Does a fitness factor contribute to the association between intelligence and health outcomes? Evidence from medical abnormality counts among 3654 US Veterans

We suggest that an over-arching ‘fitness factor’ (an index of general genetic quality that predicts survival and reproductive success) partially explains the observed associations between health outcomes and intelligence. As a proof of concept, we tested this idea in a sample of 3654 US Vietnam veterans aged 31–49 who completed five cognitive tests (from which we extracted a g factor), a detailed medical examination, and self-reports concerning lifestyle health risks (such as smoking and drinking). As indices of physical health, we aggregated ‘abnormality counts’ of physician-assessed neurological, morphological, and physiological abnormalities in eight categories: cranial nerves, motor nerves, peripheral sensory nerves, reflexes, head, body, skin condition, and urine tests. Since each abnormality was rare, the abnormality counts showed highly skewed, Poisson-like distributions. The correlation matrix amongst these eight abnormality counts formed only a weak positive manifold and thus yielded only a weak common factor. However, Poisson regressions showed that intelligence was a significant positive predictor of six of the eight abnormality counts, even controlling for diverse lifestyle covariates (age, obesity, combat and toxin exposure owing to service in Vietnam, and use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs). These results give preliminary support for the notion of a superordinate fitness factor above intelligence and physical health, which could be further investigated with direct genetic assessments of mutation load across individuals.     

Beyond perception: Testing for implicit conceptual traces in high-load tasks

The present commentary addresses the main results obtained in the Butler and Klein [Butler, B. C., & Klein, R. (2009). Inattentional blindness for ignored words: Comparison of explicit and implicit memory tasks. Consciousness and Cognition, 18, 811–819.] study and discusses them in relation to the Perceptual Load Theory of Lavie [Lavie, N. (1995). Perceptual load as a necessary condition for selective attention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 21, 451–68.]. The authors claim that the use of implicit indexes of conceptual distractor processing in high-load situations would be an important addition to the load literature, which would benefit the research field regardless of their positive or negative findings.     

注意负荷对内隐序列学习的影响研究

运用次级任务研究范式,采用符号计数的次级任务和歧义序列中的次级条件序列,将内隐序列学习分为单任务组和双任务组,统一在单任务条件下测试。结果发现:(1)两组被试内隐学习成绩差异不显著;(2)双任务组被试在学习组块和测试组块的内隐学习差异也不显著。结果进一步支持了在次级任务占用注意资源的条件下内隐学习仍然可以正常地获得、内隐序列学习不受注意负荷影响的观点。     

从知觉负载理论来理解选择性注意

知觉负载理论被认为解决了选择性注意研究的早选择和晚选择观点之争。当前任务对注意资源的耗用程度决定了与任务无关的干扰刺激得到多少加工,从而导致在低知觉负载下,注意资源自动溢出去加工干扰刺激（晚选择）,而在高知觉负载下,注意资源被当前任务耗尽而无法加工干扰刺激（早选择）。知觉负载理论提出后,研究者进行了一系列研究。一部分工作专注于知觉负载对选择性注意的调节作用;另外一些工作则关注其他认知过程如何影响注意资源的分配,其中知觉负载与工作记忆负载的关系是当前关注重点。     

n-back任务下视觉工作记忆负荷研究

实验采用n-back范式,考察了视觉工作记忆负荷与反应时、辨别力和主观评价的关系,以及空间位置记忆负荷与图形记忆负荷的差异。结果发现,随着记忆负荷的增大,反应时延长,辨别力降低,主观负荷提高。视觉图形记忆任务的负荷水平高于视觉空间位置记忆任务的负荷水平;同时也为视觉图形记忆和视觉空间记忆具有不同的加工过程提供了证据。     

The effects of classification structure on organized free recall in children

A sorting presentation procedure was used to study the effects of three classification schemes (self-generated, thematic, or taxonomic) on the organized free recall of second and fifth graders. Recall and clustering were significantly higher for subjects who used self-generated organizations than for subjects given the experimenter-prescribed taxonomic classification. The results indicated that memory performance benefitted when the organization of stimulus materials was consonant with children's personal classification structures.     

大学生智能手机成瘾与抑制控制能力的关系:手机位置和认知负荷的调节作用

本研究以66名大学生为被试,采用Flanker效应和工作记忆的双任务设计来探讨手机位置、认知负荷在智能手机成瘾与抑制控制能力之间的调节作用。结果发现：（1）在低认知负荷下,无论是否智能手机成瘾,手机存在视线之外比手机在视线之内时抑制控制能力更差;（2）在高认知负荷下,智能手机成瘾与手机位置交互作用显著：当手机在视线之内时,智能手机成瘾者的抑制控制能力显著差于非成瘾者;而当手机在视线之外时,两者没有显著差异。结果表明,智能手机成瘾大学生的抑制控制能力不仅会受到手机位置的影响,还会受到任务本身所带来的认知负荷的调节。     

Tracing enhances problem-solving transfer,but without effects on intrinsic or extraneous cognitive load

People can make pointing gestures and tracing actions with the index finger with little or no conscious effort. From the perspective of cognitive load theory, such “biologically primary” gestures and actions might help people learn “biologically secondary” concepts and skills requiring extended cognitive effort, such as reading, science, or mathematics. Studies on tracing or tracing and pointing have yielded mixed findings regarding hypothesized effects on intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load. The present study investigated whether computer-based instructions to trace elements of worked examples on angle relationships would affect school students' (N = 106) self-reports of intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load, as well as problem-solving transfer test performance. The tracing effect on transfer posttests seen in prior studies was replicated, but cognitive load hypotheses were not supported. Implications for educational practice and future research are discussed.