Every parent and teacher notices it: some children seem to absorb new concepts effortlessly, while others need considerably more time and repetition. What’s happening underneath these visible differences? The science points to a fascinating interplay of cognitive mechanisms — and some of the answers are surprisingly counterintuitive. Key Takeaway: Learning …
The Mediterranean diet has been linked to lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. But an expanding body of research suggests its benefits extend above the neck as well. Can what you eat actually make your brain work better? Key Takeaway: The Mediterranean diet — rich in fish, olive …
Approximately 10% of babies worldwide are born prematurely — before 37 weeks of gestation. For parents of preterm infants, particularly those born very early, a pressing question is: how will prematurity affect my child’s cognitive development? Research spanning decades and tens of thousands of preterm-born individuals now provides a clear, …
The belief that firstborn children are smarter than their younger siblings is one of the most persistent ideas in folk psychology. Parents joke about it, media repeats it, and surprisingly, the research largely supports it — though the effect is far smaller than most people assume and the reasons behind …
The nine months of pregnancy represent the most rapid and consequential period of brain development in human life. By birth, a baby’s brain contains roughly 100 billion neurons, nearly all of which were produced during gestation. The nutritional environment during this window has lasting effects on the architecture, connectivity, and …
Few ideas in educational psychology have achieved the cultural penetration of Carol Dweck’s growth mindset theory. The concept — that believing intelligence is malleable rather than fixed leads to greater academic achievement — has been adopted by school districts, corporate training programs, and parenting guides worldwide. But as the idea …
The claim that breastfeeding boosts intelligence is one of the most frequently cited benefits of nursing. Parenting guides, health organizations, and pediatricians routinely include “higher IQ” among the advantages of breast milk. But how strong is the evidence, and how much of the observed association reflects the milk itself versus …
As cannabis legalization spreads across the United States and globally, a question with significant public health implications has moved from academic journals to everyday conversation: does cannabis use make you less intelligent? The answer emerging from two decades of research is more nuanced than either side of the legalization debate …
Few topics provoke more parental anxiety than screen time. As smartphones, tablets, and streaming services become embedded in children’s daily lives, a persistent worry has taken hold: is all this screen exposure damaging their cognitive development? The research paints a more nuanced picture than either the alarmists or the dismissives …
This study, published by Burchinal et al. (2024), examines the long-term effects of early childhood education (ECE) interventions on cognitive outcomes, with a focus on how impacts vary by gender. Using data from the Carolina Abecedarian Project, the researchers explore treatment effects from infancy through middle adulthood, highlighting key differences …
