Can learning musical instruments and playing chess benefit children's IQ? An article in Tianxia Magazine compiled relevant research and reports, analyzing five common statements about improving children's IQ.
First, learning to play musical instruments. Many studies have pointed out that learning musical instruments is related to developing children's high IQ. However, according to a study conducted in 2015 which investigated 15,000 twins, researchers took genes and family environment into account. To our astonishment, learning music did not affect children's IQ. Besides ,researchers found that learning musical instruments can have a placebo effect (安慰剂效应)(meaning that although the treatment is ineffective, the patient "predicts" or "believes" that the treatment is effective), which can motivate the child to study hard .In addition, music training also helps to cultivate children's abilities of self-control and contributes to their memory.
Second, learning to play chess. It is said that playing chess can help improve mental ability. Some studies have also revealed that playing chess matters concerning people's ability to solve problems macroscopically. Giovanni Sala, a scholar at Osaka University, noticed that there were some methodological errors in the research that claimed "children who can play chess can get high marks in math exams". In effect, there was no direct relationship between chess training and children's math ability.
Thirdly, a family environment which can bring inspiration to children. The IQ of young children is largely determined by genes, but is also strongly influenced by the family environment. Richard E. Nisbett, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, suggests that engaging children in lively, complex and challenging conversations help boost their IQ. For example, parents can ask questions at the dinner table, letting their children answer them, in the process of which, parents respond to the answers and try to make a comment on them, and then let their children raise questions.
Fourth, working memory training（工作记忆训练）. It refers to the ability to memorize a piece of information while processing it. For example, after hearing a phone number, remember it in a short time, and then pick up the phone and dial it out. Many studies suggests that working memory training can enhance children's mathematical and reading abilities, or fluid intelligence, which is the ability to understand the current overall situation in the face of new experiences.
Fifth, staying in school. A new study in view of 600,000 students in the Journal Psychological Science shows that if a student stays in school every year , his intelligence will increase by about one to five points. The study's author, Tucker Drop, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, also explains why many applications that claim to improve IQ do not have long-term results. "It usually takes long-term investment to improve IQ, along with challenges and exercises." That is to say, practicing musical instruments for several hours a week, or playing games that alleges to improve IQ, does not make people smarter.