All articles tagged with #cognitive abilities
A rare group of 'genius dogs' called Gifted Word Learner dogs can learn new toy names by eavesdropping on human conversations, demonstrating advanced language-like skills comparable to 1.5-year-old toddlers, and highlighting complex social and cognitive abilities in dogs.
Certain hobbies such as reading, playing musical instruments, writing, learning languages, strategy games, and coding are linked to higher IQs because they engage and develop various cognitive skills, reflecting higher natural intelligence rather than causing it.
A recent study reveals that feeding large language models low-quality, high-engagement social media content can impair their cognitive abilities, suggesting that AI models may be affected by the quality of data they are trained on, similar to humans.
Research indicates that humans reach their overall mental and emotional peak around age 60, with various psychological dimensions such as emotional regulation, judgment, and accumulated knowledge continuing to develop into midlife, challenging the common perception that peak performance occurs in early adulthood.
Research shows that overall psychological functioning peaks between ages 55 and 60, with many traits like emotional stability and conscientiousness reaching their highest levels later in life, challenging the notion that cognitive decline begins early and highlighting the value of midlife for leadership and decision-making.
New research reveals that Neanderthals in Germany 125,000 years ago operated a 'fat factory' by processing animal bones to extract grease, indicating advanced planning, dietary strategies, and cognitive skills previously thought to be exclusive to later Homo sapiens.
A preliminary MIT study indicates that reliance on ChatGPT and similar AI tools may negatively affect students' brain activity, memory, and learning capabilities, raising concerns about long-term educational and cognitive consequences, as well as environmental costs associated with AI server energy use.
A groundbreaking discovery in Maltravieso Cave, Spain, reveals that Neanderthals, not Homo sapiens, may have been the first artists, with hand stencils dated to at least 66,710 years ago. Using uranium-thorium dating, researchers found these artworks to be far older than previously known examples, suggesting Neanderthals had advanced cognitive abilities. This challenges the perception of Neanderthals as unsophisticated and raises the possibility of cultural transmission to early modern humans, highlighting art as a shared heritage between species.
Archaeologists have discovered a 60,000-year-old structure in Vanguard Cave, Gibraltar, indicating that Neanderthals used complex methods to produce plant-based adhesives, challenging their brutish stereotype. The structure, compatible with anoxic heating techniques, suggests advanced cognitive abilities in Neanderthals, as they extracted resin from plants like prickly rockrose. This finding, involving a multidisciplinary team, highlights Neanderthals' technological and organizational skills, further supported by evidence of their use of medicinal plants, art, and tool-making.
A study by US-China researchers reveals that horned dinosaurs, like Triceratops, evolved to have smaller brains and reduced sensory capabilities as they grew larger and more armored over 100 million years. This evolutionary trend raises concerns about humans' increasing reliance on technology potentially diminishing cognitive abilities. The study suggests that while dinosaurs had no control over their evolution, humans should manage their dependency on technology to avoid similar cognitive decline. The findings were published in the journal Paleobiology.
A study involving twins suggests that environmental factors may have a greater impact on certain cognitive abilities, such as metacognition and mentalizing, than genetics. Twins raised in similar educational and socio-economic environments displayed similar cognitive traits, challenging previous beliefs about the heritability of these skills. The findings highlight the crucial role of family environment in shaping cognitive abilities and suggest that metacognition and mentalizing are more influenced by environmental factors than genetics.
A neuroimaging study found that toddlers who experienced more severe maltreatment had lower total brain volume, particularly smaller gray matter volume, which was linked to lower cognitive abilities. Childhood maltreatment encompasses physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as neglect, and can have long-lasting effects on mental and physical health. The study, conducted on 86 children aged 3 to 5, suggests that greater maltreatment severity in early childhood is associated with smaller brain size and implications for intellectual ability, emphasizing the need for mechanism-driven targets for early intervention.
New research published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia reveals a strong link between neighborhood socioeconomic status and cognitive abilities in older individuals, independent of brain pathologies associated with dementia. The study, based on autopsy cases, found that living in more disadvantaged neighborhoods was associated with lower cognitive abilities, even after adjusting for demographic factors and neuropathological changes. Interestingly, higher educational attainment seemed to mitigate the adverse effects of neighborhood disadvantage on cognitive function, suggesting that policies promoting equitable resource allocation, such as enhanced educational opportunities for disadvantaged communities, may have an impact on dementia.
A new study on Australian magpies reveals that their intelligence is influenced more by their social environment than genetic inheritance. Researchers found that magpies raised in larger social groups demonstrated faster problem-solving abilities, while the cognitive performance of young magpies showed little connection to their mothers' abilities. The mental demands of recognizing and remembering group members within a complex social environment likely contribute to the birds' cognitive development, challenging the notion that intelligence is solely determined by genetic inheritance.
A new study explores the genetic basis of language development in early childhood and its impact on later cognitive abilities and neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and ASD. The research identifies genetic factors influencing vocabulary size in infancy and toddlerhood, linking these influences to later literacy, cognition, and ADHD symptoms. The study reveals a developmental shift in the genetic associations with ADHD symptoms, indicating a complex role of genetics in language development and neurodevelopmental outcomes. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding early linguistic development as a predictor of future mental health and cognitive abilities, highlighting the need for tailored interventions based on children's genetic predispositions.