The strong link between fluid intelligence and working memory cannot be explained away by strategy use

Abstract

In order to evaluate recent claims that individual differences in strategy use (i.e., using either constructive matching or response elimination to solve a gf problem) can explain away, or at least significantly weaken, the strong relationship between working memory capacity (WMC) and fluid intelligence (gf), in two large-sample studies we applied multiple measures of WMC, gf, and strategy use, and tested if the mediation of strategy use affected the WMC-gf relationship. We observed no significant drop in the WMC-gf link due to mediation, thus refuting the alleged role of strategy use in the involvement of working memory processes in fluid reasoning. Moreover, our results suggest that it is the significant correlation of both strategy use and cognitive style with WMC which is the driving force for their moderate correlation with gf.