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[–] eagleshigh 0 points 1 point (+1|-0) ago  (edited ago)

Funny, I'm actually reading this Linda Gottfredson article right now, and she says the opposite. She says the educational and military psychologists found that those of below average intelligence learn better step by step, hands on, concrete instruction with a lot of practice. Meanwhile, more intelligent people learn better when allowed to structure their own learning.

IQ tests are designed to measure an individual’s maximum cognitive ability but in everyday life we rarely perform at our best. Too often we arrive at work sleep-deprived, stressed, distracted, hungry, sick, addled by medicine or hung-over – all of which reduce cognitive acuity. This is compounded by the fact that many employers fail to recognise that mental performance varies over a day or week. Organisations squander their members’ cognitive assets when they pace tasks poorly or flout normal sleep cycles, such as when schools start too early for the typical student, or when shift-workers have to put up with constantly changing schedules.

What’s more, to fully realise their abilities, individuals of different intelligence levels often require different kinds of support. Educational and military psychologists have shown that people of below-average intelligence learn best when given concrete, step-by-step, hands-on instruction and lots of practice, whereas individuals of aboveaverage intelligence learn best when allowed to structure their own learning. One-size-fits-all instruction stunts the learning of both types of individuals. Schools can get far more out of pupils by educating them to their personal potential and employers can boost the achievements of their staff with well-targeted assistance such as mentoring, supervision and training.

Brainpower also needs protecting and nurturing. Chronic illness, alcohol abuse and head injuries cause cumulative cognitive damage, accelerating the effects of ageing and increasing the risk of dementia. With vaccinations and care, most such assaults are preventable. We can also reduce exposure to human-made hazards that damage the brain, such as pesticides, lead, radiation and exposure to drugs in the womb. The best way to get the most from our native intelligence right into old age is to maintain good health of both body and mind. Healthy body, healthy mind is a cliché because it’s true.

https://www.newscientist.com/data/doc/article/dn19554/instant_expert_13_-_intelligence.pdf