General intelligence and specific cognitive abilities in adolescence: Tests of age differentiation, ability differentiation, and their interaction in two large samples.

2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 364-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritz Breit ◽  
Martin Brunner ◽  
Franzis Preckel
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
General Intelligence ◽  
Large Samples ◽  
Specific Cognitive Abilities

scholarly journals Temporal stability of lower order ability scores and intelligence profiles in high ability students

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moritz Breit ◽  
Vsevolod Scherrer ◽  
Franzis Preckel
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Temporal Stability ◽  
General Intelligence ◽  
High Ability ◽  
Female Age ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Change ◽  
High Ability Students ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Specific Cognitive Abilities

Individuals’ general intelligence is highly stable over time and strong empirical evidencesupports its validity for diagnostic purposes. Frequently, general intelligence is assessed as acomposite of different specific cognitive abilities (e.g., verbal, numerical, figural ability). Inprevious research, these specific abilities only showed marginal stabilities, challenging theirvalidity for diagnostic purposes. However, this research was conducted with samples ofpredominantly average or low ability individuals. According to Spearman’s law of diminishingreturns, high ability individuals show more pronounced differences between subtest scores orintelligence profiles than regular ability individuals. Therefore, we aimed to investigate thestabilities of specific abilities and intelligence profiles in high ability individuals. Using theBerlin structure-of-intelligence test (BIS-HB), we investigated the 6-month mean-level change,individual-level change, differential continuity, and ipsative continuity of specific abilities in asample of 114 students (28.9% female; age M = 14.11, SD = .84) attending special gifted classes.We found significant mean-level change for all specific abilities. Reliable individual-levelincreases in performance were observed for, on average, 17% of the participants on each specificability. Differential continuity of specific abilities ranged from .72 to .84. Intelligence profilesreplicated across test–retest occasions significantly above chance levels (Mdnκ = .28). The resultsrender more precisely the usefulness of interpreting intelligence profiles, which has previouslybeen called into question in general.

scholarly journals The evolution of intelligence in mammalian carnivores

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 20160108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kay E. Holekamp ◽  
Sarah Benson-Amram
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Social Intelligence ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Brain Size ◽  
General Intelligence ◽  
Selection Pressures ◽  
Social Intelligence Hypothesis ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
The Social ◽  
Specific Cognitive Abilities

Although intelligence should theoretically evolve to help animals solve specific types of problems posed by the environment, it is unclear which environmental challenges favour enhanced cognition, or how general intelligence evolves along with domain-specific cognitive abilities. The social intelligence hypothesis posits that big brains and great intelligence have evolved to cope with the labile behaviour of group mates. We have exploited the remarkable convergence in social complexity between cercopithecine primates and spotted hyaenas to test predictions of the social intelligence hypothesis in regard to both cognition and brain size. Behavioural data indicate that there has been considerable convergence between primates and hyaenas with respect to their social cognitive abilities. Moreover, compared with other hyaena species, spotted hyaenas have larger brains and expanded frontal cortex, as predicted by the social intelligence hypothesis. However, broader comparative study suggests that domain-general intelligence in carnivores probably did not evolve in response to selection pressures imposed specifically in the social domain. The cognitive buffer hypothesis, which suggests that general intelligence evolves to help animals cope with novel or changing environments, appears to offer a more robust explanation for general intelligence in carnivores than any hypothesis invoking selection pressures imposed strictly by sociality or foraging demands.

The Validity of Specific Cognitive Abilities for the Prediction of Training Success in Germany

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wiebke Goertz ◽  
Ute R. Hülsheger ◽  
Günter W. Maier
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Personnel Selection ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Mental Ability ◽  
Occupational Category ◽  
General Mental Ability ◽  
Training Success ◽  
Specific Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Better Than

General mental ability (GMA) has long been considered one of the best predictors of training success and considerably better than specific cognitive abilities (SCAs). Recently, however, researchers have provided evidence that SCAs may be of similar importance for training success, a finding supporting personnel selection based on job-related requirements. The present meta-analysis therefore seeks to assess validities of SCAs for training success in various occupations in a sample of German primary studies. Our meta-analysis (k = 72) revealed operational validities between ρ = .18 and ρ = .26 for different SCAs. Furthermore, results varied by occupational category, supporting a job-specific benefit of SCAs.

Sex Differences in Variability in Vocational Interests: Evidence from Two Large Samples

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 568-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Paessler
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Vocational Interests ◽  
Gender Disparities ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Personality Psychology ◽  
Large Samples ◽  
Specific Analysis ◽  
Social Interests ◽  
Physical Attributes

Greater male variability has been established in cognitive abilities and physical attributes. This study investigated sex differences in variability in vocational interests with two large samples (N > 40 000 and N > 70 000). The results show that although men varied more in Realistic and Enterprising interests, women varied more in Artistic and Conventional interests. These differences in variability had considerable influence on the female–male tail ratios in vocational interests that have been found to contribute to reported gender disparities in certain fields of work and academic disciplines. Moreover, differences in means and variability interacted non–linearly in shaping tail–ratio imbalances. An age–specific analysis additionally revealed that differences in variability diminished with age: Older samples showed smaller differences in variance in Realistic, Artistic, and Social interests than younger samples. Thus, I found no evidence that greater male variability applies for vocational interests in general. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Personality Psychology

A Role for the X Chromosome in Sex Differences in Variability in General Intelligence?

2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 598-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Johnson ◽  
Andrew Carothers ◽  
Ian J. Deary
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Mental Retardation ◽  
X Chromosome ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Population Variation ◽  
General Intelligence ◽  
Substantial Evidence ◽  
Normal Distributions ◽  
Intellectual Abilities

There is substantial evidence that males are more variable than females in general intelligence. In recent years, researchers have presented this as a reason that, although there is little, if any, mean sex difference in general intelligence, males tend to be overrepresented at both ends of its overall distribution. Part of the explanation could be the presence of genes on the X chromosome related both to syndromal disorders involving mental retardation and to population variation in general intelligence occurring normally. Genes on the X chromosome appear overrepresented among genes with known involvement in mental retardation, which is consistent with a model we developed of the population distribution of general intelligence as a mixture of two normal distributions. Using this model, we explored the expected ratios of males to females at various points in the distribution and estimated the proportion of variance in general intelligence potentially due to genes on the X chromosome. These estimates provide clues to the extent to which biologically based sex differences could be manifested in the environment as sex differences in displayed intellectual abilities. We discuss these observations in the context of sex differences in specific cognitive abilities and evolutionary theories of sexual selection.

Operating Characteristics of the neurobehavioral cognitive Status Exam Using Neuropsychological Assessment as the Criterion

Assessment ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Karzmark
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Dysfunction ◽  
Sensitivity And Specificity ◽  
Neuropsychological Assessment ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Performance Characteristics ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Specific Cognitive Abilities

This study examined the performance characteristics of the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Exam (NCSE) using comprehensive neuropsychological assessment as the criterion. Sensitivity and specificity were assessed for the NCSE as a whole and for the individual subtests as measures of discrete cognitive abilities. The sample consisted of 50 consecutive outpatient referrals to the neuropsychological assessment service of a general medical hospital. Most of the patients in the sample had mild or moderate cognitive dysfunction. The sensitivity and specificity of the NCSE as a whole were .74 and .86, respectively. The sensitivity of the individual NCSE subtests was lower, ranging from .20 to .48. Specificity of subtests was high (.64 to .97). The results suggest that the operating characteristics of the NCSE depend significantly on the severity and nature of the sample assessed and the criterion used. They also indicate the need for caution in using NCSE subtest performance as a basis for concluding that specific cognitive abilities are normal.

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