3), pages 151-161.
    3. Campbell, W. Keith & Campbell, Stacy M. & Siedor, Lane E. & Twenge, Jean M., 2015. "Generational Differences Are Real and Useful," Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Cambridge University Press, vol. 8(3), pages 324-331, September.
    4. Yang Yang & Kenneth C. Land, 2008. "Age–Period–Cohort Analysis of Repeated Cross-Section Surveys: Fixed or Random Effects?," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 36(3), pages 297-326, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Qi, Yaqiang & Xiong, Yajie, 2023. "Intercohort upsurge of cognitive ability among the general population in China: Evaluating a Flynn effect," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    2. Dworak, Elizabeth M. & Revelle, William & Condon, David M., 2023. "Looking for Flynn effects in a recent online U.S. adult sample: Examining shifts within the SAPA Project," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).

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