IQ is a score derived from a test measuring problem-solving, reasoning, and memory. Some experts believe IQ is fixed, while others suggest it can be increased through mental exercise or diet. Research shows that short-term memory exercises can slightly improve IQ, and a healthy diet may also have an impact. However, more research is needed to fully understand the link between these factors and IQ.
IQ, which stands for intelligence quotient, is a score derived from a test designed to measure one’s ability to solve problems, reason, recall information, and understand conceptual ideas. Since the popularization of this test in the early 20th century, many studies have attempted to determine whether it is possible to raise IQ. In the early 20th century, research did not conclusively prove whether or not IQ can be increased. Some experts argue that one’s IQ is fixed. Others suggest that it is possible to increase IQ through mental exercise or even through diet.
Many researchers believe that one’s IQ is relatively fixed by heredity and cannot be improved. This is largely because IQ tests are designed to measure not how much an individual knows, but rather how well they solve problems, apply reason, interpret concepts, and remember information. In other words, these tests are primarily a measure of how someone thinks rather than what they know. He therefore argues, these researchers argue, that increasing one’s knowledge or store of information will not affect one’s performance on an IQ test. This conclusion appears to be supported by the fact that IQ tends to remain fairly stable throughout life.
Some research has suggested, however, that it may be possible to increase IQ not by enriching one’s knowledge, but rather by exercising one’s brain. A 2008 study conducted at the University of Michigan tested the theory that improving short-term memory through mental exercises could lead to improved performance on those IQ test questions that require testers to process new concepts or information. After working with two experimental groups and two control groups, these researchers found that testers who were trained in short-term memory techniques scored slightly better on IQ tests than testers in the control groups. While this study appears to support the idea that individuals can slightly increase IQ, experts agree that more research is needed before the link between short-term memory and IQ is fully understood.
Some studies have suggested that a natural infant diet can increase IQ. Researchers have observed, for example, that babies who were breastfed for the first six months of life tended to have slightly higher IQs than formula-fed babies. Additionally, the researchers noted that the IQ of children whose diets consisted largely of fatty and processed foods between infancy and age three tended to be lower than those whose diets consisted of fresh vegetables, cereals, whole grains and other healthy foods. It is important to note, however, that the relationship between infant diet and IQ has not been determined to be causal. Other factors, such as home environment and parental involvement, may also play a key role in both nutrition and childhood IQ.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
