A neural basis for general intelligence

Duncan, John; Seltz, R.J; Kolodny, Jonathan; Bor, Doğan; Herzog, Hans; Ahmed, Al Mahfoodh Ali Najah; Newell, Fiona N.; Emslie, Hazel

doi:10.1016/s0002-9394(00)00752-2

Cited by 63 publications

(70 citation statements)

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“…This is usually explained by the existence of a single cognitive function that is involved in a large number of tasks and determines a 'general intelligence' (Duncan et al 2000;Sternberg 2000;Deary et al 2010). Our results substantially differ from those on humans, but they align with the studies on other species that often failed to find clear evidence general intelligence (Boogert et al 2011;Thornton and Lukas 2012;Sewall et al 2013; but see Reader et al 2011 andShaw et al 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual guppies differ in quantity discrimination performance across antipredator and foraging contexts

Lucon‐Xiccato

Dadda

2016

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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The ability to discriminate between different quantities is useful to an animal since it allows adaptive decisions in several contexts. In humans, some individuals are generally better at solving different numerical and mathematical problems, but we currently ignore whether other species also show individual differences in quantitative abilities across different contexts. Aiming to investigate this possibility, we observed the performances of individual guppies (Poecilia reticulata) in an antipredator task that required the discrimination between shoals made of a different number of conspecifics (4 versus 6 fish) and, successively, in two foraging tasks that required the discrimination between different numbers of food items (4 versus 6 items) and food items with different sizes (0.67 ratio between the two surface areas). Overall, guppies achieved comparable performances in the discrimination of shoal size and food item size, but showed reduced accuracy in the discrimination between different numbers of food items. Performances of guppies were correlated between the discrimination of shoal size and food item size, suggesting the existence of individual differences in quantity discrimination abilities in different contexts in this species. Unexpectedly, this relationship was negative, and some guppies were better in the antipredator task, while others were better in the foraging task. Our results agree with the general trend of the literature on animals that suggests the existence of multiple cognitive functions whose activation are task specific, and also introduce the possibility that some of these functions are subject to constraints. Significance statementIn this work, we provided the first clear evidence of individual differences in the ability to solve quantity discriminations in a fish. Guppies were observed in three quantity discrimination tasks: recognising and joining the larger shoal of conspecifics among two options, a behaviour that confers protection from predators; selecting the larger number of food items between two sets; and selecting the food item with larger size. Guppies that were more accurate in the shoal size discrimination achieved lower scores in the food item size discrimination. Some individuals gain advantage from cognitive abilities that confer defence against predators, while other individuals from those abilities that improve foraging success.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual guppies differ in quantity discrimination performance across antipredator and foraging contexts

Lucon‐Xiccato

Dadda

2016

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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“…This might be considered as just a factor-analytic artefact, generated by the mathematical models used to abstract from the specifics of the test-data. But a recent study (Duncan, 2000) appears to provide a neuro-psychological location for a general processor. He took two tests, both of which had high 'g' loadings -one of verbal reasoning and the other a spatial test.…”

Section: The Cognitive Agendamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…His paper is far more complex than space allows here for its presentation, but it does provide an understanding of why work in a specific domain, undertaken in the right way, is the only likely way by which children's domain-general thinking can be affected. This would follow also from Duncan's (2000) paper: unless there are domain-specifics for the brain to abstract from or relate to, no improvement in executive control and monitoring of working memory can take place. But, while metacognition is undoubtedly a feature of general thinking ability, and was indeed fostered in the conduct of the TM lessons, it is not argued that it is the cause -in a transfer of training sense -of the improved cognition of the pupils.…”

Section: The Cognitive Agendamentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fostering Cognitive Development Through the Context of Mathematics: Results of the CAME Project

Shayer

Adhami

2007

Educ Stud Math

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The CAME 1 project was inaugurated in 1993 as an intervention delivered in the context of mathematics with the intention of accelerating the cognitive development of students in the first two years of secondary education. This paper reports substantial post-test and long-term National examination effects of the intervention, yet, by discussing the methodology used, questions the assumptions implicit in the original intention. It is now suggested that a better view is to regard CAME as a constructive criticism of normal instructional teaching, with implications for the role of mathematics teachers and university staff in future professional development.

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“…Prefrontal cortical (PFC) function, which plays an important role in individual cognitive abilities (Gevins and Smith 2000;Duncan et al 2000;Brennan and Arnsten 2008), is modulated by catecholamines (Brennan and Arnsten 2008). There is overwhelming evidence from twin studies for the existence of substantial genetic influences on individual differences within intelligence and cognitive abilities and several candidate genes have been associated with these traits (Goldberg and Weinberger 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gene–Gene Interaction Between COMT and MAOA Potentially Predicts the Intelligence of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Boys in China

et al. 2009

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The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene contains a functional polymorphism (Val158Met) affecting the activity of the enzyme, and the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene contains a VNTR polymorphism (MAOA-uVNTR) that affects the transcription of the gene. COMT and MAOA each contribute to the enzymatic degradation of dopamine and noradrenaline. Prefrontal cortical (PFC) function, which plays an important role in individual cognitive abilities, including intelligence, is modulated by dopamine. Since our previous association studies between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and these two functional polymorphisms consistently showed the low activity alleles were preferentially transmitted to inattentive ADHD boys, the goal of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the interaction between COMT Val158Met and MAOA-uVNTR may affect the intelligence in a clinical sample of Chinese male ADHD subjects (n = 264). We found that the COMT x MAOA interaction significantly predicted full scale (FSIQ) and performance (PIQ) IQ scores (P = 0.039, 0.011); the MAOA-uVNTR significantly predicted FSIQ, PIQ and verbal IQ (VIQ) (P = 0.009, 0.019, 0.038); COMT Val158Met independently had no effect on any of the IQ scores. Only the COMT x MAOA interaction for PIQ remained significant after a Bonferroni correction. Among all combined genotypes, the valval-3R genotype predicted higher intelligence, (average 106.7 +/- 1.6, 95% C.I. 103.7-109.8 for FSIQ), and the valval-4R predicted lower intelligence (average 98.0 +/- 2.3, 95% C.I. 93.5-102.6 for FSIQ). These results suggest that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between intelligence and dopaminergic activity in our sample. Our finding that gene-gene interaction between COMT and MAOA predicts the intelligence of ADHD boys in China is intriguing but requires replication in other samples.

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A neural basis for general intelligence

Cited by 63 publications

References 1 publication

Individual guppies differ in quantity discrimination performance across antipredator and foraging contexts

Individual guppies differ in quantity discrimination performance across antipredator and foraging contexts

Fostering Cognitive Development Through the Context of Mathematics: Results of the CAME Project

Gene–Gene Interaction Between COMT and MAOA Potentially Predicts the Intelligence of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Boys in China

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