News Psychology

Smarten up

Practicing a challenging memory task spurs a surprising intelligence gain

By Bruce Bower

- More than 2 years ago

If you’re looking for an intellectual picker-upper that doesn’t come in a pill, remember this: A relatively brief memory-training program jump-starts general reasoning skills and problem-solving proficiency, according to a new study.

BRAIN TRAINING The more times people performed a daily 25-minute memory training exercise, the more their scores on a fluid intelligence test increased.