Brain Images Reveal the Secret to Higher IQ

New research suggests that the layer of insulation coating neural wiring in the brain plays a critical role in determining intelligence. In addition, the quality of this insulation appears to be largely genetically determined, providing further support for the idea that IQ is partly inherited. The findings, which result from a detailed study of twins’ brains, hint at how ever-improving brain-imaging technology could shed light on some of our most basic characteristics. “The study answers some very fundamental questions about how the brain expresses intelligence,” says Philip Shaw, a child psychiatrist at the National Institute of Mental Health, in Bethesda, MD, who was not involved in the research. The neural wires that transmit electrical messages from cell to cell in the brain are coated with a fatty layer called myelin. Thompson and his colleagues took DTI scans of 92 pairs of fraternal and identical twins.

Theories of Intelligence - Overview of Theories of Intelligence What exactly is intelligence? How do researchers define and measure this mental quality? While intelligence is one of the most talked about subjects in psychology, there is no standard definition of what exactly constitutes 'intelligence.' Some researchers have suggested that intelligence is a single, general ability while other believe that intelligence encompasses a range of aptitudes, skills, and talents. How Do Psychologists Define Intelligence? Intelligence has been an important and controversial topic throughout psychology's history. continue reading below our video Loaded: 0% Progress: 0% At various points throughout recent history, researchers have proposed some different definitions of intelligence. Learn. Intelligence involves some different mental abilities including logic, reasoning, problem-solving and planning. While the subject of intelligence is one of the largest and most heavily researched, it is also one of the topics that generates the greatest controversy. Louis L.