Lifeboat Foundation

A new study suggests environmental interventions do increase intelligence — but the effects are temporary.

In the investigation, University of California, Santa Barbara, psychologist Dr. John Protzko analyzed an existing study to determine whether and how environmental interventions impacted the intelligence levels of low birth weight children.

The key finding: Interventions did raise intelligence levels, but not permanently. When the interventions ended, their effects diminished over time in what psychologists describe as “the fadeout effect.”