scholarly journals Intra-individual variation in performance on novel variants of similar tasks influences single factor explanations of general cognitive processes

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (7) ◽  
pp. 171919 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayden O. van Horik ◽  
Ellis J. G. Langley ◽  
Mark A. Whiteside ◽  
Philippa R. Laker ◽  
Joah R. Madden
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Individual Variation ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Principal Axis ◽  
Single Factor ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Novel Variants ◽  
Principal Axis Factor Analysis ◽  
Individual Consistency

Intra-individual variation in performance within and across cognitive domains may confound interpretations of both domain-general and domain-specific abilities. Such variation is rarely considered in animal test batteries. We investigate individual consistency in performance by presenting pheasant chicks ( n  = 31), raised under standardized conditions, with nine different cognitive tasks. Among these tasks were two replicated novel variants of colour learning and colour reversal problems, tests of positional learning and memory, as well as two different tasks that captured multiple putative measures of inhibitory control and motor-related performance. These task variants were also used to compare subjects' performance on alternative test batteries comprised of different task combinations. Subjects’ performance improved with experience, yet we found relatively little consistency in their performance, both within similar tasks using different paradigms and across different tasks. Parallel analysis revealed non-significant factors when all nine tasks were included in a principal axis factor analysis. However, when different combinations of six of the nine tasks were included in principal axis factoring, 14 of 84 combinations revealed significant main factors, explaining between 28 and 35% of the variance in task performance. While comparable findings have been suggested to reflect domain-general intelligence in other species, we found no evidence to suggest that a single factor encompassed a diverse range of cognitive abilities in pheasants. Instead, we reveal how single factor explanations of cognitive processes can be influenced by test battery composition and intra-individual variation in performance across tasks. Our findings highlight the importance of conducting multiple tests within specific domains to ensure robust cognitive measures are obtained.

scholarly journals In Search of the Executive Cognitive Processes Proposed by Process-Overlap Theory

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Gidon T. Frischkorn ◽  
Claudia C. von Bastian
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Fluid Intelligence ◽  
General Factor ◽  
Executive Processes ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Executive Processing ◽  
Intelligence Measures ◽  
Similar Domain

Process-Overlap Theory (POT) suggests that measures of cognitive abilities sample from sets of independent cognitive processes. These cognitive processes can be separated into domain-general executive processes, sampled by the majority of cognitive ability measures, and domain-specific processes, sampled only by measures within a certain domain. According to POT, fluid intelligence measures are related because different tests sample similar domain-general executive cognitive processes to some extent. Re-analyzing data from a study by De Simoni and von Bastian (2018), we assessed domain-general variance from executive processing tasks measuring inhibition, shifting, and efficiency of removal from working memory, as well as examined their relation to a domain-general factor extracted from fluid intelligence measures. The results showed that domain-general factors reflecting general processing speed were moderately and negatively correlated with the domain-general fluid intelligence factor (r = −.17–−.36). However, domain-general factors isolating variance specific to inhibition, shifting, and removal showed only small and inconsistent correlations with the domain-general fluid intelligence factor (r = .02–−.22). These findings suggest that (1) executive processing tasks sample only few domain-general executive processes also sampled by fluid intelligence measures, as well as (2) that domain-general speed of processing contributes more strongly to individual differences in fluid intelligence than do domain-general executive processes.

scholarly journals Measuring and understanding individual differences in cognition

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1756) ◽  
pp. 20170280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeltje J. Boogert ◽  
Joah R. Madden ◽  
Julie Morand-Ferron ◽  
Alex Thornton
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Individual Variation ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Repeated Testing ◽  
Cognitive Differences ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Behavioural Factors ◽  
Individual Consistency

Individuals vary in their cognitive performance. While this variation forms the foundation of the study of human psychometrics, its broader importance is only recently being recognized. Explicitly acknowledging this individual variation found in both humans and non-human animals provides a novel opportunity to understand the mechanisms, development and evolution of cognition. The papers in this special issue highlight the growing emphasis on individual cognitive differences from fields as diverse as neurobiology, experimental psychology and evolutionary biology. Here, we synthesize this body of work. We consider the distinct challenges in quantifying individual differences in cognition and provide concrete methodological recommendations. In particular, future studies would benefit from using multiple task variants to ensure they target specific, clearly defined cognitive traits and from conducting repeated testing to assess individual consistency. We then consider how neural, genetic, developmental and behavioural factors may generate individual differences in cognition. Finally, we discuss the potential fitness consequences of individual cognitive variation and place these into an evolutionary framework with testable hypotheses. We intend for this special issue to stimulate researchers to position individual variation at the centre of the cognitive sciences. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities’.

scholarly journals Effects of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene on Memory and Other Cognitive Abilities: Cognition in the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (31) ◽  
pp. 5144-5152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudine Legault ◽  
Pauline M. Maki ◽  
Susan M. Resnick ◽  
Laura Coker ◽  
Patricia Hogan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Postmenopausal Women ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Estrogen Receptor Modulators ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The One

Purpose To compare the effects of two selective estrogen receptor modulators, tamoxifen and raloxifene, on global and domain-specific cognitive function. Patients and Methods The National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project's Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) study was a randomized clinical trial of tamoxifen 20 mg/d or raloxifene 60 mg/d in healthy postmenopausal women at increased risk of breast cancer. The 1,498 women who were randomly assigned in STAR were age 65 years and older, were not diagnosed with dementia, and were enrolled onto the Cognition in the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (Co-STAR) trial, beginning 18 months after STAR enrollment started. A cognitive test battery modeled after the one used in the Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA) was administered. Technicians were centrally trained to administer the battery and recertified every 6 months. Analyses were conducted on all participants and on 273 women who completed the first cognitive battery before they started taking their medications. Results Overall, there were no significant differences in adjusted mean cognitive scores between the two treatment groups across visits. There were significant time effects across the three visits for some of the cognitive measures. Similar results were obtained for the subset of women with true baseline measures. Conclusion Tamoxifen and raloxifene are associated with similar patterns of cognitive function in postmenopausal women at increased risk of breast cancer. Future comparisons between these findings and patterns of cognitive function in hormone therapy and placebo groups in WHISCA should provide additional insights into the effects of tamoxifen and raloxifene on cognitive function in older women.

The LIVES Daily Hassles Scale and Its Relation to Life Satisfaction

Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112110478
Author(s):  
Shagini Udayar ◽  
Ieva Urbanaviciute ◽  
Davide Morselli ◽  
Grégoire Bollmann ◽  
Jérome Rossier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Principal Axis ◽  
Daily Hassles ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Panel Surveys ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Principal Axis Factor Analysis ◽  
German Speaking

Although daily hassles have been of interest since the 1980s, only a few tools have been developed to assess them. Most of them are checklists or open-ended questions that are demanding for participants in panel surveys. Therefore, to facilitate daily hassles integration into large surveys, the aim of this study was to present a new tool assessing daily hassles, the LIVES–Daily Hassles Scale (LIVES-DHS), and to examine its relation to life satisfaction, in a sample of 1,170 French- and German-speaking adults living in Switzerland. In a first random subsample, we conducted a principal axis factor analysis, and the results suggested a five-factor solution. Furthermore, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis on a second random subsample, and it supported the hierarchical factor structure of the scale. The LIVES-DHS consists of 18 items represented by five factors that describe five sources of daily hassles: financial, physical, relational, environmental, and professional. The bivariate correlations showed that the LIVES-DHS could differentiate the concept of daily hassles from associated concepts. Finally, the hierarchical regression showed that daily hassles negatively predicted life satisfaction and added a significant incremental variance beyond that accounted for by age, gender, household income, education level, and personality traits.

scholarly journals The prefrontal areas and cerebral hemispheres of the neotropical Cebus apella and their correlations with cognitive processes

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kellen Christina Malheiros Borges ◽  
Jussara Rocha Ferreira ◽  
Leonardo Ferreira Caixeta
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Relative Size ◽  
Cebus Apella ◽  
Alcoholic Solution ◽  
Cerebral Hemispheres ◽  
Neotropical Primates ◽  
Brain Areas ◽  
The Brain

Abstract The organization of the prefrontal cortex can hold important clues to understanding its functioning. The Cebus apella present cerebral particularities and behavioral and cognitive flexibility, possessing abilities that demonstrate an overlap with those of big primates. Objectives: To provide evidence of correlations between anatomical particularities of the brain areas analyzed and some cognitive abilities previously described in these simians. Methods: The relative size of the cerebral hemispheres and prefrontal areas (PFA) were measured using a Universal caliper, in 24 hemispheres of C. apella fixed with 10% formaldehyde and kept in 70% alcoholic solution. Results: Data gathered allowed the calculation of the approximate volume (cm3) of the areas under study: right antimere 35.2 cm3 (±5.3), left antimere 31.3 cm3 (±5.4) and of the left PFA 6.0 cm3 (±1.5) and right PFA 6.9 cm3 (±1.7). Conclusions: We concluded that the PFA represents about 20% of the cerebral volume of this primate. No significant differences were found in the antimeres in terms of volume and area of the hemispheres and likewise for the PFA. These animals have a proportionally bigger brain than that of other neotropical primates in the literature. This allows us to infer that the frontal lobe of C. apella is also larger; possibly related to its maturity and developed cognitive functions indicative of the culture transfers characteristic of this species.

scholarly journals How does cognition shape social relationships?

2018 ◽  
Vol 373 (1756) ◽  
pp. 20170293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia A. F. Wascher ◽  
Ipek G. Kulahci ◽  
Ellis J. G. Langley ◽  
Rachael C. Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Individual Variation ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
The Social ◽  
Evolutionary Consequences

The requirements of living in social groups, and forming and maintaining social relationships are hypothesized to be one of the major drivers behind the evolution of cognitive abilities. Most empirical studies investigating the relationships between sociality and cognition compare cognitive performance between species living in systems that differ in social complexity. In this review, we ask whether and how individuals benefit from cognitive skills in their social interactions. Cognitive abilities, such as perception, attention, learning, memory, and inhibitory control, aid in forming and maintaining social relationships. We investigate whether there is evidence that individual variation in these abilities influences individual variation in social relationships. We then consider the evolutionary consequences of the interaction between sociality and cognitive ability to address whether bi-directional relationships exist between the two, such that cognition can both shape and be shaped by social interactions and the social environment. In doing so, we suggest that social network analysis is emerging as a powerful tool that can be used to test for directional causal relationships between sociality and cognition. Overall, our review highlights the importance of investigating individual variation in cognition to understand how it shapes the patterns of social relationships. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities’.

The Hopelessness Scale: A Factor Analysis

2007 ◽  
Vol 100 (2) ◽  
pp. 375-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maurizio Pompili ◽  
Roberto Tatarelli ◽  
James R. Rogers ◽  
David Lester
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Principal Axis ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Beck Hopelessness Scale ◽  
Principal Axis Factor Analysis ◽  
Correlated Factors ◽  
Principal Axis Factor

A confirmatory factor analysis of the Beck Hopelessness Scale in a sample of 340 Italian students did not support the 3-factor model reported for previous samples of psychiatric patients. A follow-up principal axis factor analysis yielded two interpretable correlated factors, suggesting that the structure of the scale may differ across clinical and nonclinical groups and as a function of nationality.

Stability over Age and Sex of Children's Responses to Embedded Figures Test

1987 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 399-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert C. Hardy ◽  
John Eliot ◽  
Kenneth Burlingame
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Principal Axis ◽  
Relevant Factor ◽  
Embedded Figures Test ◽  
Stable Factor ◽  
Embedded Figures ◽  
Principal Axis Factor Analysis ◽  
Similar Factor ◽  
Age And Sex ◽  
Principal Axis Factor

240 children in Grades K to 4 were administered the entire Children's Embedded Figures Test to determine whether similar factor structures are obtained from samples of different sex and age as well as when the population is randomly split. Data were analyzed by principal axis factor analysis and relevant factor structures were compared using Veldman's 1967 program “Relate”. There was one stable factor which was consistent across sex and accounted for about 19% of the variance. Results were inconsistent across grades and indicated a possible lack of agreement of factor structures.

Differences in General Cognitive Abilities and Domain-Specific Skills of Higher- and Lower-Achieving Students in Stoichiometry

2014 ◽  
Vol 91 (7) ◽  
pp. 961-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ozcan Gulacar ◽  
Ingo Eilks ◽  
Charles R. Bowman
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Domain Specific
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document