Gent,Belgium,May29th,2024-The Intelligence Quotient (IQ), which many scientists believed to be genetically determined, can still be improved through memory training. This conclusion was reached by Swiss researchers Susan Jeggi and Martin Buschkuehl.
Psychologists view intelligence as a universal mental ability based on the genetically determined ability of the nervous system to process information at a certain speed and accuracy. While a person can acquire knowledge and develop skills, the speed of their acquisition and the ability to apply them optimally, in other words, intelligence, according to the majority of scientists, are inherited.
According to a statement from the National Science Foundation in the United States, scientists at the University of Michigan investigated the relationship between intellectual abilities and memory and found that one component of IQ can be increased through training.
Most IQ tests are based on measuring two types of intelligence: crystallized and fluid. These concepts were introduced in psychology by Raymond Cattell in 1971. Fluid intelligence denotes the ability to find solutions to new and unexpected problems, while crystallized intelligence is the ability to use existing knowledge and experience.
The research by Swiss psychologists demonstrated that fluid intelligence is trainable. “When it comes to increasing intelligence, many researchers believe it’s impossible. Our study clearly shows that’s not the case. Our brains are much more plastic than we might think,” Jeggi says.
She and her colleagues reasoned that just as crystallized intelligence is associated with long-term memory, fluid intelligence is linked to short-term or “working” memory.
Working memory, in its functions, is similar to a computer’s RAM—it stores information intended for immediate use, like a phone number to dial right now or a shopping list to follow. This information is immediately forgotten once it’s no longer needed.
The scientists gathered four groups of volunteers and trained their working memory using special exercises.
The volunteer groups trained for half an hour a day for eight, 12, 17, and 19 days. For each of these periods, the researchers assessed changes in the participants’ fluid intelligence. They compared these results to those of a control group to ensure that the increase in fluid intelligence was indeed due to the memory training and not just improved test-taking skills.
The results showed that while the control group’s fluid intelligence scores increased due to repeated test-taking, the main group of participants who underwent working memory training significantly outperformed the control group.
Furthermore, the longer the participants trained their working memory, the more their fluid intelligence scores increased. “Our study clearly shows that training with a specific type of memory task affects fluid intelligence. We also found that people with lower fluid intelligence scores increased them through training,” Jeggi says.
These findings are significant because an increase in fluid intelligence also leads to an increase in overall intelligence, as measured in IQ tests.
Scientists believe that this type of memory training could help children with developmental delays and elderly individuals facing cognitive decline.
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