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Journal ArticleDOI

Why g matters: The complexity of everyday life

01 Jan 1997-Intelligence (JAI)-Vol. 24, Iss: 1, pp 79-132
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide evidence that intelligence has pervasive utility in work settings because it is essentially the ability to deal with cognitive complexity, in particular, with complex information processing, and the more complex a work task, the greater the advantages that higher g confers in performing it well.
About: This article is published in Intelligence.The article was published on 1997-01-01 and is currently open access. It has received 1300 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Everyday life & Cognitive complexity.

Summary (1 min read)

Why g Matters: The Complexity of Everyday Life

  • This article provides evidence that g has pervasive utility in work settings because it is essentially the ability to deal with cognitive complexity, in particular, with complex information processing.
  • Few claims in the social sciences are backed by such massive evidence but remain so hotly contested in public discourse.
  • Besides demonstrating that g is important in practical affairs, I seek to demonstrate why intelligence has such surprisingly pervasive importance in the lives of individuals.
  • I then use both the employment and literacy data to sketch a portrait of life’s challenges and opportunities at different levels of intelligence.

WHAT DOES “IMPORTANT” MEAN?

  • The nature of the job and its context seem to determine whether g has any direct effect on task proficiency, net of job knowlege.
  • As is well known in psychometrics (see also Gordon, 1997), the fact that an individual passes or fails any single test item says little about that person’s general intelligence level.

INFLUENCE OF INTELLIGENCE ON OVERALL LIFE OUTCOMES

  • The effects of intelligence-like other psychological traits-are probabilistic, not deterministic.
  • White adults in this range marry, work, and have children (Hermstein & Murray, 1994), but, as Table 10 shows, they are nonetheless at great risk of living in poverty (30%), bearing children out of wedlock (32%), and becoming chronic welfare dependents (31%).
  • At this IQ level, fewer than half the high school graduates and none of the dropouts meet the military’s minimum AFQT enlistment standards.
  • Most occupations are within reach cognitively, because these individuals learn complex material fairly easily and independently.
  • Such as divorce, illness, and occasional unemployment, they rarely become trapped in poverty or social pathology.

THE FUTURE

  • Complexity enriches social and cultural life, but it also risks leaving some individuals behind.
  • Society has become more complex-and g loaded-as the authors have entered the information age and postindustrial economy.
  • Accordingly, organizations are “flatter” (have fewer hierarchical levels), and increasing numbers of jobs require high-level cognitive and interpersonal skills (Camevale, 1991; Cascio, 1995; Hunt, 1995; Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, 1991).
  • There is evidence that increasing proportions of individuals with below-average IQs are having trouble adapting to their increasingly complex modern life (Granat & Granat, 1978) and that social inequality along IQ lines is increasing (Herrnstein & Murray, 1994).
  • As the military experience also illustrates, however, what is good pedagogy for the low-aptitude learner may be inappropriate for the high-aptitude person.

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Citations
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01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the authors applied multiple regression analysis for reading comprehension in Malayalam learners and found that the three predictors of reading comprehension are morphological awareness, phonological awareness and non-verbal ability.
Abstract: In the context of observations that students lack mastery of elementary reading comprehension in Malayalam even by the end of 5-7 years of formal schooling, this study applies multiple regression analysis for reading comprehension. Longitudinal survey data from a representative sample of 159 lower primary students from grade 2 to 4 revealed Reading Comprehension as significantly and positively related to Morphological Awareness, Phonological awareness and Ravens non-verbal ability. The three predictors account for near 1/3 of the variation in reading comprehension in Malayalam of elementary school learners. Findings suggest enhancing phonological and morphological awareness in order to develop reading comprehension. © 2013 Guru Journal of Behavioral and Social Sciences Understanding meaning from the written text is crucial to effective reading. Meaningful reading is inevitable in education, and is indispensable for student and adult lives. Reading comprehension, a core component of language skills, is however an advanced and complicated skill. Comprehension allows the reader to interact with the text in a meaningful way. It is the bridge from passive reading to active reading i.e., from letters and words to characters and contexts. For younger children, reading comprehension is the foundation to future academic learning of all subjects. Reading with comprehension has its constructive effects on other aspects of language learning too. Enhanced vocabulary from meaningful reading makes children confident in speaking and writing. It helps learners in being proficient in making predictions, sequencing stories and in clarifying complex texts. Meaningful reading help learners to connect text with life experiences and prior knowledge, making them even better learners. Difficulties in reading with comprehension do significantly affect spoken language skills, causing difficulties in literacy, with associated spoken language deficits (Mayers & Bottin, 2008).

11 citations


Cites background from "Why g matters: The complexity of ev..."

  • ...Intelligence is the best-documented predictor of achievement of literacy and other academic outcomes (Gottfredson, 1997; Hartigan & Wigdor, 1989)....

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The need for future research regarding the general population’s beliefs and attitudes toward CCT, along with knowledge translation for relevant stakeholders, is suggested.
Abstract: Introduction: In recent years, computerized cognitive training programs have been developed commercially for widespread public consumption. Despite early enthusiasm, whether these programs enhance cognitive abilities in healthy adults is a contentious area of investigation. Given the mixed findings in the literature, researchers are beginning to investigate how beliefs and attitudes towards cognitive training impact motivation, expectations, and gains after cognitive training. Method: We collected survey data from 497 North American participants from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). This survey asked novel questions regarding respondents’ beliefs about the effectiveness of cognitive training for improving different domains of cognition, mood, and daily life; beliefs about whether computerized cognitive training programs are supported by research; and whether impressions of cognitive training have improved or worsened over time. Results: Almost half of the surveyed participants had used computerized cognitive training, and respondents with a self-reported psychological or neurological disorder were more likely to have used cognitive training platforms than participants without such conditions. Motivations for using cognitive training included curiosity; to improve or maintain cognition; to prevent cognitive decline; and/or for enjoyment or fun. Participants believed that computerized cognitive training is somewhat effective for improving mood and cognition across a variety of domains. Greater age and fewer years of education predicted perceived effectiveness of computerized cognitive training. Finally, participants largely reported unchanged opinions of cognitive training platforms over time. Conclusions: Our study suggests the need for future research regarding the general population’s beliefs and attitudes towards computerized cognitive training, along with knowledge translation for relevant stakeholders.

10 citations


Cites background from "Why g matters: The complexity of ev..."

  • ...Healthy cognition is consistently associated with academic, social, and vocational success (Gottfredson, 1997)....

    [...]

Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 2019
TL;DR: The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV) as discussed by the authors was developed over a period of five years from initial research planning and blueprint to final publication, and significant changes were made to the content and structure of the WAIS-III compared to the previous edition.
Abstract: Standardized intellectual assessment has been a part of Western culture for over 100 hundred years. The first Wechsler scale designed to assess adult intellectual ability was published nearly 80 years ago. Throughout the 20th and early 21st century, the Wechsler scales have been updated and revised to meet the needs of current users and examinees. These revisions incorporate the cumulative knowledge gained from ongoing cognitive and neuropsychological research, changes in theoretical models of intellectual ability, and advances in statistical and psychometric procedures. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—fourth edition is the most current edition of the adult scale. The WAIS-IV was developed over a period of 5 years from initial research planning and blueprint to final publication. Significant changes were made to the content and structure of the WAIS-IV compared to the previous edition. The WAIS-IV provides an updated index structure consistent with factor analytic research. New subtests were developed to reduce the impact of nonconstruct related variance. Subtest content and scoring was updated to reflect the global use of the test and for consistency with culture changes. The new structure, subtests, and content were standardized on a large, representative population of the United States and validated on a number of important clinical samples. The WAIS-IV companion tools including the Wechsler Memory Scale—fourth edition and the Advanced Clinical Solutions for the WAIS-IV/WMS-IV are described in this chapter.

10 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The ten-year edition of the 10th anniversary edition as mentioned in this paper is devoted to the theory of multiple intelligences and its application in the socialization of human intelligence through Symbols Implications And Applications.
Abstract: * Introduction to the Tenth Anniversary Edition Background * The Idea of Multiple Intelligences * Intelligence: Earlier Views * Biological Foundations of Intelligence * What Is an Intelligence? The Theory * Linguistic Intelligence * Musical Intelligence * Logical-Mathematical Intelligence * Spatial Intelligence * Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence * The Personal Intelligences * A Critique of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences * The Socialization of Human Intelligences through Symbols Implications And Applications * The Education of Intelligences * The Application of Intelligences

11,512 citations

Book
01 Jan 1983
TL;DR: The Tenth Anniversary Edition of Intelligence explains the development of intelligence in the 21st Century through the applications of language, linguistics, mathematics, and more.
Abstract: * Introduction to the Tenth Anniversary Edition Background * The Idea of Multiple Intelligences * Intelligence: Earlier Views * Biological Foundations of Intelligence * What Is an Intelligence? The Theory * Linguistic Intelligence * Musical Intelligence * Logical-Mathematical Intelligence * Spatial Intelligence * Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence * The Personal Intelligences * A Critique of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences * The Socialization of Human Intelligences through Symbols Implications And Applications * The Education of Intelligences * The Application of Intelligences

9,611 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the relation of the Big Five personality dimensions (extraversion, emotional stability, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience) to three job performance criteria (job proficiency, training proficiency, and personnel data) for five occupational groups (professionals, police, managers, sales, and skilled/semi-skilled).
Abstract: This study investigated the relation of the “Big Five” personality dimensions (Extraversion, Emotional Stability, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness to Experience) to three job performance criteria (job proficiency, training proficiency, and personnel data) for five occupational groups (professionals, police, managers, sales, and skilled/semi-skilled). Results indicated that one dimension of personality, Conscientiousness, showed consistent relations with all job performance criteria for all occupational groups. For the remaining personality dimensions, the estimated true score correlations varied by occupational group and criterion type. Extraversion was a valid predictor for two occupations involving social interaction, managers and sales (across criterion types). Also, both Openness to Experience and Extraversion were valid predictors of the training proficiency criterion (across occupations). Other personality dimensions were also found to be valid predictors for some occupations and some criterion types, but the magnitude of the estimated true score correlations was small (ρ < .10). Overall, the results illustrate the benefits of using the 5-factor model of personality to accumulate and communicate empirical findings. The findings have numerous implications for research and practice in personnel psychology, especially in the subfields of personnel selection, training and development, and performance appraisal.

8,018 citations

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TL;DR: An up-to-date handbook on conceptual and methodological issues relevant to the study of industrial and organizational behavior is presented in this paper, which covers substantive issues at both the individual and organizational level in both theoretical and practical terms.
Abstract: An up-to-date handbook on conceptual and methodological issues relevant to the study of industrial and organizational behavior. Chapters contributed by leading experts from the academic and business communities cover substantive issues at both the individual and organizational level, in both theoretical and practical terms.

7,809 citations

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TL;DR: Because of the extraordinary clarity and importance of the Commission's Report, the editors of the Communica t ions decided to reprint the Report's main section in its entirety and present it to you here.
Abstract: released a remarkab le report, A Nation at Risk. This Report has s t imulated in the media considerable discussion about the problems in our schools, speculation about the causes, and ass ignment of blame. Astonishingly, f e w of the media reports have focused on the specific f indings and recommendat ions of the Commission. A lmos t none of the med ia reports tells that the Commission i tsel f re frained f rom speculation on causes and f rom assignment of blame. Because of the extraordinary clarity and importance of the Commission's Report, the editors of the Communica t ions decided to reprint the Report's main section in its entirety. We are p leased to present it to you here.

5,832 citations