Mental speed

Question 1

What are some problems with the Hick Paradigm?

Answer 1

• the role of strategies is a confounding variable e.g. ppl might look for the light before moving

Question 2

What is Hick’s law?

Answer 2

• Reaction time varies with the log 2 of the number of alternatives–> everybody gets slower as the no. of choices increase
• reaction time increases linearly with each bit of information

Question 3

What are the five possible measures of mental speed as measured by the Hick’s paradigm?

Answer 3

• overall mean of RT
• mean RT at each number of alternatives
• intercept of Hick function (simple RT)
• slope/gradent of Hick Function (choice RT)
• variability of RT from trial to trial

Question 4

What was the r/s between IT and IQ found in meta-analyses?

Answer 4

• Negative correlation, such that as IT decreases, IQ increases
• r=-.51
• no strategy use: r=-.77

Question 5

What is a lagged panel model?

Answer 5

• two constructs and we want to know if the causal model goes from b to a or a to b.
  e. g. inspection time causes intelligence or intelligence causes it
• we get a measure of both constructs at time 1 and measure of constructs at time 2
• logic is that for e.g. if the r/s between IT at time 1 and intelligence at time 2 is bigger than r/s between Intelligence at time 1 and IT at time 2, then you can assume causal relationships.

Question 6

Describe the lagged panel models that were used to test the likely causal direction underlying inspection time/intelligence association? What is the causal direction (and is it the same for Gf and Gc)?

Answer 6

• 108 school children were tested on: RPM, Mill Hill Vocabulary and Auditory Inspection Time (AIT)
• each were tested twice, 2 years apart
• this aimed to examine whether vocabulary causes AIT, or whether AIT causes vocabulary
• AIT was causal for vocabulary, and the same was found for RPM (i.e. Gf and Gc)
• that is, that AIT (mental speed) causes intelligence, rather than intelligence causing AIT.