posted on October 21, 2011 01:31
Thought by some to be an accurate measurement of intellectual ability, IQ, or the Intelligence Quotient claims to measure an individual's intellectual capacity. Criticized by many as just another achievement test, IQ scores are coming under greater scrutiny lately, thanks in part to a recent study published in the journal Nature. The study, completed by researchers at University College in London, measured the IQ scores of a group of students between the ages of 12 and 16. They then repeated the test after four years, and discovered that the teens' scores had changed, with some increasing as much as 20 points. The study utilized brain scans taken of the teens, and the findings confirmed that the subjects' brain structures had changed, with increased activity in areas that correlated with their increased scores. The findings seem to demonstrate that IQ is merely a snapshot of what a person might know at any given moment, and cannot be used to gauge intellectual ability.
Click here to read more about the study, or to listen to the report.
Published by Allison Aubrey for National Public Radio on October 19, 2011.