Learning Objectives
- To recognize that the way we break cognition down into processes is a human invention: it is the product of how we operationalize and measure it.
- To distinguish between two “intelligence” tests: fluid and crystallized intelligence.
- To analyze the distinct features and cognitive demands of different intelligence tests.
- To understand the difference between tests of intelligence and the concept of intelligence.
Materials
- Printed or digitally distributed method vignettes.
- Whiteboards, markers, or another way for groups to record their ideas.
- Phones or computers if the activity is paired with online tests.
Overview
The goal of this activity is to understand that tests of a particular construct, such as intelligence or working memory, are never “pure” measures of it. They involve multiple underlying processes which are all being measured in some way. Recognizing what is involved in a test is important for interpreting results and being aware of limitations.
Procedure
Give each group one of the method vignettes below. Their task is to determine what they think is the main construct of interest, list the other processes that are also being measured, and decide which of those processes are related to the main construct.
- What do you think is the main construct of interest in the task?
- What other processes are also being measured?
- Which of those processes are related to the main construct?
Discussion prompts
Encourage students to be thorough, including processes which may initially seem very basic.
- How were sensing and perceiving abilities involved?
- What thought processes or cognitive abilities were involved?
- What sort of prior knowledge was involved?
- How were motor abilities involved? What actions were participants performing or withholding?
- Would some of these processes change how a person performs even if the construct of interest did not?
Method vignettes
Stroop Task
Student method vignette: Participants see colour words (for example, “RED” or “BLUE”) printed in coloured ink. Their task is to quickly say the ink colour, not the word. Sometimes the word and ink match, and sometimes they do not. Reaction times and errors are recorded.
Primary target
- Inhibitory control
- Selective attention
- Cognitive interference
Also measures
- Reading automaticity
- Speech production speed
- Visual processing speed
- Colour vision
- Motor coordination through the voice response
- Stress reactivity or frustration
Auditory N-Back Task
Student method vignette: Participants hear a sequence of spoken letters through headphones. They press a button whenever the current letter matches the one from N steps earlier; for example, a 2-back requires matching the letter from two items ago. Accuracy and reaction time are recorded.
Primary target
- Working memory updating
- Online maintenance of information
Also measures
- Auditory perception
- Speech-sound discrimination
- Sustained attention
- Motor reaction speed
- Timing precision
- Rule maintenance
- Fatigue
- Stress
- Strategy use such as chunking
- Decision thresholds
Memory Decay
Student method vignette: Participants memorize lists of made-up nonsense syllables, such as “ZIK” or “BOV.” After delays of minutes, hours, or days, they are asked how many they remember.
Primary target
- Rate of forgetting
- Memory decay over time
Also measures
- Attention during learning
- Rehearsal strategies
- Verbal encoding ability
- Fatigue
- Motivation
- Prior linguistic experience
Visual Search Task
Student method vignette: Participants search for a target object, such as a red X, among distractors such as blue Xs and red Os. The number of objects on screen changes. Reaction time to find the target is recorded.
Primary target
- Visual attention
- Feature versus conjunction processing
Also measures
- Visual acuity
- Processing speed
- Decision-making speed
- Eye-movement control
- Hand–eye coordination
- Strategy use
Delay of Gratification
Student method vignette: A child is offered one treat now or two treats if they wait alone in a room for several minutes, until the experimenter comes back. Whether they wait is recorded.
Primary target
- Self-control
- Delayed gratification
Also measures
- Trust in adults
- Understanding of instructions
- Time perception
- Emotion regulation
- Temperament
- Hunger state
- Cultural norms
Lexical Decision Task
Student method vignette: Participants see strings of letters on a screen and decide whether each is a real or fake word, such as “table” versus “flirp.” Reaction times and errors are recorded.
Primary target
- Word recognition
- Lexical access
Also measures
- Reading speed
- Vocabulary
- Visual processing
- Motor response speed
- Fatigue
- Strategy use
Signal Detection Task
Student method vignette: Participants hear faint tones mixed into background noise and decide whether a tone was present on each trial. Sometimes a tone is played and sometimes it is not. Their “yes” or “no” responses are recorded.
Primary target
- Perceptual sensitivity (d′)
- Decision criterion or bias
Also measures
- Auditory acuity
- Risk-taking tendency
- Confidence
- Attention
- Fatigue
- Understanding of probabilities
- Motor response speed
Debrief
- When designing and conducting an experiment, it is important to understand all of the processes involved in the task.
- Understanding this full picture is crucial for recognizing potential confounds and limitations, and for interpreting the findings.
- There is no single absolute measure for any one construct. Using multiple measures and examining what they share can sometimes offer a better approximation.