Playing video games could increase IQ scoresTUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014 14:41 PM
Many parents believe that playing video games wastes time and does not benefit their children at all. However, recent studies show that certain games actually increase brain function and develop cognitive flexibility, strategy forming and even increase brain matter in young children. While playing video games might not adhere to traditional methods of increasing IQ scores, practicing critical thinking and problem-solving skills remains one of the most important components of greater intelligence. Here are some ways your child can benefit from playing video games:
Effect of specially designed games on children
Dr. Tracy Alloway of the University of Stirling conducted a study that included more than 600 children from different parts of the world ages 6 to 16. Alloway provided the game Junglememory, which involves 30 progressively challenging levels and targets the memory centers of the brain. Participants tried to remember numbers and patterns that flashed on a screen. Alloway's game then required the children to use the numbers in a separate task. The subjects of the study played the game four times a week for eight weeks. Each session lasted approximately 15 minutes. According to Alloway, 9 out of 10 students who participated in the study
showed substantial improvement in their ability to solve mathematical and verbal problems. Some students also scored almost 10 points higher on IQ tests. Alloway believes that games like these d... (
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Prodigy Profile: Santiago GonzalezWEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 05, 2014 16:43 PM
While some teenage boys are just starting to think about relationships, parties and other types of high school drama, Santiago Gonzalez wonders about efficient computer programming and dreams of solving bugs in a set of code. The Littleton, Colo., native is a child computer prodigy and can write in more than a dozen programming languages. Santiago's aptitude test scores at an early age revealed an incredible mind. Barely a teen, Santiago has developed more than 15 iOS applications and hopes to achieve much in the future.
Early life
As a child, Santiago showed signs of a very high IQ. He understood adult conversations and was consumed with the desire to learn as much as he could. His parents noticed Santiago's love for geology, and by the time he was in first grade, he was reading college texts and adult-level books on rocks and minerals. When Santiago was first given an aptitude test,
he scored in the 99.9 percentile. Santiago's intelligence was a bit of a
burden in elementary school. His teachers could not meet his needs and classroom lectures seemed endless and boring because he was not challenged at all. Other students had trouble accepting S... (
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For managers, there are several approaches to leadership FRIDAY, OCTOBER 05, 2012 15:28 PM
Every boss has his own unique approach to managing employees. According to CareerBuilder, great bosses tend to be trustworthy and compassionate providers of constructive feedback. At the same time, AOL Jobs states that bad bosses are feared by their workers, controlled by stress and known to micromanage.
However, in some cases, the type of boss an individual becomes may have more to do with their characteristics than the decisions they choose to make at the office. For this reason, those who plan on assuming leadership roles may want to take a business management aptitude test to see what type of manager they might become.
If they pursue this option, they may find that they possess one of the leadership styles Government Executive recently highlighted, such as the democratic leader, who creates a flexible working environment and lets employees have a say in decisions.
On the other end of the spectrum is the coercive leader, who expects immediate compliance from his employees and, as a result, may create a less flexible work environment. If managers want to develop a personal bond with their employees and boost morale in the process, they may have an affiliative leadership style.... (read more)
