Cognitive ability stabilizes after age 3, study finds
Cognitive ability becomes stable after age 3, with weak links to infant measures, per PNAS study.
Why it matters
- Cognitive ability impacts academic achievement, job performance, and health behaviors.
- Understanding stability helps in early childhood development and education policies.
By the numbers
- Sample size: 1,098 participants.
- Correlation coefficients: ~0.16 and 0.18 for infant measures, 0.72 to 0.86 for ages 7+.
- Genetic influence: 22% by age 3.
- Environmental influence: 10% at ages 1-2.
The big picture
- Cognitive ability is stable from age 3 onwards.
- Early genetic and environmental factors play a role in adult cognitive ability.
- Infant cognition measures are weak predictors of adult cognitive ability.
What they're saying
- Comments show interest in environmental impacts before age 3.
- Some humor about adults having the mental age of 3.
Caveats
- Participants were all from Colorado, so results may not generalize.
- Infant cognition measures are less reliable than those for older ages.
What’s next
- Further research could look at different populations and cultures.
- More studies on the impact of early environment on lifelong cognitive ability.