New data from CerebrumIQ reveals that adults with elevated IQ scores devote a significant share of their free time to cognitively demanding, often unconventional pursuits, from freelance cryptography to experimental music design.
A new CerebrumIQ analysis based on a survey of 3,512 adults with above-average IQ scores sheds light on how cognitive profiles correlate with time use, hobbies, and side careers. The findings suggest that for many high-performing thinkers, free time is less about escapism and more about structured engagement, a continuation of problem-solving by other means.
Respondents reported spending a median of 33% of their non-working hours on what they classified as intellectual or technically involved activities. These ranged from complex hobby work, such as competitive puzzle design, antique computing restoration, and constructed languages, to niche professional endeavors including freelance cryptography, algorithmic trading, and systems-level consulting.
Only 19% of those surveyed said they worked in academic or research roles. A larger segment, 42%, reported running at least one non-traditional income stream or advanced side project, suggesting that cognitively driven individuals may be more likely to monetize specialist skills outside formal employment structures. Another 11% identified as working creatives in cognitively intensive fields like experimental music, interface design, or generative systems art.
While the range of interests is wide, a shared pattern emerges: an emphasis on long-form attention, process mastery, and exploratory learning. A full 64% of respondents listed at least one hobby that requires sustained cognitive focus, a notable contrast to broader recreational norms. Activities like long-form strategy games, self-coded simulations, and precision instrument making came up repeatedly.
CerebrumIQ’s data also highlights a crossover between hobby and work. 28% of respondents said that a side project, which began as a leisure eventually became commercially viable, either as a product or consultancy offering. This suggests that for many high-IQ adults, boundaries between productivity and play are fluid, with leisure often serving as a testbed for new professional applications.
The social dynamics of this group also diverge from general patterns. Respondents reported having smaller, more specialised peer groups, often tied to shared intellectual interests. Within those communities, 56% said peer feedback materially improved their output, an indicator that even in solitary-seeming pursuits, collaboration remains integral.
These findings challenge simplistic ideas of intelligence as an academic or isolated trait. Instead, they suggest that for many cognitively driven adults, mental intensity shapes lifestyle in more continuous and integrated ways, influencing how people relate to time, productivity, and even identity.
About CerebrumIQ:
CerebrumIQ is a cognitive performance platform designed to strengthen mental skills through a blend of IQ testing, neural training games, intelligence puzzles, educational courses, and expert content. The assessments are calibrated to reflect standard IQ tests and used globally to track and enhance users’ thinking abilities. The platform, used by over a million people worldwide, offers more than 300 lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making, helping users develop essential life skills in a structured, engaging way. CerebrumIQ is redefining how people engage with their mental potential. Unlike entertainment-style brain games, Cerebrum IQ is a structured training ecosystem built to deliver lasting neural growth.
CerebrumIQ is a cognitive performance platform designed to strengthen mental skills through a blend of IQ testing, neural training games, intelligence puzzles, educational courses, and expert content. The assessments are calibrated to reflect standard IQ tests and used globally to track and enhance users’ thinking abilities. The platform, used by over a million people worldwide, offers more than 300 lessons on emotional intelligence, problem-solving, innovation, confidence-building, and decision-making, helping users develop essential life skills in a structured, engaging way. CerebrumIQ is redefining how people engage with their mental potential. Unlike entertainment-style brain games, Cerebrum IQ is a structured training ecosystem built to deliver lasting neural growth.