Brain training: Can it make us smarter?





There are skeptics:









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  1. I have done literally hundreds of these tests, and I can see that it would give a boost in Fluid Intelligence or G(f). Which is really a subset of IQ. And seemingly, not a very important component.

    But, and it’s a big but, the scoring algorithms place higher value on G(c) or Comprehension-Knowledge. Score well on those subtests, and you score a much higher overall GIA or IQ score.

    And a nonverbal IQ test is not the most accurate for the majority of the population. Indeed, we only use them for students with communication problems. They just don’t tell the complete story of the student.

  2. From what I’ve read, most of the research has been done poorly, or found that brain trainer games have no or little effect. Crosswords and learning new languages have been mentioned as possibly delaying Alzheimer’s, but what I haven’t seen yet is *why* these types of brain exercises are beneficial while brain trainer games do not.