World general knowledge facts

https://ift.tt/2V1IkL2 Abstract Nearly a century ago, Spearman proposed that "specific factors can be regarded as the 'nuts and bolts' of cognitive performance…, while the general factor is the mental energy available to power the specific engines". Geary (2018; 2019) takes Spearman's analogy of "mental energy" quite literally and doubles-down on the notion by proposing that a unitary energy source, the mitochondria, explains variations in both cognitive function and health-related outcomes. This idea is reminiscent of many earlier attempts to describe a low-level biological determinant of general intelligence. While Geary does an admirable job developing an innovative theory with specific and testable predictions, this new theory suffers many of the shortcomings of previous attempts at similar goals. We argue that Geary's theory is generally implausible, and does not map well onto known psychological and genetic properties of intelligence or its ...

 Explaining the high working memory capacity of gifted children: Contributions of processing skills and executive control - ScienceDirect  https://ift.tt/3AJNdrm Explaining the high working memory capacity of gifted children: Contributions of processing skills and executive control. Alexandre Aubry ,  C. Gonthier ,  B. Bourdin Published 2021 Medicine Acta psychologica Intellectually gifted children tend to demonstrate especially high working memory capacity, an ability that holds a critical role in intellectual functioning. What could explain the differences in working memory performance between intellectually gifted and nongifted children? We investigated this issue by measuring working memory capacity with complex spans in a sample of 55 gifted and 55 nongifted children. Based on prior studies, we expected the higher working memory capacity of intellectually gifted children to be driven by more effective executive control, as measured using the Atte...

 When academic achievement (also) reflects personality: Using the personality-achievement saturation hypothesis (PASH) to explain differential associations between achievement measures and personality traits. - PsycNET  https://ift.tt/2VVklO3 Citation Hübner, N., Spengler, M., Nagengast, B., Borghans, L., Schils, T., & Trautwein, U. (2021). When academic achievement (also) reflects personality: Using the personality-achievement saturation hypothesis (PASH) to explain differential associations between achievement measures and personality traits.  Journal of Educational Psychology.  Advance online publication.  https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000571 Abstract Students' academic achievement is a key predictor of various life outcomes and is commonly used for selection as well as for educational monitoring and accountability. With regard to achievement indicators, a differentiation has traditionally been drawn between grades and standardized tests. There is ini...

 Connections between mathematics and reading development: Numerical cognition mediates relations between foundational competencies and later academic outcomes. - PsycNET  https://ift.tt/37DbAu3 Citation Spencer, M., Fuchs, L. S., Geary, D. C., & Fuchs, D. (2021). Connections between mathematics and reading development: Numerical cognition mediates relations between foundational competencies and later academic outcomes.  Journal of Educational Psychology.  Advance online publication.  https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000670 Abstract We examined longitudinal relations between 1st-grade cognitive predictors (early nonverbal reasoning, processing speed, listening comprehension, working memory, calculation skill, word-problem solving, word-reading fluency, attentive behavior, and numerical cognition) and 2nd-grade academic outcomes (calculations, word-problem solving, and word reading) in 370 children (Mage = 6.55 years, SDage = 0.33 years at the start of the st...

 General intelligence and the dark triad: A meta-analysis. - PsycNET  https://ift.tt/3jKMNd8 Citation Michels, M. (2021). General intelligence and the dark triad: A meta-analysis.  Journal of Individual Differences. Advance online publication.  https://doi.org/10.1027/1614-0001/a000352 Abstract The dark triad of personality (D3)—consisting of psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism—is a set of socially aversive personality traits. All three traits encompass disagreeable behavior and a particular disregard for the well-being of others, but also a tendency to strategic and deceptive manipulation of social environments in order to attain one′s goals. To exercise these complex manipulations effectively it seems beneficial to have high cognitive abilities. Therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted to examine possible relationships between intelligence and the dark triad. A total of 143 studies were identified to estimate the strength of relationships between th...

 Recent developments, current challenges, and future directions in electrophysiological approaches to studying intelligence - ScienceDirect  https://ift.tt/3lH7cTd Abstract EEG studies represent an important sub-discipline in the field of intelligence research and have significant potential to advance the theoretical understanding and practical applications of the construct. This commentary reviews key themes and major developments in the field from the last several decades, and outlines open questions and future directions for the next phase of research. Two main areas of progress in recent years relate to (1) improvements in study design and psychometric approaches, and (2) increased integration with cognitive psychology and neuroscience. In turn, these advances have clarified several themes and pressing issues. These include: The need to establish the replicability and effect sizes of key effects, the need to explicitly attend to the distinction between trait- and task...

Parsing information flow in speeded cognitive tasks: The role of g in perception and decision time. - PsycNET https://ift.tt/3ytjemL ****************************************** Kevin S. McGrew, PhD Educational & School Psychologist Director Institute for Applied Psychometrics (IAP) https://www.themindhub.com ****************************************** from IQ's Corner https://ift.tt/2VnxS0I via IFTTT https://ift.tt/3fyAek7

Number sense and working memory contribute to mathematical development throughout primary school. However, it is still unclear how the contributions of each of these predictors may change across development and whether the cognitive contribution is the same for children with and without mathematical difficulties. The aim of the two studies in this paper was to shed light on these topics. In a cross-sectional design, a typically developing group of children (study 1; N = 459, Grades 1-4) and a group with mathematical difficulties (study 2; N = 61, Grades 4-6) completed a battery of number sense and working memory tests, as well as a measure of arithmetic competence. Results of study 1 indicated that number sense was important in first grade, while working memory gained importance in second grade, before predictive value of both predictors waned. Number sense and working memory supported mathematics development independently from one another from Grade 1. Analysis of task demands sh...