They also looked at their first IQ tests at the age of three and compared them with their scores at 21 years old.

They discovered an association with intelligence between this very early ability to process information and IQ during their young adult years.

Researchers say that attention to novelty 'tells us that intelligence is continuous from infancy to adulthood' and 'underscore the importance of information processing as a means for studying intelligence'.

They added that this knowledge may help researchers also understand how genetics and environment can influence intelligence, said a CWRU release.

These findings were published in Intelligence.