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Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: smart on 15/02/2018 09:17:14

Title: At what age does human intelligence becomes optimal?
Post by: smart on 15/02/2018 09:17:14

If human intelligence is age-dependent, when exactly does it becomes optimal and how long can it last until it start decreasing?

Title: Re: At what age does human intelligence becomes optimal?
Post by: Colin2B on 15/02/2018 09:44:38

You need to be very clear what you mean by intelligence and separate it from other influences like experience.

Title: Re: At what age does human intelligence becomes optimal?
Post by: smart on 15/02/2018 10:00:03

Quote from: Colin2B on 15/02/2018 09:44:38

You need to be very clear what you mean by intelligence and separate it from other influences like experience.

Please clarify what you mean by experience...

Human intelligence is a very different thing I guess: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_intelligence

Title: Re: At what age does human intelligence becomes optimal?
Post by: Colin2B on 15/02/2018 10:08:10

Each thing we experience shapes our responses - read Mandela on the subject. Touch something hot we tend not to do it again (not strictly true for infants) so do you count that as intellegence? Or is it recognising that all hot objects burn without trying each one in turn.
Is musical or art ability intellegence?

Title: Re: At what age does human intelligence becomes optimal?
Post by: smart on 15/02/2018 10:18:11

Quote from: Colin2B on 15/02/2018 10:08:10

Each thing we experience shapes our responses - read Mandela on the subject. Touch something hot we tend not to do it again (not strictly true for infants) so do you count that as intellegence? Or is it recognising that all hot objects burn without trying each one in turn.
Is musical or art ability intellegence?

I guess experience and human intelligence are two separate things because experience is independent from our brain/body.

In contrast, human intelligence is strictly dependent on the physical brain to properly operate.

Title: Re: At what age does human intelligence becomes optimal?
Post by: evan_au on 15/02/2018 10:31:13

Quote from: OP

If human intelligence is age-dependent, when exactly does it becomes optimal

One measure of intelligence is the IQ test. It has flaws, but it has been well-studied.

Studies suggest that some types of IQ peak in early adulthood (measures requiring flexibility), while others peak in middle adulthood (measures utilising experience).

But because IQ is calculated as "test score"/"biological age", it appears that the test score will continue to increase for a while beyond these peak ages.

See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_quotient#Age