AP PSYCHOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -TO the surprise of many psychologists, tests on infants as young as six months of age are predicting their scores on intelligence tests years later, when they start school.

Detailed explanation-2: -The European study, which was released this week, found evidence that we tend to hit our cognitive maximum around age 35 and remain there until about age 45, at which point a long, slow decline takes hold.

Detailed explanation-3: -Some cognitive functions become weaker with age, while others actually improve. Some brain areas, including the hippocampus, shrink in size. The myelin sheath that surrounds and protects nerve fibers wears down, which can slow the speed of communication between neurons.

Detailed explanation-4: -IQ tests give reasonably effective results for children from about age four; however, scores are less reliable for preschool children than for school-age children. The only purpose for having children tested as early as age four is if parents believe their children are unusual.