Gen Z IQ slowdown drives firms to value multiple intelligences

International studies spanning Europe, the United States and other developed economies have recorded a slowdown in average IQ scores among the youngest cohorts, marking the first decline in over a century. Media commentary has suggested that Generation Z is becoming less intelligent, but experts note that the concept of intelligence is evolving. Traditional IQ tests, rooted in early‑20th‑century methodology, assess only logical‑mathematical and linguistic abilities and omit a wide range of cognitive skills.

Since Howard Gardner's 1983 proposal of multiple intelligences, research and neuroscience have supported an expanded view that includes linguistic, logical‑mathematical, spatial, musical, bodily‑kinesthetic, naturalist, interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences. New assessment tools such as the MIDAS (Multiple Intelligences Developmental Assessment Scales) and Brazil's adapted AMI (Avaliação das Múltiplas Inteligências) aim to capture this broader profile.

A study by the Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná in partnership with consulting firm McKinsey found that about 70 % of the world’s largest companies now embed socio‑emotional criteria—communication, collaboration, adaptability, creativity, leadership and emotional intelligence—into hiring and promotion decisions. Companies cited include Itaú, Nubank, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Santander and Coca‑Cola, which increasingly weigh these competencies on par with technical expertise.