Scientific surprise: the incredible age at which the brain reaches its maximum plenitude

There is a belief that our psychological abilities reach their peak when we are youngbut a new study published in the journal Intelligence revealed that general psychological functioning It peaks between ages 55 and 60.

For their research, the scientists analyzed various studies that examined 16 psychological dimensionssuch as reasoning, memory, processing speed, learning and emotional intelligence, reports RT.

Also included were the traits belonging to the «big five model», used in psychology to study the personality of individuals, which are extroversion, emotional stability, responsibility, openness to experience and agreeableness.

The general belief is that psychological abilities reach their peak when we are young (Instagram).

After standardizing the results of these investigations to a common scale, the experts were able to make direct comparisons and map how each trait or ability evolves throughout adult life approximately. from 18 to 85 years old, indica RT.

The results

The authors realized that several of the traits they measured reach their peak after youth. For example, the meticulousness reached its maximum around 65 yearswhile the moral reasoning also peaked in old age.

On the other hand, the emotional stability reached its maximum around 75 years. The ability to tolerate cognitive biases (systematic distortions in information processing that can lead us to make bad decisions) can even improve at 80 years old, dice RT.

Emotional stability peaked around age 75 (Shutterstock).

General mental functioning peaked between 55 and 60 years old, before beginning to decline after approximately 65 years of age. Such decline became more pronounced after 75 yearssuggesting that declines in brain functioning later in life may accelerate once they begin.

However, the authors of the publication agree that people in that age range may be the most suitable for solving complex problems. Therefore, the authors maintain that, although it is true that several abilities decrease with age, these can be compensated for by the development of other important traits.

GML