There has been considerable debate as to whether or not intelligence (IQ) can be improved. Interestingly, the research does provide a memory technique for improving intelligence known as the N-back or Dual-N-Back. Dr. William Klemm gives us some scientific background for the technique and cites various studies in Psychology Today.

The N-Back Game is a memory technique for improving intelligence.

Memory Technique for Improving Intelligence — Working Memory

Working memory refers to the memory you can consciously hold in your mind at any one instant—such as a phone number you just looked up. Most people can only hold about four totally independent items in their working memory.

Working memory relates to intelligence. The reason is that thinking involves streaming into the brain’s “thought engine” chunks of information held in working memory. The working memory streams in, much like a Web video streams into your computer. The more you can hold in working memory, the more information the brain has to think with—that is, the smarter it can be.

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Various techniques are reported in the research literature, and the best results seem to come from n-back methods.

If you’d like to read about the research studies, go here.

Memory Technique for Improving Intelligence — The N-Back Game

The game is challenging and takes considerable practice , but if you’re up for improving your IQ, here are 2 links to get you going.

(1) Instructions to guide you before you tackle the n-back activity

(2) The link to the game.

How often are you playing the game? For how long? Have you noticed any differences in your working memory while using this memory technique for improving intelligence?

Tell us about your experience in the comment section.