Articles tagged with Intelligence Quotient
Research by UCSB psychologist John Protzko found that environmental interventions can temporarily boost general intelligence in low-birth-weight children. The effects, however, diminish over time, a phenomenon known as the 'fadeout effect'. This suggests that underlying cognitive abilities may not be the primary drivers of intelligence.
A multicenter study found that treatment of pregnant women with subclinical hypothyroidism or hypothyroxinemia during the first half of pregnancy does not improve cognitive outcomes in children up to five years old. The results suggest routine thyroid screening is not warranted.
Researchers found a 25-point IQ drop in carriers of the 16p11.2 gene deletion, even in individuals with normal IQ scores. The study quantified the additive effects of genetic mutations on cognition and behavior.
A new quantum phenomenon, the 'quantum pigeonhole principle,' violates a fundamental principle of nature by demonstrating how to put an arbitrarily large number of particles in two boxes without any two particles ending up in the same box. This discovery has major implications for understanding non-locality and the future of technology.
A new study published in Psychological Science found that people who respond quickly to general knowledge questions and visual tasks are perceived as more charismatic. The researchers speculate that mental speed may facilitate charisma by enabling quick masking of inappropriate reactions and making humorous associations.
Researchers found that children left without direct parental care for extended periods show larger gray matter volumes in the brain. The study also revealed a negative correlation between gray matter volume and IQ scores in left-behind children, suggesting delayed brain development.
A recent meta-analysis published in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews found a weak association between brain size and IQ, with brain structure and integrity appearing more important as a biological foundation of intelligence. The study also highlights the importance of compensatory mechanisms of cognitive functions.
A recent study published in Pediatrics found that adult IQ of very premature babies can be predicted when they are just two years old. The research team led by Professor Dieter Wolke assessed 200 children born with low birth weight or very premature birth and compared their cognitive function to a control group of full-term babies.
Modeling research suggests that universal iodine supplementation during pregnancy in mildly iodine deficient countries like the UK could save the National Health Service £200 per expectant mother, while providing monetary benefits of around £4500 per child from increased lifetime earnings.
A study published in Evolution and Human Behavior found that people prefer to follow the pack, with higher IQs being more strategic in their choices. The research suggests that conformity is essential for cultural evolution, as it allows us to copy successful behaviors and avoid mistakes.
Researchers confirm the neural efficiency hypothesis, which suggests that intelligent brains require less cortical activation to solve tasks. The study found that highly intelligent individuals required fewer resources to complete moderately difficult tasks, but not very easy or very difficult ones.
A massive study of 377,000 high school students found that first-borns have a one-IQ-point advantage over later-borns but the differences are statistically insignificant. First-borns tend to be more extroverted and conscientious, while later-borns have less anxiety, but these effects are infinitesimally small.
Researchers analyzed data from almost four million participants across 31 countries, finding that IQ gains were largely driven by improvements in knowledge and reasoning. Despite increases in global IQ, findings suggest that the strength of gains has been decreasing in recent decades.
A nationwide Danish register study tracking 190,000 individuals found a clear correlation between hospitalization due to infections and impaired cognitive ability. The study shows that even after treatment, patients can experience lasting effects on their IQ scores.
Researchers from University of North Carolina School of Medicine found that transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) had a statistically significant detrimental effect on IQ scores, with participants receiving sham stimulation showing greater improvement. The study adds to the increasing literature showing mixed results for tDCS ...
A recent study by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that children born to mothers experiencing economic hardship and exposed to high levels of PAH during pregnancy scored significantly lower on IQ tests at age 5. The researchers followed 276 mother-child pairs from pregnancy through early childhood, observing ...
Researchers suggest that increased schooling and mentally challenging problems tackled in schools contribute to the dramatic rise in IQ scores, known as the Flynn Effect. This finding supports the idea that environment plays a stronger role in intelligence than previously thought.
A study by Queen's University professor Allyson Harrison found significant differences between Canadian and American IQ scores from postsecondary students. The research revealed that using Canadian norms resulted in lower scores for Canadian young adults, leading to incorrect classifications of intellectual abilities.
A 30-year study of nearly 3500 newborns found that longer breastfeeding duration is associated with increased intelligence, longer schooling, and higher adult earnings. The longer a child was breastfed, the greater the magnitude of the benefits.
A new study found that high maternal thyroid hormone levels during early pregnancy can significantly lower a child's IQ later in childhood. Researchers evaluated data from 3,839 mother-child pairs and discovered a U-shaped relationship between TSH levels and child IQ, with both low and high levels associated with lower IQ scores.
A new study found that lower IQ is associated with greater and riskier drinking among young adult men in Sweden. Intelligence may come before behavior, and poor performance on IQ tests may be linked to other disadvantages.
Research from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital identifies a high-risk group of young patients who may experience intellectual decline after bone marrow transplantation. The study found that those aged 3 or younger at the time of transplantation with total body irradiation were at higher risk, leading to lower IQ scores and potenti...
A recent study published in PLOS ONE found a significant link between prenatal exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP) and di-isobutyl phthalate (DiBP) and substantial drops in child IQ scores. Children exposed during pregnancy to these chemicals had IQ scores on average six points lower than those exposed at lower levels.
A study at University of Sussex shows that adults can be trained to develop synesthetic experiences, including seeing letters as colors. The training also led to a significant boost in IQ.
Developmental psychologist Julia Jäkel argues that preterm children do not have an increased risk for dyscalculia. The study, published in The Journal of Pediatrics, suggests that current diagnostic criteria are insufficient to accurately assess mathematics skills in these children.
A study of 181 children aged 6 years found no association between breastfeeding and cognitive function, with higher IQ levels observed in breastfed children. The study also showed that IQ was related to drug dosage and maternal intelligence.
A pioneering study by Southern Methodist University researchers found that students with low IQs can learn to read at a first-grade level after four years of specialized instruction. The study's results demonstrate the potential of scientifically-based reading programs for students with intellectual disabilities or low IQs.
A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health found no link between fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children. The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Study followed nearly 1,000 people born in 1972-1973 up to age 38, controlling for factors like socio-economic status and breastfeeding.
A study by Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health found that reducing air pollution in NYC would increase children's IQs, leading to improved academic performance and future earnings. The estimated economic gain for each child could be as high as $215 million.
A recent study by the University of Gothenburg found that men with poorer cardiovascular fitness and/or lower IQ at age 18 are more likely to develop early-onset dementia before age 60. This increased risk remains even when controlled for other factors, highlighting the importance of physical exercise in maintaining cognitive health.
A collaborative study by McGill University researchers found that cortical thickness is linked to changes in full-scale IQ, contradicting earlier assumptions. The study discovered significant increases or decreases in IQ were associated with exaggerated or normal cortical thinning, respectively.
A new study from the University of British Columbia reveals that reconnecting low-income individuals with feelings of self-worth reduces stigma and improves cognitive function. Participants who engaged in oral self-affirmation techniques demonstrated a ten-point IQ increase and were more likely to seek aid services.
Researcher Sendhil Mullainathan discovers that poverty's financial constraints can lead to significant cognitive deficits, affecting IQ and impulse control. The 'cognitive tax' caused by poverty can result in reduced adherence to medication regimens, among other behaviors.
A new study in the Journal of Consumer Research suggests that shoppers should make more conscious choices about what to add to their shopping baskets. Researchers found that additional purchases can either attenuate or exacerbate embarrassment, depending on whether they counterbalance or complement embarrassing products. The findings h...
A new Florida State University study has found a significant link between physical fights and IQ decline in teenagers. After two fights, boys experience an average IQ loss of 1.62 points, while girls lose an average of 3.02 points.
A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that longer breastfeeding durations are associated with better receptive language at age 3 and verbal and nonverbal intelligence at age 7. Higher fish intake during lactation also appeared to strengthen the relationship between infant feeding and later cognition.
A study of over 13,800 children found that those who gained 40% of their birthweight in the first four weeks had a 1.5-point higher IQ by age six compared to those who gained less weight. This suggests a link between rapid brain growth and higher cognitive abilities.
A new study found that individuals whose brains are better at automatically suppressing background motion perform better on standard measures of intelligence. The test, which measures the brain's unconscious ability to filter out visual movement, shows a strong correlation with IQ scores.
People with high IQ scores have more selective visual perception, discriminating between small moving objects and larger background motions. This ability helps them efficiently process information in a world filled with distractions.
A recent study published in The Lancet found that mild-to-moderate iodine deficiency during pregnancy is associated with lower verbal IQ, reading accuracy, and reading comprehension in children. Iodine is essential for thyroid hormone production, which affects fetal brain development.
A new study published in Biological Psychiatry found a link between genetic risk for schizophrenia and lower IQ, suggesting common genetic variants may contribute to cognitive decline. The research analyzed data from 937 individuals and found that those with higher genetic risk had lower IQ at age 70 but not at age 11.
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University found that emotional intelligence (EI) is a strong predictor of clinical performance in dental school. Students with high EI scores achieved better grades and demonstrated stronger communication skills in the clinic.
A recent study published in Biological Psychiatry reveals that individuals with a higher genetic risk of schizophrenia are more likely to experience a decline in IQ as they age. The research, conducted by the University of Edinburgh, used advanced genetic analysis techniques to investigate how thinking skills change over time.
The University of Colorado Boulder's American Gut project has raised over $340,000 through crowdfunding to sequence the gut bacteria of thousands of people worldwide. The initiative aims to understand how diet and lifestyle affect human health and disease, with potential implications for autoimmune diseases and food allergies.
Research finds that supplementing children's diets with fish oil, enrolling them in quality preschool, and engaging them in interactive reading can raise their intelligence. The study also found no evidence to support the idea that early education interventions are more effective than those that begin later.
A study of 305 pregnant women found that valproate exposure was associated with reduced IQ and verbal memory abilities in children, with effects dependent on drug dose. Folic acid supplementation may improve IQ scores, suggesting a potential positive effect on cognitive development.
A Western University-led study found that intelligence quotient cannot be measured by a single test, with three distinct cognitive components: short-term memory, reasoning and verbal ability. The research also showed that brain function is influenced by factors such as age, gender and computer gaming habits.
A new study using genetic variation to investigate the effects of moderate alcohol intake during pregnancy found that exposure to alcohol in the womb can lower a child's IQ by almost two points. The study suggests that even moderate amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can have an impact on future child intelligence.
A longitudinal study of over 1,000 New Zealanders found that persistent cannabis use before age 18 led to significant declines in IQ, attention, and memory. The study suggests that adolescence is a critical period for brain development and vulnerability to substance-induced harm.
A new study found that boys are more vulnerable to the negative effects of prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos, a common insecticide. The research, published in Neurotoxicology and Teratology, also revealed that parental nurturing can improve working memory in both boys and girls.
A study of over 7000 children found that those with a healthy diet from six months to two years old had an IQ up to two points higher by age eight. Conversely, children fed junk foods during this period had IQs up to two points lower.
High intelligence and worry both correlate with brain activity measured by choline depletion in subcortical white matter, suggesting co-evolution between the two traits. Worry may aid survival by causing individuals to avoid dangerous situations, leading to higher survival rates.
Researchers tested over 20,000 pregnant women and their children's IQ at age three, finding no difference between treated and untreated groups. The study adds support to current UK guidelines against routine antenatal screening for hypothyroidism in pregnancy.
Research led by scientists at Virginia Tech found that small-group dynamics can alter IQ expression in susceptible people. Women were more likely to be affected, with fewer performing well and more struggling.
Research found a strong link between high childhood IQ and subsequent illicit drug use, particularly among women. High IQ scores at age 5 or 10 were associated with increased use of cannabis, cocaine, and other drugs by age 30.
Research by Guillermo Campitelli and Fernand Gobet found that deliberate practice is necessary to achieve mastery in skills like chess. However, the duration of practice alone does not guarantee success. Other factors such as intelligence, handedness, and working memory also contribute to an individual's ability to excel in these areas.
Research finds that IQ can increase or decrease significantly during adolescence, with changes linked to brain structure. Brain scans revealed correlations between improved verbal and non-verbal IQ scores and increased grey matter density in specific brain areas.
A new paper by Michigan State University scientist Zach Hambrick finds that working memory capacity can outperform practice in complex tasks such as piano sight reading. The study shows people with higher levels of working memory capacity perform better even with extensive experience and knowledge.
A recent brain-imaging study challenges the historical understanding of dyslexia by showing that children with reading difficulties have the same brain difficulty in processing sounds regardless of their IQ. This finding could change the way educators help poor readers, as all can benefit from the same interventions.
Researchers used fMRI to compare brain activation patterns of poor readers with and without low IQs. Both groups showed reduced activations in left inferior parietal lobule and fusiform gyrus, indicating impaired phonological processing. This study provides biological evidence against using IQ to diagnose dyslexia.