Final answer:
The concept that best explains why individuals with higher intelligence might experience less cognitive decline is known as cognitive reserve. This reserve allows the brain to find new ways to complete tasks despite the challenges of aging, and can be affected by a variety of factors such as mental activities, physical exercise, socioeconomic status, and genetic resilience.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of cognitive reserve explains why some individuals with higher levels of intelligence experience less cognitive decline as they age. The theory of cognitive reserve posits that the brain's ability to improvise and find alternative methods of completing tasks allows it to cope better with the challenges of aging. Our cognitive abilities, comprising both crystallized and fluid intelligence, generally remain stable during early and middle adulthood. While crystallized intelligence might even improve with age, fluid intelligence, which includes processing abilities, reasoning, and memory, may begin to decline later in life.
Research suggests that engaging in mentally and physically stimulating activities could delay cognitive decline and decrease the risk of pathology such as mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Thus, an individual's cognitive reserve can act as a form of protection, influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Additionally, socioeconomic factors like poverty can affect brain function and development, potentially impacting IQ scores and cognitive function in ways that challenge the development of an individual's cognitive reserve.
Another vital factor relates to the resilience seen in highly intelligent individuals. This resilience may enable them to overcome difficult life circumstances, further bolstering their cognitive reserve and possibly resulting in less cognitive decline with age.