Transactional Theories of Cognitive Development and Intelligence Testing: Match or Mismatch?

In recent years, research on cognitive aging increasingly has focused on the cognitive development across middle adulthood. However, little is still known about the long-term effects of intensive job-specific training of fluid intellectual abilities. In this study we examined the effects of age- and job-specific practice of cognitive abilities on detection performance in airport security x-ray screening. In Experiment 1 (N = 308; 24–65 years), we examined performance in the X-ray Object Recognition Test (ORT), a speeded visual object recognition task in which participants have to find dangerous items in x-ray images of passenger bags; and in Experiment 2 (N = 155; 20–61 years) in an on-the-job object recognition test frequently used in baggage screening. Results from both experiments show high performance in older adults and significant negative age correlations that cannot be overcome by more years of job-specific experience. We discuss the implications of our findings for theories of lifespan cognitive development and training concepts.

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Beyond Intelligence Testing

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040/a000117 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. 320-325 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Serge Nicolas ◽

Zachary Levine

Keyword(s):

Social Psychology ◽

Experimental Psychology ◽

Intelligence Testing ◽

Developmental Psychology ◽

Mental Life ◽

Applied Psychology ◽

Important Research ◽

Memory Research ◽

English Translations ◽

The Many

Though Alfred Binet was a prolific writer, many of his 1893–1903 works are not well known. This is partly due to a lack of English translations of the many important papers and books that he and his collaborators created during this period. Binet’s insights into intelligence testing are widely celebrated, but the centennial of his death provides an occasion to reexamine his other psychological examinations. His studies included many diverse aspects of mental life, including memory research and the science of testimony. Indeed, Binet was a pioneer of psychology and produced important research on cognitive and experimental psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, and applied psychology. This paper seeks to elucidate these aspects of his work.

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