Can you improve your IQ score?

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Can You Improve Your IQ Score?

Music Lessons and IQ Improvement

Research indicates that engaging in music lessons can lead to an increase in IQ scores. A study involving 144 children assigned to either music lessons (keyboard or voice) or control groups (drama lessons or no lessons) found that those in the music groups exhibited greater increases in full-scale IQ compared to the control groups. This effect, although relatively small, was consistent across various IQ subtests and a standardized measure of academic achievement.

Cognitive Interventions and IQ Gains

Cognitive interventions, such as learning potential training programs, have been shown to increase IQ scores. A meta-analysis of 64 test-retest studies revealed that while these interventions can lead to score gains, these gains are not related to the general intelligence factor (g). Instead, the improvements are more specific to the abilities targeted by the training, and low-g participants tend to benefit more than high-g participants.

Relational Operant Skills Training

Relational Operant Skills Training (SMART) has also been found to significantly increase IQ scores. In a study with adolescents, those who underwent SMART training showed a mean increase of 5.98 points in non-verbal IQ (NVIQ) compared to a non-significant increase of 1.85 points in a control group. This suggests that relational skills training can be effective in improving performance on matrices tasks and potentially accelerating cognitive development .

Education and Long-term IQ

Education has a positive association with higher IQ scores later in life. Longitudinal studies have shown that individuals with more education tend to have higher IQ scores in older age, particularly those with lower initial IQ scores. However, education does not appear to improve cognitive processing speed, which is a fundamental aspect of cognitive functioning.

Historical IQ Gains

Historical data shows a significant increase in the mean IQ of Americans from 1932 to 1978, with a total gain of 13.8 points. This phenomenon, known as the Flynn effect, suggests that environmental factors over time have contributed to these gains, although the exact causes remain unclear.

Impact of Social and Environmental Factors

Children of teenage mothers have shown improvements in IQ scores from age 6 to 10, with a mean increase of 6.4 points. Factors such as maternal cognitive ability, school grade, caregiver education, and custodial stability were associated with higher IQ scores. Conversely, an increase in caregiver depression was related to a decline in IQ scores.

Nutritional Supplements and IQ

A study on the effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation in schoolchildren found significant gains in non-verbal IQ scores for those receiving supplements compared to a placebo group. The improvement was attributed to a reduction in the number of omissions in IQ tests, suggesting that enhanced nutrition may improve cognitive processing speed and, consequently, IQ performance.

Motivation and IQ Testing

Test motivation plays a crucial role in IQ performance. A meta-analysis of experiments involving material incentives showed that incentives increased IQ scores, particularly for individuals with lower baseline IQ scores. This indicates that motivation can significantly influence IQ test outcomes and may confound the predictive validity of IQ for life outcomes.

Conclusion

In summary, various factors can contribute to improvements in IQ scores, including music lessons, cognitive interventions, relational skills training, education, historical environmental changes, social and environmental stability, nutritional supplements, and test motivation. While some interventions target specific cognitive abilities, others have broader impacts on overall IQ. Understanding these factors can help in developing strategies to enhance cognitive development and intelligence.