You Can Improve Your Intelligence: 5 Ways to Maximize Your Cognitive Ability

What is "Intellect"?

First of all, let me explain what I mean when I say the word "intelligence". To be clear, I'm not just talking about increasing the amount of facts or bits of knowledge you can accumulate, or what is called crystallized intelligence - it's not training in fluency or memorization - in fact, it's almost the opposite. I'm talking about improving your fluid intelligence, or your ability to memorize new information, store it, then use that new knowledge as a basis for solving the next problem or learning another new skill, and so on.

Now, while short-term memory is not synonymous with intelligence, it is very much related to intelligence. To successfully draw an intelligent conclusion, it is quite important to have a good short-term memory. Thus, to make the most of intelligence, it is worth significantly improving short-term memory - this is, for example, using the best and most modern parts to help the mechanism work at the highest level.

What can be learned from this? This study is significant because it found:

1. Hypothetical intelligence can be trained.
2. Training and subsequent success depend on the dosage, the more you train, the more you benefit.
3. Everyone can develop their cognitive abilities, regardless of the starting level.
4. Progress can be made by practicing on tasks that don't resemble questions on a test.

How can this research be applied and benefited from?

There is a reason why the n-back task has been so successful in increasing cognitive ability. This training includes the division of attention between competing stimuli, that is, multimodality (one visual stimulus, one auditory stimulus). Here you need to focus on certain details, ignoring inappropriate information, and this helps to improve short-term memory over time, gradually increasing the ability to perceive information effectively in several directions. In addition, the stimulus was constantly switched, so that the phenomenon of "training for test questions" never occurred - each time there was something new. If you have never taken an n-back test, let me tell you about it: it is very difficult. No wonder there are so many cognitive benefits from such an activity.

But let's talk from a practical point of view.
Eventually, the cards in the deck or the sounds in the piece will run out (the experiment lasted 2 weeks), so it's not practical to think that if you want to continuously increase your intelligence throughout your life, then one n-back will be enough. Besides, you will get tired of it and stop doing it. I'm sure that's what I would do. Not to mention the time you spend learning this way - we are all very busy all the time! Thus, we should think about how to model the same types of super-efficient multi-modal brain stimulation techniques that can be used in normal life, and still get the maximum benefit in the growth of cognitive thinking.

So, with all of this in mind, I have developed five basic elements that will help in the development of fluid intelligence, or cognitive ability. As I have already noted, it is impractical to consistently perform the n-back task or variations of it every day for the rest of your life in order to receive cognitive benefits. But what is practical is a lifestyle change that will have the same – and even greater – cognitive benefits. This can be done every day to benefit from intensive all-brain training, and should also translate into benefits for full cognitive functioning.

These five basic principles are:

1. Look for innovation
2. Challenge yourself
3. Think creatively
4. Don't take the easy way
5. Be online

Each of these points is already a great thing in itself, but if you really want to function at the highest possible cognitive level, it is better to do all five points, and as often as possible. In fact, I live by these five principles. If you accept these as fundamental guidelines, then I guarantee that you will make the most of your abilities, surpassing even what you thought you were capable of - all without artificial boost. Great Information: Science confirms these principles with data!

1. Seek innovation

It's no coincidence that geniuses like Einstein were knowledgeable in many fields, or erudite, as we call them. Geniuses are constantly looking for new activities, exploring new areas. This is their personality.

Only one of the "Big Five" traits of the Five Factor Personality Model (Acronym: ODEPR, or Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Pleasantness, and Irritability) is associated with IQ, and that is the Openness to Experience trait. People who have a high level of Openness are constantly looking for new information, new activities, new things to learn - new experiences in general.

When you are looking for innovation, several things happen. First of all, you create new synaptic connections with every new activity you participate in. These connections build on each other, increasing the activity of the nervous system, creating more connections so that new connections are created on their basis - thus, learning occurs.

An area of ​​interest in recent research is neural plasticity as a factor in individual differences in intelligence. Plasticity refers to the number of connections made between neurons and how that affects subsequent connections, and how long those connections last. Basically it means how much new information you are able to take in, and whether you are able to store it by making permanent changes in the brain. Constantly exposing yourself directly to new things helps to put the brain in its original state for learning.

Innovation also triggers the production of dopamine (I mentioned this earlier in other posts), which is not only highly motivating, but also stimulates neurogenesis - the creation of new neurons - and prepares the brain for learning. All you have to do is satisfy your hunger.

Excellent condition for learning = New activity-> release of dopamine-> promotes a more motivated state-> which promotes the recruitment and creation of neurons-> neurogenesis can occur + increase in synaptic plasticity (increase in the number of new nerve connections, or learning).

As a follow-up to Jaggy's study, researchers in Sweden found that after 14 hours of short-term memory training for 5 weeks, there was an increase in the amount of dopamine D1 binding potential in the prefrontal and parietal regions of the brain. This particular dopamine receptor, type D1, is associated with nerve cell growth and development, among other things. This increase in plasticity, allowing for greater anchoring of this receptor, is very helpful in maximizing cognitive functioning.

Follow the point at home: Be "Einstein". Always look for new activities for the mind - expand your cognitive horizons. Learn the tool. Take a painting course. Go to the museum. Read about a new field of science. Be addicted to knowledge.

2. Challenge yourself

There is a huge amount of terrible work written and distributed about how to "train the brain" and "become smarter." When I talk about "brain training games", I mean memory games and speed games, the purpose of which is to increase the speed of information processing, etc.; this includes games such as Sudoku, which are advised to play in "free time" (end the oxymoron, given the development of cognitive abilities). I'm going to debunk some of the stuff you've heard about brain training games before. Here's what I'll tell you: They don't work. Individual learning games don't make you smarter - they make you more proficient at brain learning games.

So, they do have a purpose, but the result won't last long. In order to get something out of these types of cognitive activity, one must turn to the first principle of the search for innovation. Once you master one of these cognitive activities in the brain training game, you should move on to the next challenging activity. Do you understand how to play Sudoku? Fine! Now move on to the next type of stimulating games. There has been research that supports this logic.

A few years ago, scientist Richard Hayer wanted to know if cognition could be significantly increased by intense training in new mental activities in a few weeks. They used the video game Tetris as a new activity, and used people who had never played the game before as subjects of study (I know, I know - can you imagine such people exist?!). They found that after training for several weeks on a game of Tetris, the study subjects experienced an increase in cortical thickness as well as an increase in cortical activity, as evidenced by an increase in the amount of glucose used in that area of ​​the brain. Basically, the brain used more energy during that training period, and got fatter - that means more nerve connections, or new learned experiences - after such intense training. And they became experts at Tetris. Cool, yeah?

Here's the thing: After the initial cognitive spike, they noticed a decrease in both cortical thickness and the amount of glucose used during the task. However, they still played Tetris just as well; their skill did not deteriorate. Brain scans showed less brain activity during the game, instead of an increase as in previous days. Why the decline? Their brains have become more efficient. Once their brain understood how to play Tetris, and really started to understand it, it became too lazy to do something. He didn't have to work as hard to play the game well, so cognitive energy and glucose went in the other direction.

Efficiency is not your friend when it comes to cognitive growth. In order for the brain to continue making new connections and keep them active, you must continue to move on to other stimulating activities once you have reached the peak of mastery in a particular activity. You want to be in a constant state of little embarrassment, struggling to achieve something, no matter what it is, as Einstein noted in his quote. It keeps the brain in limbo, so to speak. We will return to this issue later.

3. Think creatively

When I say that thinking creatively will help you improve your nervous system, I don't mean painting a picture, or doing something fancy, like the first paragraph "Look for innovation." When I talk about creative thinking, I mean direct creative cognition and what it means while the process is going on in the brain.

Contrary to popular belief, creative thinking is not “thinking with the right side of the brain.” Both halves of the brain are involved here, not just the right. Creative cognition includes divergent thinking (a wide range of topics/subjects), the ability to find distant associations with ideas, switch between traditional and non-traditional perspectives (cognitive flexibility), and generate original, fresh ideas that are also relevant to the activity you are doing. To do everything right, you need the right and left hemispheres to work simultaneously and together.

A few years ago, Dr. Robert Sternberg, former Dean of Tufts University, opened the PACE (Psychology of Ability, Competence, and Excellence) Center in Boston. Sternberg tried not only to define the basic concept of intelligence, but also to find ways in which any person can maximize their intelligence through training, and especially through schooling.

Here Sternberg describes the goals of the PACE Center, which was founded at Yale University:
“The main concept of the center is that abilities are not fixed, they are flexible, they can be changed, each person can transform his abilities into his competence, and competence into mastery,” Sternberg explains. “Our focus is on how we can help people change their abilities so that they can better solve problems and cope with the situations they will face in life.”

Through his research, Project Rainbow, he developed not only innovative methods for creative classroom learning, but produced assessments that tested students in a way that they had to approach problem solving in a creative and practical way, as well as analytically, rather than just memorizing facts. .

Sternberg explains:
“In Project Rainbow, we valued creative, practical as well as analytical skills. A creative test could be, for example: ‘Here is a cartoon. Give it a title.’ The practice could be a film about a student who comes to a party, looks around, doesn’t know anyone, and obviously feels uncomfortable. What should a student do?

He wanted to see if teaching students to think creatively about assignments could make them learn more about a topic, enjoy learning more, and transfer what they learned to other areas of science. He wanted to see if, by changing teaching and assessment methods, it was possible to prevent "learning to take tests" and get students to learn more, in general. He collected information on this topic and still got good results.

Briefly? On average, students in the test group (those who were taught using creative methods) scored higher at the end of their college course than the control group (who were taught using traditional methods and assessment systems). But, to be fair, he gave the test group the same analytical-type exam as the regular students (the multiple-choice test), and they also scored higher on that test. This means that they were able to transfer the knowledge they received using creative, multi-modal learning methods and scored higher on a completely different cognitive test of the same material. Doesn't this remind you of anything?

4. Don't take the easy way

I mentioned earlier that efficiency is not your friend if you are trying to increase your IQ. Unfortunately, many things in life are geared towards increasing efficiency. Thus, we do more with less time, physical and mental effort. However, this does not have a beneficial effect on your brain.

Take one object of modern convenience, GPS. GPS is an amazing invention. I am one of those people for whom GPS was invented. I'm awfully bad at navigating the area. I get lost all the time. So I thanked fate for the advent of GPS. But you know what? After using the GPS for a short time, I found that my sense of direction became even worse. When it wasn't at my fingertips, I felt even more lost than before. So when I moved to Boston - the city where horror movies about the lost come from - I stopped using GPS.

I will not lie - my suffering knew no bounds. My new job meant traveling all over the outskirts of Boston, and I got lost every day for at least 4 weeks. I got lost and wandered so often that I thought that I would lose my job due to chronic lateness (I was even complained about in writing). But over time, I began to find my way, thanks to the vast navigational experience I gained with just my brain and a map. I really began to feel where and what is in Boston thanks solely to logic and memory, and not GPS. I still remember how proud I was that I found a hotel in the city center where my friend was staying, based only on the name and description of the area - even without an address! I felt like I graduated from a navigational education school.

Technology makes our lives easier, faster, more efficient in many ways, but sometimes our cognitive abilities can suffer as a result of this kind of simplification and harm us in the future. Before everyone starts yelling and emailing my transhumanist friends about my sinning against technology, I must warn you that this is not what I do at all.

Look at it this way: when you go to work by car, it takes less physical effort, less time, and it is a more convenient and enjoyable way than walking. Everything seems to be fine. But if you only ride or spend your whole life on a segway, not even short distances, then you will not waste energy. Over time, your muscles will atrophy, your physical condition will weaken, and you are likely to gain excess weight. As a result, your general condition will worsen.

Your brain needs exercise too. If you stop using your problem solving skills, your logical, cognitive abilities, then how will your brain always be in the best shape, not to mention improve your mental abilities? Think about the fact that if you constantly rely only on useful modern conveniences, your skills in a certain area may suffer. For example, translation software: great, but my knowledge of languages ​​deteriorated markedly as soon as I started using them. Now I force myself to think of a translation before I know the correct one. The same applies to spell check and automatic correction. In truth, auto-correction is the worst thing that has been invented to improve the thought process. You know the computer will find and correct your mistakes, so you keep typing to yourself without even thinking about it. How to spell a particular word. As a result, after several years of stable autocorrect and automatic spell checking, are we the most illiterate nation? (Wish someone would do some research on this.)

There are times when the use of technology is justified and necessary. But there are times when it's better to say no to simplifications and use your brain while you can afford the luxury of time and energy. In order to keep yourself in good physical shape, it is recommended to walk to work as often as possible or take the stairs instead of the elevator several times a week. Don't you want your brain to stay in shape too? Put the GPS aside from time to time, and do a favor for your navigation and problem-solving skills. Keep it handy, but try to find everything yourself first. Your brain will thank you for this.

5. Be online

And so we come to the last element on the path to increasing your cognitive potential: a computer network. What's great about this last install is that if you're doing the previous four things, you're probably already doing this as well. If not, then start. Immediately.

By interacting with other people, either through social media such as Facebook or Twitter, or face-to-face, you expose yourself to situations that will make it much easier for you to achieve goals 1-4. As you encounter new people, new ideas, and new environments, you open yourself up to new opportunities for mental growth. By being around people who may not be in your field, you will be able to see problems from a new perspective or discover new solutions that you have never thought of before. Connecting with other people online is a great way to learn how to open yourself up to new things and perceive unique and meaningful information. I won't even go into the social benefits and emotional well-being of a computer network, but that's just an added benefit.

Stephen Johnson, who wrote How Good Ideas Are Born, discusses the importance of groups and networks in promoting ideas. If you are looking for new situations, ideas, environments and perspectives, then the web is the answer for you. It would be quite difficult to implement the concept of "smarter" without making the network a core component. The great thing about computer networks: Beneficial for everyone involved. Collective intelligence for victory!

I have one more thing to mention...
Remember back at the beginning of this article I told a story about my clients with autism spectrum disorders? Let's think for a moment about how to increase the level of flexibility of your intellect in light of everything that we have already talked about. What are these children capable of achieving at such a high level? It's not an accident or a miracle - it's because we incorporated all of these teaching principles into their therapy program. While most other therapy providers are stuck on the "Infallible Learning" paradigm and slightly modified Lovaas Methods of Applied Behavior Analysis, we have embraced and fully embraced a multi-modal approach to learning. We made the kids try their best to learn, we used the most creative methods we could think of, and we dared to set the bar seemingly far beyond their abilities. But you know what? They went beyond the time frame and made me truly believe that amazing things are possible if you have the will, courage and perseverance to set yourself on this path and stick with it. If these children with disabilities can live while constantly improving their cognitive abilities, then so can you.

In parting, I'll ask a thought-provoking question: If we have all this supporting data showing that these teaching methods and learning approaches can have such a profoundly positive impact on cognitive growth, why aren't therapy programs or school systems taking advantage of some of these methods? I would like to see them as a standard in the field of education, not an exception. Let's try something new and shake up the education system a bit, shall we? We would greatly raise the collective IQ.

Intelligence is not only about how many levels in a math course you have completed, how fast you can solve an algorithm, or how many new words over 6 characters you know. It is about approaching a new problem, recognizing its important components, and solving it. Then collect the knowledge gained and apply it to solve the next, more complex problem. It's about innovation and imagination and being able to apply them to make the world a better place. It is this kind of intelligence that is valuable, and it is this kind of intelligence that we should strive for and encourage.

About the Author: Andrea Kuszewski is a consultant behavioral therapist for children with autism based in Florida; specialist in Asperger's syndrome, or high-functioning autism. She teaches the basics of behavior in society, communication, as well as the impact of behavior on the sphere of home and society, teaching children and parents about therapy methods. Andrea's work as a researcher with METODO Transdisciplinary, American Social Science Research Group, Bogota, Colombia, is investigating the influence of neuro-cognitive factors in human behavior - this includes aspects such as creativity, intelligence, illicit behavior, and diffuse-confuser disorders. like schizophrenia and autism. Also, as a creativity researcher, she is a painter herself and has studied various forms of visual communication ranging from traditional drawing to digital painting, graphic design, and 3D modeling, animation in the medical sciences and behavioral sciences. She has a blog on The Rogue Neuron and on Twitter