Lower Fluid Intelligence Research Articles

Polygenic scores stratify neurodevelopmental copy number variant carrier cognitive outcomes in the UK Biobank

Rare copy-number variants associated with neurodevelopmental conditions (ND-CNVs) exhibit variable expressivity of clinical, physical, behavioural outcomes. Findings from clinically ascertained cohorts suggest this variability may be partly due to additional genetic variation. Here, we assessed the impact of polygenic scores (PGS) and rare variants on ND-CNV carrier fluid intelligence (FI) scores in the UK Biobank. Greater PGS for cognition (PSCog) and educational attainment (PSEA) is associated with increased FI scores in all ND-CNVs (n = 1317), 15q11.2 del. (n = 543), and 16p13.11 dup. carriers (n = 275). No association of rare variants associated with intellectual disability, autism, or putatively loss-of-function, brain-expressed genes was found. Positive predictive values in the first deciles of PScog and PSEA showed a two- to five-fold increase in the rate of low FI scores compared to baseline rates. These findings demonstrate that PGS can stratify ND-CNV carrier cognitive outcomes in a population-based cohort.

Train driver selection: The impact of cognitive ability on train driving performance

AbstractTrain driving is a demanding form of human performance where inattention or distraction can lead to serious errors and accidents. Train drivers, therefore, require a unique set of abilities to deal with these demands, especially when exposed to competing or conflicting performance expectations (e.g., on‐time performance and following safety rules). Cognitive abilities, in particular, are considered essential to safe and effective train driving. Selective attention is one such ability, however, other cognitive abilities can be equally important. Drawing on self‐control theory, this article examines the combined effect of selective attention, fluid intelligence, and verbal reasoning on train driving performance. The results of a study involving 101 experienced train drivers indicates that drivers with low selective attention, low fluid intelligence, and low verbal reasoning perform worse on a train simulator driving assessment than drivers who are higher in these cognitive abilities. The results from this study provide direction for future rail safety research and guidance for practitioners responsible for assessing and selecting train drivers.

Scoring Card for Characteristics of Mother, Child, and Environtment in Early Stunting Detection Efforts

Stunted children at an early age have lower fluid intelligence. 48.6% of children aged 7-8 years have less cognitive ability. This study uses a case-control research design. The sample in this study included 113 case groups and 113 control groups. The independent variables in this study were maternal anemia, Choric Energy Deficiency (CED) in pregnant women, pregnancy complications, maternal infection history, smoking habits, mother's height, age at pregnancy, mother's education, birth weight, birth length, gender of the baby, history of diarrheal infection, ARI, gestational age during pregnancy, birth gap, exclusive breastfeeding, weaning food, helminthiasis, child immunization, clean water, and family income. The dependent variable in this study is the incidence of stunting in children under five. The results showed that the variables related to stunting were maternal anemia, CED in pregnant women, mother's height, age at pregnancy, mother's education, birth weight, birth length, baby's gender, history of diarrheal infection, ARI, helminthiasis, and income. The analysis using the ROC obtained a confidence value of 8.5, which means very good, and the cut-off point that can be used in determining the risk of stunting is 8.5. It is necessary to socialize the use of stunting scoring cards to carry out early detection of toddlers to find out whether there is a risk of stunting so health workers can carry out proper assistance to apply the prevention efforts.

Neural Contributions to Reduced Fluid Intelligence across the Adult Lifespan.

Fluid intelligence, the ability to solve novel, complex problems, declines steeply during healthy human aging. Using fMRI, fluid intelligence has been repeatedly associated with activation of a frontoparietal brain network, and impairment following focal damage to these regions suggests that fluid intelligence depends on their integrity. It is therefore possible that age-related functional differences in frontoparietal activity contribute to the reduction in fluid intelligence. This paper reports on analysis of the Cambridge Center for Ageing and Neuroscience data, a large, population-based cohort of healthy males and females across the adult lifespan. The data support a model in which age-related differences in fluid intelligence are partially mediated by the responsiveness of frontoparietal regions to novel problem-solving. We first replicate a prior finding of such mediation using an independent sample. We then precisely localize the mediating brain regions, and show that mediation is specifically associated with voxels most activated by cognitive demand, but not with voxels suppressed by cognitive demand. We quantify the robustness of this result to potential unmodeled confounders, and estimate the causal direction of the effects. Finally, exploratory analyses suggest that neural mediation of age-related differences in fluid intelligence is moderated by the variety of regular physical activities, more reliably than by their frequency or duration. An additional moderating role of the variety of nonphysical activities emerged when controlling for head motion. A better understanding of the mechanisms that link healthy aging with lower fluid intelligence may suggest strategies for mitigating such decline.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Global populations are living longer, driving urgency to understand age-related cognitive declines. Fluid intelligence is of prime importance because it reflects performance across many domains, and declines especially steeply during healthy aging. Despite consensus that fluid intelligence is associated with particular frontoparietal brain regions, little research has investigated suggestions that under-responsiveness of these regions mediates age-related decline. We replicate a recent demonstration of such mediation, showing specific association with brain regions most activated by cognitive demand, and robustness to moderate confounding by unmodeled variables. By showing that this mediation model is moderated by the variety of regular physical activities, more reliably than by their frequency or duration, we identify a potential modifiable lifestyle factor that may help promote successful aging.

Cognitive segmentation and fluid reasoning in childhood.

The ability to solve novel complex problems predicts success in a wide range of areas. Recent research suggests that the ability to cognitively segment complex problems into smaller parts constrains nonverbal reasoning in adults. This study aimed to test whether cognitively segmenting problems improves nonverbal reasoning performance for children as it does for adults. A total of 115 children aged 6-10 years completed two versions of a modified traditional matrix reasoning task in which demands on working memory, integration, and processing speed were minimised, such that the only significant requirement was to break each problem into its constituent parts. In one version of the task, participants were presented with a traditional 2×2 Matrix and asked to draw the missing matrix item into a response box below. In a second version, the problem was broken down into its component features across three separate cells, reducing the need for participants to segment the problem. As with adults, performance was better in the condition in which the problems were separated into component parts. Children with lower fluid intelligence did not benefit more in the separated condition than children with higher fluid intelligence, and there was no evidence that segmenting problems was more beneficial for younger than older children. This study demonstrates that cognitive segmentation is a critical component of complex problem-solving for children, as it is for adults. By forcing children to focus their attention on separate parts of a complex visual problem, their performance can be dramatically improved.

Associations between moderate alcohol consumption, brain iron, and cognition in UK Biobank participants: Observational and mendelian randomization analyses.

Brain iron deposition has been linked to several neurodegenerative conditions and reported in alcohol dependence. Whether iron accumulation occurs in moderate drinkers is unknown. Our objectives were to investigate evidence in support of causal relationships between alcohol consumption and brain iron levels and to examine whether higher brain iron represents a potential pathway to alcohol-related cognitive deficits. Observational associations between brain iron markers and alcohol consumption (n = 20,729 UK Biobank participants) were compared with associations with genetically predicted alcohol intake and alcohol use disorder from 2-sample mendelian randomization (MR). Alcohol intake was self-reported via a touchscreen questionnaire at baseline (2006 to 2010). Participants with complete data were included. Multiorgan susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (9.60 ± 1.10 years after baseline) was used to ascertain iron content of each brain region (quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and T2*) and liver tissues (T2*), a marker of systemic iron. Main outcomes were susceptibility (χ) and T2*, measures used as indices of iron deposition. Brain regions of interest included putamen, caudate, hippocampi, thalami, and substantia nigra. Potential pathways to alcohol-related iron brain accumulation through elevated systemic iron stores (liver) were explored in causal mediation analysis. Cognition was assessed at the scan and in online follow-up (5.82 ± 0.86 years after baseline). Executive function was assessed with the trail-making test, fluid intelligence with puzzle tasks, and reaction time by a task based on the "Snap" card game. Mean age was 54.8 ± 7.4 years and 48.6% were female. Weekly alcohol consumption was 17.7 ± 15.9 units and never drinkers comprised 2.7% of the sample. Alcohol consumption was associated with markers of higher iron (χ) in putamen (β = 0.08 standard deviation (SD) [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06 to 0.09], p < 0.001), caudate (β = 0.05 [0.04 to 0.07], p < 0.001), and substantia nigra (β = 0.03 [0.02 to 0.05], p < 0.001) and lower iron in the thalami (β = -0.06 [-0.07 to -0.04], p < 0.001). Quintile-based analyses found these associations in those consuming >7 units (56 g) alcohol weekly. MR analyses provided weak evidence these relationships are causal. Genetically predicted alcoholic drinks weekly positively associated with putamen and hippocampus susceptibility; however, these associations did not survive multiple testing corrections. Weak evidence for a causal relationship between genetically predicted alcohol use disorder and higher putamen susceptibility was observed; however, this was not robust to multiple comparisons correction. Genetically predicted alcohol use disorder was associated with serum iron and transferrin saturation. Elevated liver iron was observed at just >11 units (88 g) alcohol weekly c.f. <7 units (56 g). Systemic iron levels partially mediated associations of alcohol intake with brain iron. Markers of higher basal ganglia iron associated with slower executive function, lower fluid intelligence, and slower reaction times. The main limitations of the study include that χ and T2* can reflect changes in myelin as well as iron, alcohol use was self-reported, and MR estimates can be influenced by genetic pleiotropy. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the largest investigation of moderate alcohol consumption and iron homeostasis to date. Alcohol consumption above 7 units weekly associated with higher brain iron. Iron accumulation represents a potential mechanism for alcohol-related cognitive decline.

The role of fluid intelligence in creativity: The case of bio-inspired design

Improving creativity by learning bio-inspired design (BID) requires fluid intelligence to deeper comprehend biological phenomena. Biological phenomena abstraction is a primary part of BID to comprehend structures and principles of the phenomena. However, direct research on the role of fluid intelligence in the understanding stage in BID processes is relatively scarce. We observed forty-one design students’ pictorial and textual representations of the abstract structures and principles in a BID task. Participants’ fluid intelligence was assessed using Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices Plus (SPM+). At the same time, their biological phenomena abstraction in pictorial and textual representations were rated based on a five-point scale of form, behavior, and principle. Results showed that fluid intelligence had a limited effect on biological phenomena abstraction. Participants with low fluid intelligence had a disadvantage on biological phenomena abstraction while participants with medium and high fluid intelligence had equally good performance. The results suggested that medium fluid intelligence was the minimal requirement of biological phenomena abstraction for male participants. We argue that future work should consider multiple intelligence in biological phenomena abstraction of BID.

Causal effects of circulating cytokine concentrations on risk of Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive function

BackgroundThere is considerable evidence suggesting a role of neuroinflammation in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. Establishing causality is challenging due to bias from reverse causation and residual confounding. MethodsWe used two-sample MR to explore causal effects of circulating cytokine concentrations on Alzheimer’s disease risk and cognitive function. We employed genetic variants from the largest publicly available genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of cytokine concentrations (N = 8,293), Alzheimer’s disease (71,880 cases/383,378 controls), prospective memory (N = 152,605 to 462,302), reaction time (N = 454,157 to 459,523) and fluid intelligence (N = 149,051). ResultsEvidence suggest that 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in levels of CTACK (CCL27) (OR = 1.09 95%CI: 1.01 to 1.19, p = 0.03) increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease. There was weak evidence of a causal effect of MIP-1b (CCL4) (OR = 1.04 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.09, p = 0.08), Eotaxin (OR = 1.08 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.17, p = 0.10), GROa (CXCL1) (OR = 1.04 95% CI: 0.99 to 1.10, p = 0.15), MIG (CXCL9) (OR = 1.17 95% CI: 0.97 to 1.41, p = 0.10), IL-8 (Wald ratio: OR = 1.21 95% CI: 0.97 to 1.51, p = 0.09) and IL-2 (Wald Ratio: OR = 1.21 95% CI: 0.94 to 1.56, p = 0.14) on Alzheimer’s disease risk. A 1 SD increase in concentration of Eotaxin (IVW: OR = 1.05 95% CI: 0.98 to 1.13, p = 0.14), IL-8 (OR = 1.21 95% CI: 1.07 to 1.37, p = 0.003) and MCP1 (OR = 1.07 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.13, p = 0.003) were associated with lower fluid intelligence, and IL-4 (OR = 0.86 95%CI: 0.79 to 0.98, p = 0.02) with higher. ConclusionsOur findings suggest a causal role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease and fluid intelligence.

Spatio-Temporal Brain Dynamic Differences in Fluid Intelligence.

Human fluid intelligence is closely linked to the sequential solving of complex problems. It has been associated with a distributed cognitive control or multiple-demand (MD) network, comprising regions of lateral frontal, insular, dorsomedial frontal, and parietal cortex. Previous neuroimaging research suggests that the MD network may orchestrate the allocation of attentional resources to individual parts of a complex task: in a complex target detection task with multiple independent rules, applied one at a time, reduced response to rule-critical events across the MD network in lower fluid intelligence was observed. This was in particular the case with increasing task complexity (i.e., larger sets of rules), and was accompanied by impairment in performance. Here, we examined the early spatiotemporal neural dynamics of this process in electroencephalography (EEG) source analyses using a similar task paradigm. Levels of fluid intelligence specifically predicted early neural responses in a left inferiorparietal MD region around 200–300 ms post stimulus onset. Evoked source amplitudes in left parietal cortex within this early time window also correlated with behavioural performance measures. Like in previous research, we observed impaired performance in lower fluid intelligence with increasing number of task rules. This links fluid intelligence to a process of attentional focus on those parts of a task that are most critical for the current behaviour. Within the MD system, our time re-resolved measures suggest that the left parietal cortex specifically impacts on early processes of attentional focus on task critical features. This is novel evidence on the neurocognitive correlates of fluid intelligence suggesting that individual differences are critically linked to an early process of attentional focus on task-relevant information, which is supported by left parietal MD regions.

Prediagnostic Progressive Supranuclear Palsy – Insights from the UK Biobank

IntroductionPrediagnostic features of Parkinson's Disease are well described but prediagnostic Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is less understood. The diagnosis of PSP is delayed by an average of three years after symptom onset. Understanding the changes that occur in the prediagnostic period will aid earlier diagnosis, clarify the natural history, and may aid the design of early disease-modifying therapy trials. We set out to identify motor and cognitive markers of prediagnostic PSP, with Parkinson's disease as a comparator condition, in a large prospective cohort. MethodsBaseline UK Biobank data from 502,504 individuals were collected between 2006 and 2010. Subsequent PSP and Parkinson's disease cases were identified from primary and secondary care electronic health records' diagnostic coding data and death registry, with 5404 matched controls. Results176 PSP cases (time to diagnosis 7.8 ± 2.8 years) and 2526 Parkinson's disease cases (time to diagnosis 7.8 ± 2.9 years) were identified. At baseline, those later diagnosed with PSP had slower reaction times, weaker hand grip, lower fluid intelligence, prospective memory, self-rated health scores and digit recall than controls. Reaction times were correlated with time to diagnosis. The PSP group had higher mortality than both Parkinson's disease and control groups. ConclusionsMotor slowing, cognitive dysfunction, and postural instability are clinical diagnostic features of PSP that are typically symptomatic three years before diagnosis. Objective markers of these features were evident on average 7.8 years before diagnosis. Our findings suggest the existence of a long prediagnostic phase in PSP, with subtle changes in motor and cognitive function.

The Effects of Investigator’s Individual Factors on Investigative Decision Making: A Systemic Review

At the center of a criminal investigation is the ability of the lead investigator to identify all possible hypotheses, make sense of the information available and define appropriate investigative actions. These characteristics are usually dependent on what has been termed as investigative decision making, the process where an investigator analyzes the evidence and decides which actions to take. Previous research and reports have identified situational, organizational, and individual factors that may hinder or improve investigative decision-making. The present paper aims to identify which individual factors have been empirically tested concerning investigative decision making, and how they affect it. A systematic review was conducted, nine peer-reviewed papers were analyzed, and five factors were identified: Experience, Gender, Need for Cognitive Closure (NFC), Time-urgency, and Fluid Intelligence. Experience had mixed findings, suggesting that how officers developed expertise is more important than time on the job. Gender was only significantly related to investigative decision-making in a specific scenario. Low NFC, non-time-urgent individuals, and high fluid intelligence were related to effective investigative decision-making. Recommendations for the future academic development of the field, and how police forces can apply this knowledge are suggested.

Anxiety severity and cognitive function in primary care patients with anxiety disorder: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundDeficits in cognitive performance are reported in patients with anxiety disorders, but research is limited and inconsistent. We aimed to investigate cross-sectional associations between cognitive function, with focus on executive function, and anxiety severity in primary care patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders.Methods189 Swedish patients aged 18–65 years (31% men) with anxiety disorders diagnosed according to Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview were included. Severity of anxiety was assessed using Beck Anxiety Inventory self-assessment scale. Digit span, block design and matrix reasoning tests from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV, and the design fluency test from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System were used. Multivariable linear regression models were applied to investigate the relationship of anxiety severity and cognitive functioning. Comparisons were also performed to a normed non-clinical population, using the Wilcoxon signed rank test.ResultsMore severe anxiety was associated with lower digit span test scores (R2 = 0.109, B = -0.040, p = 0.018), but not with block design, matrix reasoning or design fluency tests scores, after adjustment for comorbid major depression in a multivariable model. When compared to a normed population, patients with anxiety performed significantly lower on the block design, digit span forward, digit span sequencing and matrix reasoning tests.ConclusionsSeverity of anxiety among patients with anxiety disorder was associated with executive functions related to working memory, independently of comorbid major depression, but not with lower fluid intelligence. A further understanding of the executive behavioral control in patients with anxiety could allow for more tailored treatment strategies including medication, therapy and interventions targeted to improve specific cognitive domains.

Multiscale motor activity regulation and cognitive performance in middle‐aged adults: A cross‐sectional study using baseline data of UK Biobank Cohort

AbstractBackgroundMotor activity fluctuations in healthy young humans display robust temporal correlations across a wide range of time scales. The multiscale correlations are altered in elderly adults, and their changes are associated with cognitive decline and risk for Alzheimer’s disease. We sought to examine whether the multiscale regulation is associated with cognitive performance in middle age using a population‐based cohort.MethodWe analyzed motor activity recordings that were collected from 97,284 non‐demented participants [aged 39‐70 (mean±SD: 56.1±7.8) years old; female: 54,776 (56.3%)] in the UK Biobank. The detrended fluctuation analysis was performed to quantify temporal correlations at time scales ≤90 min (α1) and ≥2 h (α2; up to 10 h) according to previous studies. Participants also completed four neurocognitive tests, and poorer cognitive performance was characterized by longer reaction time (RT; for information processing speed), more errors made in the pairs matching test (for visual episodic memory), lower fluid intelligence (FI) score (for reasoning), or making incorrect first choice during the prospective memory (PM) test. Linear regression models (or logistic regression for PM) were used to examine the associations of each cognitive outcome with α1 and, separately α2, adjusted for ethnicity, college, social‐economic status, mental and behavioral disorders, diseases of the nervous system, and number of treatments/medications. The 95% confidence intervals (CI) were derived non‐parametrically based on 1,000 bootstrapped samples with replacement.ResultBoth α1 and α2 showed normal distributions: α1=0.99±0.05 (SD) and α2=0.91±0.11. There was a positive association between α1 and FI with 1‐SD decrease of α1 corresponding to a decrease of 0.03 in FI (95% CI 0.01—0.05) that was about the effect of being 2 years older. α2 was negatively associated with RT and positively associated with FI; for 1‐SD decrease in α2, participants took ln(1 ms) longer during RT, and FI decreased by 0.04 (95% CI 0.02—0.06), both equivalent to being ∼2.5‐3 years older.ConclusionMultiscale motor activity regulation is linked to cognitive performance of specific domains in the middle‐aged population. Further studies are required to establish the relevance of these domain‐specific associations to incident dementia in later life and to understand their underlying neurobiology.

Relative and absolute wealth mobility since birth in relation to health and human capital in middle adulthood: An analysis of a Guatemalan birth cohort

BackgroundWealth mobility, as both relative (positional) and absolute (material) wealth acquisition, may counteract negative consequences of early life adversities on adult health. MethodsWe use longitudinal data (1967–2018) from the INCAP birth cohort, Guatemala (n = 1386). Using wealth as a measure of socio-economic position, we assess the association of life course relative mobility using latent class analysis and absolute material gains using conditional wealth measures. We estimate associations of wealth mobility with indicators of human capital, specifically height, weight status (BMI in kg/m2), psychological distress (WHO SRQ-20 score) and fluid intelligence (Ravens Progressive Matrices score; RPM) in middle adulthood. ResultsWe identified four latent classes of relative mobility – Stable Low (n = 498), Stable High (n = 223), Downwardly Mobile (n = 201) and Upwardly Mobile (n = 464). Attained schooling (years) was positively associated with membership in Upwardly Mobile (odds ratio; 1.50, 95%CI: 1.31, 1.71) vs Stable Low, and inversely with membership in Downwardly Mobile (0.65, 95%CI: 0.54, 0.79) vs Stable High. Being Upwardly Mobile (vs Stable Low) was positively associated with height (1.88 cm, 95%CI: 1.04, 2.72), relative weight (1.32 kg/m2, 95%CI: 0.57, 2.07), lower psychological distress (−0.82 units, 95%CI: 1.34, −0.29) and fluid intelligence (0.94 units, 95%CI: 0.28, 1.59). Being Downwardly Mobile (vs Stable High) was associated with lower fluid intelligence (−2.69 units, 95%CI: 3.69, −1.68), and higher psychological distress (1.15 units, 95%CI: 0.34, 1.95). Absolute wealth gains (z-scores) from early to middle adulthood were positively associated with relative weight (0.62 kg/m2, 95%CI: 0.28, 0.96), lower psychological distress (−0.37 units, 95%CI: 0.60, −0.14) and fluid intelligence (0.50 units, 95%CI: 0.21, 0.79). ConclusionsHigher attained schooling provided a pathway for upward relative mobility and higher absolute wealth gains as well as protection against downward relative mobility. Upward mobility was associated with lower psychological distress and higher fluid intelligence but also higher weight status.

Does emotion regulation compensate deficits in various executive functions in children's and adolescents' mathematical achievement?

Many children and adolescents experience negative emotions while learning mathematics and it is likely that children with a more adaptive way of regulating their emotions perform better in mathematics. This conclusion was indeed supported by recent research. A different line of research suggested that emotion regulation could compensate for low fluid intelligence in children's mathematical achievement indicating that a similar compensation effect may exist for other cognitive skills. Building on this research, the aims of the current study were to investigate whether a) emotion regulation is associated with mathematical achievement in children and adolescents and b) whether emotion regulation can buffer working memory (WM) capacities in the mathematical domain. In an additional set of exploratory analyses, we tested whether these interaction effects hold for other core components of executive functions (EFs) such as inhibition and cognitive flexibility. A large sample of 7- to 15-year-olds (N = 992) was tested using the Intelligence and Development Scales–2. We tested the hypotheses with multiple regression analyses with EFs as predictor variables, knowledge of emotion regulation strategies (emotion regulation) as moderator variable, and mathematical achievement as outcome variable. Results showed relations between children's and adolescents' emotion regulation and their mathematical achievement across mid-childhood to mid-adolescence. Furthermore, children's and adolescents' emotion regulation compensates low WM in participants' mathematical achievement, which was not found for inhibitory skills or cognitive flexibility. Our results highlight the dynamic relation between WM and emotional abilities in students' academic success.

Cognitive heterogeneity and complex belief elicitation.

The Stochastic Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (SBDM) mechanism is a theoretically elegant way of eliciting incentive-compatible beliefs under a variety of risk preferences. However, the mechanism is complex and there is concern that some participants may misunderstand its incentive properties. We use a two-part design to evaluate the relationship between participants’ probabilistic reasoning skills, task complexity, and belief elicitation. We first identify participants whose decision-making is consistent and inconsistent with probabilistic reasoning using a task in which non-Bayesian modes of decision-making lead to violations of stochastic dominance. We then elicit participants’ beliefs in both easy and hard decision problems. Relative to Introspection, there is less variation in belief errors between easy and hard problems in the SBDM mechanism. However, there is a greater difference in belief errors between consistent and inconsistent participants. These results suggest that while the SBDM mechanism encourages individuals to think more carefully about beliefs, it is more sensitive to heterogeneity in probabilistic reasoning. In a follow-up experiment, we also identify participants with high and low fluid intelligence with a Raven task, and high and low proclivities for cognitive effort using an extended Cognitive Reflection Test. Although performance on these tasks strongly predict errors in both the SBDM mechanism and Introspection, there is no significant interaction effect between the elicitation mechanism and either ability or effort. Our results suggest that mechanism complexity is an important consideration when using elicitation mechanisms, and that participants’ probabilistic reasoning is an important consideration when interpreting elicited beliefs.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s10683-021-09722-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Gambling-Specific Cognitions Are Not Associated With Either Abstract or Probabilistic Reasoning: A Dual Frequentist-Bayesian Analysis of Individuals With and Without Gambling Disorder.

BackgroundDistorted gambling-related cognitions are tightly related to gambling problems, and are one of the main targets of treatment for disordered gambling, but their etiology remains uncertain. Although folk wisdom and some theoretical approaches have linked them to lower domain-general reasoning abilities, evidence regarding that relationship remains unconvincing.MethodIn the present cross-sectional study, the relationship between probabilistic/abstract reasoning, as measured by the Berlin Numeracy Test (BNT), and the Matrices Test, respectively, and the five dimensions of the Gambling-Related Cognitions Scale (GRCS), was tested in a sample of 77 patients with gambling disorder and 58 individuals without gambling problems.Results and interpretationNeither BNT nor matrices scores were significantly related to gambling-related cognitions, according to frequentist (MANCOVA/ANCOVA) analyses, performed both considering and disregarding group (patients, non-patients) in the models. Correlation Bayesian analyses (bidirectional BF10) largely supported the null hypothesis, i.e., the absence of relationships between the measures of interest. This pattern or results reinforces the idea that distorted cognitions do not originate in a general lack of understanding of probability or low fluid intelligence, but probably result from motivated reasoning.

Intelligence trajectories in adolescents and adults with down syndrome: Cognitively stimulating leisure activities mitigate health and ADL problems.

This study examined: (a) crystallized/fluid intelligence trajectories of adolescents and adults with Down syndrome; and (b) the contribution of endogenous (health, activities of daily living-ADL) and exogenous (cognitively stimulating leisure activities) factors on adults' intelligence with age. Four cohorts (N=80) with Down syndrome participated: adolescents (ages 16-21) and adults (ages 30-45, 46-60 and 61+). All completed Vocabulary and Similarities (crystallized) and Block Design and Raven (fluid) intelligence tests (WAIS-IIIHEB , Wechsler, 2001). The 30-45 cohort significantly outperformed the 16-21 cohort. Except for Vocabulary, which remained stable, onset of decline was at 40-50. Age-related declining health and ADL correlated with participants' lower fluid intelligence, but cognitive leisure activities mitigated this influence. Intelligence development into adulthood supported the continuous trajectory and compensation age theory, rather than accelerated or stable trajectories. Not only endogenous factors but also exogenous factors determined intelligence levels in adults with Down syndrome, supporting cognitive activity theory.

Prospective associations between intelligence, working memory capacity, and intrusive memories of a traumatic film: Potential mediating effects of rumination and memory disorganization

Background and objectivesField research indicates that lower intelligence may predispose trauma-exposed individuals towards the development of re-experiencing symptoms. However, this assumption requires further testing in controlled prospective studies. In the current analog study, we tested whether lower fluid intelligence and lower working memory capacity (WMC) independently contribute to intrusion development. Moreover, we investigated potential mediating effects of trauma memory characteristics and trait rumination. Methods118 healthy participants completed tests measuring fluid intelligence and WMC. Two days later, they were exposed to a film clip depicting traumatic events (i.e., so-called trauma film). After exposure to the film, intrusions were assessed using a diary and an intrusion triggering task. ResultsOur analyses revealed a negative correlation between fluid intelligence and intrusions during the intrusion triggering task. WMC did not correlate with any intrusion measure. Moreover, planned analyses did not yield any mediation effects. LimitationsWe used the trauma film paradigm to examine analog posttraumatic stress symptoms. This approach limits the generalizability of our findings with regard to symptom development following real-life traumatic events. ConclusionsOur results show for the first time that higher fluid intelligence is associated with fewer intrusions of a trauma film. This association was evident for laboratory but not for ambulatory intrusions. By demonstrating this association using a prospective experimental design, our study importantly corroborates previous field research.

Scalable Bayesian matrix normal graphical models for brain functional networks.

Recently, there has been an explosive growth in graphical modeling approaches for estimating brain functional networks. In a detailed study, we show that surprisingly, standard graphical modeling approaches for fMRI data may not yield accurate estimates of the brain network due to the inability to suitably account for temporal correlations. We propose a novel Bayesian matrix normal graphical model that jointly models the temporal covariance and the brain network under a separable structure for the covariance to obtain improved estimates. The approach is implemented via an efficient optimization algorithm that computes the maximum-a-posteriori network estimates having desirable theoretical properties and which is scalable to high dimensions. The proposed method leads to substantial gains in network estimation accuracy compared to standard brain network modeling approaches as illustrated via extensive simulations. We apply the method to resting state fMRI data from the Human Connectome Project involving a large number of time scans and brain regions, to study the relationships between fluid intelligence and functional connectivity, where it is not computationally feasible to apply existing matrix normal graphical models. Our proposed approach led to the detection of differences in connectivity between high and low fluid intelligence groups, whereas these differences were less pronounced or absent using the graphicallasso.