How to develop your intellect. The development of mental abilities in adults: exercises and recommendations

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 maximize the use 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 you take away from this? This study has great importance because it was found:

Hypothetical intelligence can be trained.
Training and subsequent success depend on the dosage, the more you train, the more you benefit.
Everyone can develop their cognitive abilities, regardless of the starting level.
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 intellectual abilities 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:

Look for innovation
Challenge yourself
Think creatively
Don't take the easy way
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? Great! 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 period of training, 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've 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 not only developed 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 (those taught using traditional methods and assessment systems). But, just to be fair, he gave the test group the same analytical-type exam as the regular students (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 it.

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 are handicapped can live while constantly improving their cognitive abilities, then so can you.

In parting, I'll ask a question for thought: If we have all of 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, and 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 isn't just about how many levels in a math course you've taken, 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

Was dedicated to intelligence as one of the most important skills for any copywriter. And today's material will be its logical continuation. Obviously, intelligence is important, but even more important is the answer to the question " How to develop intelligence?» Our brain is a unique and little-studied organ, but scientists have already identified enough patterns that you and I can use to develop our own capabilities. That is what will be our topic today.

Brain activity is a collection of electrical impulses. The cells that conduct them are called neurons. Neurons are connected to each other, and the result of their interaction determines our capabilities. By developing our brain, you and I contribute to the emergence of not only new neurons, but also new connections between them, and, consequently, expand the range of our capabilities.

How to develop intelligence: ways

We pass from theory to practice. Intelligence is the ability to think, analyze, remember and perceive. Therefore, this is a complex concept that involves different parts of the brain and requires an integrated approach. Below are both the methods of developing intelligence themselves, and explanations of what effect they have on the brain.

Way to develop intelligence # 1: Writing

The simplest way to train the intellect, although not the most obvious. Suppose you have a brilliant idea in your head. You have two options: keep it in your head and silently implement it, or put it on paper and implement it, registering each step. In the second case, processes will take place in your brain that are very different from the first case, despite the fact that the implementation of your idea may end up being the same.

This is due to the fact that when you write down, you visually perceive information, and, therefore, use the parts of the brain responsible for vision, and more parts of the working memory (there is no mistake here: the concept of "short-term (short-term) memory" has the same relation people as well as computers).

Also, when you write down, you analyze the information more deeply, triggering more complex thought processes in your brain. As a result, your intellect develops.

Way to develop intelligence # 2: Games

There are a huge number of games that allow you to develop intelligence. The most effective are the games that require you to plan and calculate. One of the most popular (and my favorite) is chess.

Chess develops logic and far-sightedness. To achieve success, you need to be able not only to count and anticipate, but also to keep in mind many possible scenarios. As a result, many brain centers are involved: from vision to memory.

Way to develop intelligence # 3: Puzzles

Puzzles are another great way to develop not only logical, but also spatial thinking. There are a lot of puzzles, both online and offline. I personally prefer the Rubik's Cube and spatial wire puzzles. They are inexpensive, and they occupy the head for many hours and give a feeling of total moral satisfaction when a solution is found.

Intelligence Technique #4: Breaking the Pattern

Many people repeat the same actions every day, such as going to the store, driving to work, eating, hygiene procedures, etc. All this we do according to the template. We don’t even think about how we do it, and we have brought all these daily rituals to automatism. It's like a beaten path that does not strain the brain at all.

At the same time, if the pattern is broken, then the brain is simply forced to engage in more active work. For example, try opening a door with a key with your eyes closed. The action is the same, but it will not follow a pattern and will require the brain to activate new departments in order to complete the task. As a result, new connections between neurons will appear.

There are a lot of ways to break the pattern, and you can apply them in everyday life with a bang. Just add to your activity something uncharacteristic for you, something that is not in your habit, and very soon you will see the result.

Way to develop intelligence # 5: Ballroom dancing

I look forward to the fact that when you are reading these lines now, you are indignantly thinking how ballroom dancing can affect the intellect, when it can be completely and completely attributed to sports.

In fact, sport itself is also a good way to train the intellect, but ballroom dancing is superior in this regard. Their secret is that while dancing you need to constantly think. Think about every move, about your partner, about your posture, about the frame, about the music, about what you will be doing in a moment and about so many other things. For several years I was engaged in sports ballroom dancing, and by the end of each training session I was very exhausted, both physically and mentally, because the load is simply enormous.

It's funny: I tried different types of dances, but compared to sports ballrooms, the effect was much weaker.

Way to develop intelligence # 6: Visual arts

When you draw, your brain activates many departments to complete the task. Of course, we are not talking about making you a Rubens or a Titian. You can draw anything: for example, faces at lectures or caricatures of speakers speaking from the podium at conferences.

Way to develop intelligence # 7: Education

Another unique way to increase your intellectual potential. Start absorbing new information and converting the acquired knowledge into skills. A foreign language or a new Adobe package, web design or a new engine for a site - you can learn anything, and all this will favorably affect the development of your intellect.

Way to develop intelligence # 8: Copywriting

The time has finally come to close this vicious circle. We develop intelligence in order to excel at copywriting, but it should be noted that, in itself, copywriting greatly contributes to the development of intelligence, since it involves a lot of thought processes:

Analysis
Synthesis
Problem solving
Finding an Approach
Choosing the best option
Filtering out unnecessary data
memorization

Look at most successful copywriters and you will see that they are all intellectuals.

Way to develop intelligence # 9: Physical activity

Physical activity, such as lifting weights, running, pulling up or push-ups, of course, does not directly affect intelligence. However, they have a very indirect effect. The fact is that during physical exertion, the so-called neurotropic factor of the brain is produced. This is a protein that is responsible for the development of neurons, the very cells that are key in our brain.

So it turns out: the load on the muscles contributes to the development of intelligence. However, it should be noted that since this method is indirect, it is ineffective by itself, but it can significantly increase the efficiency of all other methods.

Way to develop intelligence # 10: Rest

As in any business, in the development of intelligence it is important to know when to stop. That is why rest is taken out as a separate way. Not to be confused with, which carefully disguises itself as a vacation, but in fact has the opposite effect.

Conclusions: as you can see, none of the above methods can make you a professional copywriter, say, in a month. However, these methods will allow you to raise the level of your thinking to a qualitatively new level and open up much more ways for you to achieve success in many areas, including copywriting. In addition, they do not require titanic efforts, and the return on them will pay off handsomely.

The development of intellect in man influenced his formation of Homo sapiens, which separated the human race from the animal world. This is how civilization began to form. An individual living in modern society has the possibility of independent development of intellectual potential, and maintaining the brain in good shape throughout life.

Intelligence: what is it

Intelligence is the mental ability of an individual, which is characterized by relative stability. Translated from Latin - comprehension, awareness. Reason allows not only to imagine, think, feel, perceive. The brain has a number of properties:

brain teaser;
prognostic;
analytical;
critical;
deductive;
ability to concentrate.

The capabilities of the brain are opposed to instincts, patterns of behavior. This means that the intellectual potential is dynamic, it progresses according to the desire of a person.

Regardless of the initial amount of knowledge and thinking skills, any individual is able to increase and expand cognitive abilities to the desired level. Performing non-standard tasks that "strain" the brain convolutions and break the stereotyped judgment contributes to the achievement of a high level of intellectual capabilities.

A high level of brain development makes it possible to adapt and understand how to act in a new situation. A person with intelligence clearly defines the problem and optimally solves it.

Types of intelligence

The division of mental abilities into certain types contradicts the famous test that determines the level of IQ. While the theory of differentiated intelligence states that each individual to some extent develops all intellectual variations.

By the way! Doctor of Psychology, D. Flynn, based on the results of large-scale world studies of IQ values, found that the coefficient has increased over 50 years.

The American psychologist Gardner identifies the following types of intelligence:

Spatial. A person easily navigates in space, creating routes and moves in an unknown area, situation. Often architects, drivers, designers, chess players own this type.
Musical. Predisposition to a clear differentiation of sounds, melodies, tones, rhythm, which is characteristic of musicians, singers.
bodily-kinesthetic. The ability to control the body, clearly balancing. Dancers, gymnasts, acrobats are endowed with this variety.
Linguistic. The ability to intuitively realize the correct spelling, pronunciation, meaning and compatibility of lexical units. Propensity to study foreign languages.
Logico-mathematical. A predisposition to finding the relationship between numbers, dates, facts, which is characteristic of scientists.
Naturalistic. The ability to find differences between natural phenomena, to distinguish the gifts of flora.
interpersonal. A person socializes in society, interacts well with people, capturing their mood.
Intrapersonal. The ability to recognize and feel inner experiences and emotions, to understand how to manage them.

According to this classification, each individual has an innate predisposition to certain actions. This tendency indicates the types of intelligence to which a person belongs. That is why one person cannot always contain several abilities.

How to develop intellectual abilities in adults

The subconscious, as the most important element of intellectual activity, enters into the processes of mental activity only when there is a motive. A well-known Russian business coach, Maxim Potashev, claims that any motive or reward affects brain activity, activating it.

Psychologists say that the level of intelligence is directly dependent on the hereditary factor and the life experience of a person. Cognitive abilities in adults are improved by finding new solutions in an unfamiliar situation.

Interesting! One of the criteria for high intelligence is the ability to intuitively find a way out of a difficult situation.

To understand how to develop intelligence, you first need to stop watching stupid TV shows, serials that do not carry useful information. Constantly make your brain work: solve puzzles, crossword puzzles, create projects.

Oxygen is essential: brain cells are saturated with it, which contributes to mental development. Physical activity is also helpful.

From this it follows that for the development of reason, it is not necessary to memorize corny book rules and facts. It is necessary to solve problems creatively, finding the best option. Intellectual "baggage" increases as you grow older.

The famous Swiss philosopher Jean Piaget believed that the central link in mental development is the intellect. Children easily form the desired pattern of behavior for a particular situation, adapting to it. In the course of such interaction, the child becomes aware of the laws and rules of life.

Based on these conclusions, Piaget identified four stages:

Sensorimotor (0-2 years). A newborn opens the surrounding space with the help of movements and sensory organs, establishes the dependence of personal manipulations and their consequences.
Preoperative (2-7 years). An initial idea of objects and their purposes appears. However, many types of experience are not yet available to the child.
Specific operations (7-11 years old). The guys are able to logically manipulate objects, combine them into groups. There is no ability to generalize.
Formal operations (12 years and beyond). A teenager is able to think abstractly, to imagine unrealistic objects. All mind operations are available.

There is a version that intelligence differs in men and women. According to psychologists, the female mind develops intensively up to a certain time, while the male mind gradually develops throughout life.

If a woman wonders how to increase intelligence, then she must answer it before the age of 35. The scientific community believes that the development of the mind and intelligence of older women does not progress. However, some theories refute this version.

Development of memory and intelligence

An integral part of increasing intelligence is the development of memory and speech. Because these mental processes interact with mental and mental abilities.

Memory is a mental function and one of the types of brain activity. The task of memory is to store and reproduce the impressions stored in the mind.

Neuroscientist, Nobel Prize winner - Rita Levi-Montalcini - at the age of 100 participated in scientific conferences, medical congresses. She claims that the human brain is neuroplastic: if some neurons die, then others begin to perform their functions. However, they require constant stimulation.

Make your brain function by keeping it engaged:

go in for sports;
keep things in the same place;
be observant;
learn poetry;
tell stories;
relate abstract ideas to concrete images.

Read more books written in complex language: you will have to make an effort to understand the text. These simple tips will help keep the mind “in good shape”.

Methods for the development of intelligence

The methods are complex in nature. In order to remember all the moments that happened in life in old age, it is necessary in youth. It requires a high degree of self-control, perseverance, willpower.

In addition, the intellect is influenced by the way of life and the quality of nutrition. Frequent stress and conflict destroy the neurons of the brain.

Reason in every possible way hinders the actions of a person for his development. After all, the main purpose of the brain is to store energy. Laziness and idleness contribute to intellectual degradation.

Curious fact! It has been established that the male brain "turns off" after sexual contact. This explains the desire to sleep immediately after intercourse.

Lawrence Katz created a technique that increases the level of intelligence development - neurobics. The essence of the training technique is to perform the usual actions in a new way:

vacuum the apartment blindfolded;
get to work on a different route;
read a book turned upside down
watch a movie without sound.

Receiving new impressions, the brain sends a signal to neurons, which are organized into groups to process new impulses.

When looking for literature that enhances intellectual potential, opt for these samples:

David Gaimon, Aerobics for the Mind;
Olga Kinyakina, "Brain at 100%";
Ron Hubbard, Introspection;
Alex Lickerman "Invincible Mind";
Harry Adler, "Techniques for the Development of Intelligence";
Edward de Bono, "Teach Yourself to Think."

Films can also be used as a means for "brainstorming", which encourage creative thinking, erasing stereotypes.

Intellectually developed, smart personalities have always been at a great price. A person who is characterized by a good store of knowledge in various fields has an advantage over other people, which leads to success in professional activities. It is necessary to distinguish between developed intelligence and erudition. After all, you can know a lot of fascinating information, but not be able to analyze, compare, and think logically. Today, there are many ways to develop intelligence, which can be used from a very early age.

child intelligence

Knowing that the human psyche is the ability to perceive the surrounding world in a certain way and respond to it, it is not difficult to understand what intelligence is. - the quality of the psyche, covering all aspects of human activity: mental, emotional, and physical. It is the ability to adapt to a variety of situations based on one's level of development. In other words, a well-developed intellect is a synonym for a harmoniously developed personality, a combination of the wealth of the inner world with physical development.

“Did you know that the development of a child’s intellectual abilities is an integral part of harmonious development, which includes spiritual and physical education?”

Many parents will ask themselves the question: why develop intelligence in a child? The answer is obvious: in order for the child to become able to learn quickly, easily and effectively, successfully use the acquired knowledge, make discoveries in the future or learn to do what others cannot. Therefore, the development of intelligence should be given attention from early childhood.

Stages of development of intelligence

First of all, the level of intelligence (intelligence quotient, IQ) is manifested in the mental ability of the child. Thinking is directly related to physical activity. Moving, crawling, running, trampling through puddles or playing with sand, the baby learns the reality around him, developing his brain. It is in connection with this that one should not limit the motor activity of the crumbs, allowing him to independently explore the world. Prohibitions and restrictions inhibit the brain activity of the baby.

When the baby grows up, it is better to engage in games with him as actively as possible to develop logical thinking, counting and generalization, speech. You can already begin to teach the baby to read: this will activate the development of thinking, form and increase vocabulary.

Younger students will develop intellectually by playing board or computer logic games. Play is a great way to organize learning for anything. Agree, it is much better when the development of intellectual abilities takes place in an unobtrusive environment.

Even more interesting is how to develop teenagers intellectually. The school curriculum becomes more complicated year after year, and therefore the first exams can be a real test for students with intellectual difficulties. Adolescence is characterized by changes in the physical and mental spheres, as well as some decrease in cognitive interest. This is where parents need to think carefully about how to stimulate the intellectual development of adolescents, not only forcing them to read more.

Factors of intellectual development

“Did you know that breastfeeding a baby activates his mental development?”

The mental development of a child depends on certain factors:

1. Genetic factors. This refers to the one that the child receives from his parents at birth. The level, quality and direction of the child's intellectual development largely depend on these factors.

2. Factors that arise during the mother's pregnancy. The way of life of a pregnant woman is reflected in the mental development of the child. For example, mental retardation of an unborn child can be affected by:

malnutrition
maternal iodine deficiency
illness during pregnancy
taking medicines
alcohol, drug use, smoking.

3. Environmental factors. Impairments in the mental activity of babies can occur due to:

malnutrition in children
lack of communication
restrictions on motor and cognitive activity
incomplete family.

4. The factor of a large family. Studies have shown that firstborns are more mentally developed than other children in the family. However, in large families, children develop better socially: they easily acquire communication skills and quickly adapt to society.
5. Factor of the social status of the family. Children from very poor families do not always please their parents with their school performance.
6. School influence factor. In most general education schools, teachers still consider a good student who is calm, answers questions in the way that is required of him, and does nothing without asking. These characteristics do not correspond to children with high creative potential: those who show a non-standard approach to solving problems. Only individual and student-centered approaches to education will stimulate the mental development of children in school today.
7. Factor of personal qualities of the child. The development of mental abilities is also influenced by the character and temperament of the child. Thoughtful children are attentive to complex tasks, but they are insecure and afraid of failure. Excitable children are somewhat superficial, but are able to spontaneously display creative impulses.
8. Factor of personal qualities of parents. It is good when parents are intellectually developed, successful, self-confident, love their work: in such conditions, children develop faster. However, this is not the main condition for raising a smart child. The main thing in education is the care of parents and faith in the strength of children.

The intelligence of preschoolers

"This is interesting. The brain of a child is formed up to three years by 80%. Try not to miss this moment for the formation of the intelligence of the baby.

The main type of life of a child of preschool age. Thanks to the game, the child learns the world around him: learns colors and shapes, learns about plants and animals, learns to communicate. The game is also the main method of development of intelligence.

Seeing the toy for the first time, the baby carefully examines it: examines, twists, shakes, tastes, listens to it. Knowing this "exploratory" nature of young children, you need to offer them toys that stimulate their thinking ability:

block constructors
toys that can be taken apart
simple household items to play with.

How else can a baby explore the world while developing the brain?

Try not to buy all the toys. You can make toys with your own hands, transform household items into toys: it will be more interesting to study them this way.
Involve your child in co-creation. Make a toy with your child and play with it.
Allow the child to use as a toy various objects that interest him. Naturally, within reasonable limits: they must be safe.

A lot of toys scatter attention. Therefore, it is better to remove extra toys.
Children love multifunctional toys.
Toys from the store usually quickly get bored by the baby.
The child will be more interested in complex toys that can be explored endlessly.

Along with playing toys, engage in didactic (educational) games with your child, play sports games on the street, read and teach your baby to read, start learning the basics of a foreign language with a crumb, do drawing and modeling, develop your child musically. No need to overload the child. Ideally, when classes are held in a playful way, exciting and enjoyable. Only then will the intellect of a preschooler develop naturally and harmoniously.

Watch a video on how you can develop the mental abilities of toddlers

Features of the intellectual development of schoolchildren

Studying becomes the leading activity for younger students. On the basis of this type of activity, children actively develop thinking, related features (analysis, planning, and others), the need for learning and motivation for it. The development of the student's personality depends on how interesting the educational activity is, how successful it is. In the process of learning activities, children acquire the ability to learn and use theoretical knowledge. refers to the period of intensification of intellectual development. Mental development also stimulates other qualities of the student. Thanks to this, the awareness of the need for educational activity comes, voluntary and intentional memorization is carried out, attention and the ability to concentrate develop, etc. The success of intellectual development at this age depends on the personality and activities of the teacher, his ability to creatively approach teaching children, use modern teaching methods, aimed at stimulating all cognitive processes, taking into account the individual characteristics of students.

It is interesting that a mindset is formed in school-age children. Some have an analytical mindset, others have a visual-figurative mindset, while others are characterized by the presence of both figurative and abstract elements. In order to harmoniously develop the minds of schoolchildren, the teacher needs to influence both the logical and figurative components of the mind, presenting the educational material in volume.

Successful learning is facilitated by the presence of such components of the thinking of schoolchildren:

be able to think: analyze, synthesize, generalize, classify information, formulate judgments and conclusions;
be able to think critically, having several options for solving a problem;
be able to highlight the main thing, see the goal.

To successfully develop thinking at school age, it is best to use the ideas of developmental education. This pedagogical technology assumes that tasks are of a problematic nature, which stimulates the active development of the student's intellect.

Intelligence Diagnostics

Knowing the level of development of the mental development of the child, you can choose the right teaching methods for him. To determine the level of IQ, use special. For kids - bright pictures, considering which and answering questions, the child demonstrates a certain level of his intelligence. Preschoolers can be diagnosed with the help of special tasks and questionnaires.

Psychological tests are used to check the IQ of schoolchildren. They are built in the form of blocks aimed at the study of intelligence in different areas. Focusing on the results, you can find out how he perceives information best.

Ways to develop intelligence

What can improve the mental qualities of a child?

Games that develop the brain. It can be chess or checkers, puzzles, logic, psychological and board games.
Mathematics and exact sciences. Mathematics teaches to structure concepts, to treat everything in order.
Reading. A good fiction book will always give you something to think about. Read to your child, teach them to read on their own, discuss what they read.
Education. The learning process is valuable in itself, as it activates the development of all human abilities.
Studying of foreign language.
Knowledge of the new. Read encyclopedias and reference books with your child, watch educational films and programs, go to. Create an environment in which the child will be interested in discovering something new every day. This will expand your horizons and erudition. Let the child be inquisitive.

How to stimulate the intellect?

keep asking your child questions
use the words "Think", "Be careful", "Remember"
walking, relaxing, give the child tasks (observe, count, solve the riddle)
teach your child to finish what they start
discuss with the child the results of his activities, identify shortcomings, think about how to do better.

conclusions

Develop your child harmoniously. Books alone are not enough to make a child smart. Create a whole system of intellectual development of the baby at home. Study together, paying attention to the comprehensive development of mental abilities. Let the classes be boring and beneficial.

Instruction

There are no easy and universal ways for the development of intelligence. The only way to develop abilities is to load them regularly, and not with the same exercise, but with different exercises aimed at training different areas of the mind. As a bonus, in this case, strong-willed qualities, self-discipline develop, and a strong character is formed.

Among the intellectual abilities, one can single out analytical (the ability to compare fragments of information with each other), logical (the ability to think, reason, draw conclusions), deductive (the ability to find a general idea from an array of information), critical (the ability to reject incorrect conclusions and ideas), predictive (the ability to form a model of future events). In addition, intellectual abilities include the ability to abstract and imaginative thinking, the ability to concentrate and hold attention.

Intellectual and logical games perfectly train mental qualities. These include: chess, checkers, backgammon, preference, poker, developing computer games, logic puzzles. Board games, such as chess, have since ancient times been considered the privilege of the best minds - rulers, military leaders. They develop not only intelligence, but also memory, as well as the ability to concentrate.

Improve mental abilities of classes in various sciences. Any training contributes to the development of memory and the ability to concentrate. Mathematics trains almost all intellectual abilities, organizes and structures thinking. Reading fiction develops horizons, erudition, forms good taste, teaches you how to work with a lot of information, analyze it and find its application.

Keeping a diary helps to train analytical and predictive abilities. Write down significant events of the day, make plans for the future, analyze the forecasts that came true and did not come true.

The development of intelligence is facilitated by drawing, memorizing poetry, photographing, playing musical instruments. They train the intellect and ballroom dancing, aerobics and any exercises that require coordination of movements, maintaining a certain rhythm.

note

One of the misconceptions about human intelligence concerns the existing qualities of the mind. Some believe that if an individual has a very well developed one of the intellectual abilities, for example, the ability to add well in the mind or formulate complex concepts, he does not need to develop his intelligence further - he has already reached a higher level. However, it is not. The mind must develop harmoniously, so in such cases it is necessary to train weaker abilities.

Helpful advice

The exercises for the intellect that you choose should not be boring and uninteresting for you, because. such exercises will bring very little benefit. Try not to exercise through force - an overstrain of mental abilities also does not contribute to their development. Exercise should be regular, it is desirable that they become a habit.

Tip 2: How to develop your intellectual abilities

The greatest value of a person is his intellect. The knowledge that a person possesses can help him get out of any trouble, save him from any situation. Suffice it to recall the heroes of Jules Verne, the novel "The Mysterious Island". A person with developed intellectual abilities is interesting in communication, he will always help with advice. It is not easy to develop your intellect, it will take time and great willpower.

Instruction

Intelligence is, first of all, knowledge. Knowledge is determined by his horizons. Therefore, an emphasis on horizons is necessary. Help here. Moreover, reading should be given at least three to four hours a day. With a natural desire, much more is possible. Reading must be combined, that is, to read both classical literature and scientific literature. If everything is clear with the classics, then for scientific study, focus on encyclopedias and reference books. After that, you can already decide on a narrower direction of scientific works.

In addition to reading, you can develop intellectual capabilities combining business with pleasure. It's about computer