The Increase in Colored Progressive Matrices Test Performance in Individuals With Down Syndrome: A Qualitative and Quantitative Review

Abstract

It is well known that a normal population improves its IQ test scores by about 3 points per decade. This is called the Flynn effect and has been explained in different and sometimes contrasting ways. Few and ambiguous data are available on any Flynn effect in individuals with an atypical development, such as those with intellectual disabilities: some studies report evidence of the Flynn effect, whereas others do not. The main objective of the present study was to analyze the performance of individuals with Down syndrome (DS) compared with a sample of typically developing (TD) children in the Colored Progressive Matrices (CPM) test, which measures abstract reasoning and is commonly used to estimate IQ, to see whether a Flynn effect is present. Our results suggest that the Flynn effect in the DS population depends on the individual’s age.