On the Relationship between P3 Latency and Mental Ability as a Function of Increasing Demands in a Selective Attention Task.

Tugba Kapanci,Thomas H Rammsayer,Stefan J Troche,Sarah Merks

doi:10.3390/brainsci9020028

Abstract

The mental speed approach to individual differences in mental ability (MA) is based on the assumption of higher speed of information processing in individuals with higher than those with lower MA. Empirical support of this assumption has been inconsistent when speed was measured by means of the P3 latency in the event-related potential (ERP). The present study investigated the association between MA and P3 latency as a function of task demands on selective attention. For this purpose, 20 men and 90 women performed on a standard continuous performance test (CPT1 condition) as well as on two further task conditions with lower (CPT0) and higher demands (CPT2) on selective attention. MA and P3 latency negatively correlated in the standard CPT, and this negative relationship even increased systematically from the CPT1 to the CPT2 condition but was absent in the CPT0 condition. The present results indicate that task demands on selective attention are decisive to observe the expected shorter P3 latency in individuals with higher compared to those with lower MA.

Highlights

Individuals with higher compared to those with lower mental ability (MA) have been reported to have shorter reaction times (RTs) in a wide range of elementary cognitive tasks (ECTs) [1,2,3]
Omitted in the control condition (CPT0). This variation in task demands led to changes in P3 latency: The P3 latency was shorter in the CPT0 condition and longer in the CPT2 condition compared to the standard continuous performance test (CPT) condition
As indicated by regression analyses, the significant amount of variance in MA explained by P3 latency in the standard CPT condition was part of the variance explained by P3 latency in the attention-enhanced CPT2 condition

Summary

Introduction

Individuals with higher compared to those with lower mental ability (MA) have been reported to have shorter reaction times (RTs) in a wide range of elementary cognitive tasks (ECTs) [1,2,3]. ECTs are so easy that individuals with higher and lower MA do not differ in the number of errors or the use of cognitive strategies but only in speed of task completion. The most common explanation of the faster information processing in individuals with higher compared to those with lower MA refers to a more efficient information transmission in the central nervous system [4,5]. It should be noted that MA-related differences in mental speed can be observed in simple RT tasks but usually increase with increasing task demands [6,7,8]. Different aspects of stimulus processing have been demonstrated to be

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Discussion

Conclusion