Human intelligence is the ability to understand and use the full capacity of your mind. It helps us to understand concepts and learn how to handle and adapt to unexpected situations. Studies show that intelligence can also be inherited and determined by genes. There are so many types of tests that measure intelligence. Their diversity comes from different cultures and people. For example, some tests require knowledge of culture and vocabulary while others are simpler and require the recognition of symbols, shapes and colours. Research has shown that people can practice improving their intelligence and cognitive abilities. You can work to improve your general and emotional knowledge, creativity, reasoning and self-awareness. It also greatly influences the development of the ability to solve problems very effectively. We’re just scratching the surface. Here’s a bit more in-depth information.

The Traditional Definition

There are many types and definitions of intelligence. Over time views on the development of intelligence have changed. Debates on the subject of intelligence have been going on since the early 1900s and have been accompanied by the creation of various tests for individuals. The traditional view or definition is that we are born with a fixed amount of intelligence and that our level of intelligence cannot change in the course of life. It also states that intelligence can only be measured by solving a few different short answer tests. In addition, teachers used the same learning materials and topics to try and teach each individual equally. Simply put, they treated everyone the same and with a single approach. There weren’t any differences in testing methods, or how they treated students.

How Does Psychology View It?

Many psychologists have explored the field of intelligence and how it is measured. According to their conclusions, there are different aspects from which we can observe the intelligence of a man. Psychologists believe that intelligence is the use of general knowledge for understanding and manipulating the environment. They focused a lot on various cognitive processes such as learning, memory, perception and understanding, as well as problem-solving. Intelligence is seen as the effective possession and use of various combined and different abilities. Consensus within groups of psychologists did not always coincide, and many of them developed different theories and statistics that guided them through their research. Here are some of the most notable theories:

• Spearman’s General Intelligence or g factor
• Thurstone’s Primary Mental Abilities
• Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences
• Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

How Do We Measure It?

Is there a way to find out if we are smart or not? It seems difficult to measure something that is not physically present, but today, intelligence is actually measured by various forms of tests. In fact, these tests are very helpful to people in discovering how far their intelligence goes. Most people are interested in their level of intelligence. You’re probably wondering how you can test your capabilities. Here are some of the most popular types of intelligence tests that are used today.

• IQ test, which is one of the well known in society
• Specific aptitude tests
• Tests of logical reasoning
• Creativity tests
• Emotional Intelligence tests
• Memory tests

Is Your Intelligence Fixed?

According to various research and studies on the topic of intelligence and whether it is inherited or can be improved, we can see that there is a lot of disagreement in the world of psychologists and sociologists. There are debates on this topic to determine if it is possible to improve skills and work on your abilities to change your mindset. Some of them believe that intelligence is something we are born with, as a part of the body, and that it is very much related to inheriting parental genes. Their strong and strict beliefs on this theory date back to the 1900s when we could test our intelligence only through certain types of tests and that was the only indicator and measure of intelligence at that time. As it is no longer the 1900s, science and research have advanced, and opinions have been divided. So now the other part of the scientific world says that intelligence is a cognitive ability that is worked on throughout one’s life. They believe that anyone can learn how to upgrade their intelligence and have an opinion that it can be improved by learning and using logic.

How Do You Help It Develop?

The times we live in are much faster. We have very little time to dedicate and work on ourselves. Luckily here are some “brain exercises” that you can use to help you develop your intelligence on your own.

There are five effective ways to do it.

Learn something new.

Learn something new at every opportunity. Recent studies have shown that learning new things can help improve your memory and mental performance. It keeps your mind active and stops it from taking it easy.

Go Bilateral

The brain has two sides, one that's creative and one that's analytical. Train and exercise both sides of the brain. Make sure if you're in front of data you're doing something creative with your day and vice versa.

Improve your Lifestyle

You should regularly move, stay hydrated and have a nutrient-packed diet. The better you live your life, the healthier your brain will be. Especially as you age

Be Conscious of Autopilot

Routine is great, but it can make use lazy at times. Keep your mind energized and active by stepping out of your comfort zone daily.

Learn to Meditate

Lot's of evidence supports meditation. One study from UCLA found that people who had been meditating for an average of 20 years had more grey matter volume throughout the brain.

Conclusion

Overall, intelligence cannot be defined in one way. As you can see, opinions are divided. Too many theories exist, and they are still being researched today. But don't worry, as shown above, we can all work to try to improve our own intelligence.