You may think the mind peaks in your 20s. The data says otherwise.

A new open-access analysis in the journal Intelligence reports that overall psychological functioning tends to crest in late midlife, with many adults hitting their best all-around stride near age 60.

The research, led by Gilles Gignac of the University of Western Australia and Marcin Zajenkowski of the University of Warsaw and published in ScienceDirect, reviewed age trends across key abilities and traits, then combined them into a single index.

The team examined patterns across 16 dimensions tied to life outcomes. These included conventional abilities such as reasoning, processing speed, memory span, and vocabulary.

They also covered personality traits like conscientiousness and emotional stability.

In addition, they

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