Until now the assumption has been that intellectual capacity, as measured by IQ, stays quite static during life. But tests conducted on teenagers at an average age of 14 and then repeated when their average age was nearly 18 found improvements - and deterioration. The findings are published in the journal Nature.
They have implications for how pupils are assessed, and the age at which decisions about their futures are made. This study involved 19 boys and 14 girls, all undergoing a combination of brain scans and verbal and non-verbal IQ tests in and then in The findings are seen to have greater validity because for the first time the variations in IQ correlated with changes in two particular areas of the teenagers' brains.
An increase in verbal IQ corresponded with a growth in the density of part of the left motor cortex - a region activated during speech. And an increase in non-verbal IQ correlated with a rise in the density of the anterior cerebellum - an area associated with movements of the hand.
Moreover, Gf is closely related to professional and educational success, especially in complex and demanding environments. Researchers had 70 healthy young participants perform complex "working memory" tasks, and the groups who trained to perform the tasks through up to 19 intense sessions performed significantly better — and ultimately scored higher in terms of fluid intelligence.
Musicians also have higher IQs — but only so long as they practice. The Journal points out that the University of Toronto found six years of music lessons increased children's IQ scores by 7. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation.
Well, as it turns out, it may be possible to increase your intelligence with the right kind of intellectual training.
Research suggests that there are various ways to develop some of the most crucial skills related to human intelligence. This measurement was popularized in the s by a French psychologist named Alfred Binet. Common standardized IQ tests include:. Instead, IQ testing can be used as the first step in diagnosing other mental health conditions and learning disabilities.
There are two categories of human intelligence: fluid intelligence and crystallized intelligence. Fluid intelligence is associated with abstract reasoning, while crystallized intelligence is associated with intellectual skill development.
According to the National Library of Medicine , these types of intelligence can be influenced by a variety of genetic and environmental factors, including:. Here are some activities you can do to improve various areas of your intelligence, from reasoning and planning to problem-solving and more. Memory activities can help to improve not only memory, but also reasoning and language skills.
In fact, memory games have been used in research studies to explore how memory relates to language and object knowledge. Reasoning and language are both used as intelligence measures, meaning that memory activities can continue to develop intelligence. Executive control is the ability to control complex cognitive activities.
Research suggests that executive function is strongly tied to fluid reasoning, one aspect of human intelligence. In one study , researchers found that improving visuospatial reasoning led to an increase in IQ test scores. Relational Frame Theory relates to the development of human cognition and language through relational associations.
Research from has shown that using Relational Frame Theory as an intervention can significantly improve IQ scores in children. A more recent study using this intervention also found improvements in IQ, verbal reasoning, and numeric reasoning.
One study found that musicians have better working memory than non-musicians. It should come as no surprise that learning multiple languages is beneficial to the human brain — and the earlier, the better. A recent study investigated the relationship between early language learning and IQ. The results indicated that language learning through talk and interaction from 18 to 24 months was most beneficial for cognitive outcomes later in life.
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