A large number of research studies indicate that an individual’s cognitive abilities are not fixed and change substantially throughout their life span. On the one hand, individuals constantly acquire new, progressively advanced forms of knowledge and intellectual skills throughout childhood and young adulthood.
On the other hand, some mental abilities such as sensory information processing speed and short-term memory tend to decline throughout middle and older adulthood. Recent cognitive neuroscience studies have demonstrated that the adult brain is much more capable of recovering from injury and acquiring new knowledge and skills than previously believed, which suggest that training programs and interventions that are designed to improve particular cognitive skills may be beneficial.
The World Wide IQ Test currently provides individuals with feedback on several visuospatial and quantitative reasoning skills, helping them to identify areas where they may benefit the most from targeted training.