The World’s Largest Intelligence Experiment
In collaboration with Dr. Adam Hampshire from Imperial College London launched the BBC in January 2020 in what we might call the world’s largest experiment on intelligence. There have been many experiments around this topic. However, this is different.
The reason for this is that it has highly representative numerical results as it had a turnout of more than 250,000 people.
As Dr. Adam Hampshire himself stated: “This is equivalent to about 125,000 hours or more than 14 years of testing”. The first results of the world’s largest intelligence experiment are now available. However, we must mention that the process is not over. This means it is still possible to participate.
The world’s largest experiment on intelligence started out with a very simple proposal. Basically, the researchers asked the participants to step on a platform and answer a series of questions, and then conduct a test.
It is not an IQ test, but a coherent study of several aspects associated with cognition and emotional intelligence.
The world’s largest experiment on intelligence
As we have already mentioned, more than 250,000 people have participated so far. It is important to mention that most of them are of British nationality. This means that the sample is not fully representative. However, when it comes to gender and age, the participants are very varied.
The first part of the test is lifestyle issues. The primary purpose of this section of the test is, among other things, to gather information on aspects such as diet, use of technology, and habits.
In the second part of the test, participants must perform a variety of cognitive skills such as problem solving, memory, spatial reasoning, and so on.
Problem solving and age
Until now, the data that this experiment has contributed to are supported by already known premises around intelligence. For example, age is not a determining factor.
It is true that some cognitive abilities are more visible at certain ages. However, this does not mean that they disappear as the individual gets older. Furthermore, they also have remarkable exponents.
The data from the experiment indicate that a person’s ability to solve problems reaches its peak during the 20s. From the 30s, this ability begins to deteriorate. However, this strictly refers to cognitive problems within the framework of a real-time test.
Exceptional facts
The world’s largest experiment on intelligence has revealed that verbal reasoning is a skill that increases with age. Thanks to this study, it is possible to see that this skill gets even better after the age of 80. Until now, many have thought that the peak of this ability was at the age of 60 and that it is starting to get worse from there.
Another very striking fact from this study is associated with memory. According to the researchers, those who had the best score on this parameter would frequently play video games. This particular group of individuals was found to have a better spatial memory.
This is quite interesting considering that this kind of game has traditionally been considered useless in the context of cognition.
Lifestyle and habits
This study has also found that people who frequently use social media have poorer mental health. Many of them show symptoms of anxiety and depression. This may be due to the prevailing comparison theme that can be found on these networks.
Believe it or not. There are many people who smoke into this and end up evaluating their social success based on the feedback they get on their profile on social media.
One of the most valuable aspects of this study is that it confirms that lifestyle has a crucial influence on intelligence. Again, exercise has been shown to be an excellent benefit for the brain. Likewise, it seems that staying intellectually active and learning new languages at any age are two good ways to prevent brain aging.
