Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Measuring Statistical Learning Across Modalities and Domains in School-Aged Children Via an Online Platform and Neuroimaging Techniques
Published on: June 30, 2020
International differences in the speed of cognitive development: A systematic examination of the existence of the
David Becker1, Gerhard Meisenberg2, Edward Dutton3
1Department of Psychology, Chemnitz University of Technology, Germany.
Abstract:
The Simber Effect refers to the phenomenon whereby, in Arabic countries, young children have an IQ that is little different from that of Western children but that these differences increase throughout childhood culminating in a difference of around 20 points by adulthood. The true nature of this phenomenon is revealed by an examination of 125 samples from all around the globe measured with Raven's Progressive Matrices. We show that in many cases different speeds of cognitive development increase the IQ score differences between countries mostly between 4 and 9 years of age, and that these increases can in part be explained by poor environmental conditions. However, the patterns are not completely clear, either in terms of regularity or strengths. Methodological problems, in particular the cross-sectional designs of the included samples, as well as the significance of the Simber Effect for country comparisons in intelligence are discussed.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Information Processing Approach
Language and Cognition
Biological Influences on Intelligence
Vygotsky's Cognitive Development in Cultural Context
Cognitive Development During Adolescence
Revisionist Views of Adolescent and Adult Cognition

