Can brain training actually boost memory and attention?
Most of us think the intelligence we are born with is fixed, but it turns out you can make yourself smarter. Here’s how to train your brain.
We live in a world where the pursuit of peak physical health has become an enormous priority, but what about our brains?
The good news is that intelligence is not a set trait, and just like our bodies, we can be trained to think harder, faster and more strategically.
“It’s best to think of intelligence as a skill set rather than an existing fixed entity,” Maynooth University Psychology Professor Dr Bryan Roche says.
“Like all skill sets, like playing the piano, knitting or dancing, it can be improved – even if there are biological limits to how much we can improve.”
However, the RaiseYourIQ.com scientific officer cautions that people wanting more smarts need to be prepared to put in the effort, as gaining intelligence takes a lot more than just downloading an app and playing online quiz games.
How to train your brain and get smarter
Deakin University’s School of Psychology Deputy Head and Associate Professor Linda Byrne says some simple life changes will help make you smarter.
“IQ is a single number that is talked about as being a representation of intelligence,” Assoc Professor Byrne explains.
“But when we’re talking about an IQ, we’re actually talking about a range of specific kinds of cognitive abilities.”
This includes a person’s reasoning ability, working memory, and verbal and spatial comprehension.
Assoc Professor Byrne says one of the best ways to improve most of these is to read widely, listen to podcasts, watch documentaries or regularly engage with people who display intelligence.
“We know that exposure to educational information and resources is really important for gaining knowledge and understanding,” she says.
“This is because someone is actually engaging with the material.”
Dr Roche says that this approach will also help expand “relational knowledge”, which allows us to retain more facts.
“When there is already a knowledge base, there are lots of ways in which you can remember new information,” he says.
“But if you know nothing about a topic, additional information is useless and unlikely to be retained.”
Why you must align mind and body
Also essential to a good brain-training regimen is making sure you’re looking after your mental and physical wellbeing.
“You can’t really learn very well if you’re experiencing negative emotions,” Swinburne University Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology Professor Con Stough says.
“That’s why we’re teaching kids at school now about emotional intelligence and the ability to manage your stress, anger and anxiety when facilitating learning.”
“Nutrition also plays a very important role. We know kids who don’t have a good breakfast don’t perform as well at school.”
In fact, research shows that some foods are directly linked to better brainpower including vegetables, fish, berries, nuts and stimulants such as tea and coffee.
Sugar, alcohol and processed foods may impede mental ability.
Best ways to support your brain growth
Before you rush out and buy an app or program promising to boost your intellect, it likely won’t do much good.
“If you do a sudoku or a problem-solving game every day, that may initially be challenging, and you may get really good at it, but that’s not going to improve your intellect,” Assoc Prof Byrne says.
Instead, she recommends engaging in a deeper form of learning that prompts analysis, understanding and hones your evaluation skills.
However, some evidence suggests brain-training apps may still be good for you if you enjoy playing them.
Research shows they can help keep your brain in good nick and may even stave off brain decline.
More on brain health:
