IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/intell/v91y2022ics0160289622000101.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Attention control and process overlap theory: Searching for cognitive processes underpinning the positive manifold

Author

Listed:
  • Burgoyne, Alexander P.
  • Mashburn, Cody A.
  • Tsukahara, Jason S.
  • Engle, Randall W.

Abstract

Process overlap theory provides a contemporary explanation for the positive correlations observed among cognitive ability measures, a phenomenon which intelligence researchers refer to as the positive manifold. According to process overlap theory, cognitive tasks tap domain-general executive processes as well as domain-specific processes, and correlations between measures reflect the degree of overlap in the cognitive processes that are engaged when performing the tasks. In this article, we discuss points of agreement and disagreement between the executive attention framework and process overlap theory, with a focus on attention control: the domain-general ability to maintain focus on task-relevant information and disengage from irrelevant and no-longer relevant information. After describing the steps our lab has taken to improve the measurement of attention control, we review evidence suggesting that attention control can explain many of the positive correlations between broad cognitive abilities, such as fluid intelligence, working memory capacity, and sensory discrimination ability. Furthermore, when these latent variables are modeled under a higher-order g factor, attention control has the highest loading on g, indicating a strong relationship between attention control and domain-general cognitive ability. In closing, we reflect on the challenge of directly measuring cognitive processes and provide suggestions for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Burgoyne, Alexander P. & Mashburn, Cody A. & Tsukahara, Jason S. & Engle, Randall W., 2022. "Attention control and process overlap theory: Searching for cognitive processes underpinning the positive manifold," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:intell:v:91:y:2022:i:c:s0160289622000101
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2022.101629
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289622000101
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.intell.2022.101629?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Blum, Diego & Holling, Heinz, 2017. "Spearman's law of diminishing returns. A meta-analysis," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 60-66.
    2. Krieger, Florian & Zimmer, Hubert D. & Greiff, Samuel & Spinath, Frank M. & Becker, Nicolas, 2019. "Why are difficult figural matrices hard to solve? The role of selective encoding and working memory capacity," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 35-48.
    3. Edward K. Vogel & Andrew W. McCollough & Maro G. Machizawa, 2005. "Neural measures reveal individual differences in controlling access to working memory," Nature, Nature, vol. 438(7067), pages 500-503, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Bruner, Emiliano & Colom, Roberto, 2022. "Can a Neandertal meditate? An evolutionary view of attention as a core component of general intelligence," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Coyle, Thomas R., 2022. "Sex differences in spatial and mechanical tilt: Support for investment theories," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    2. Aki Kondo & Jun Saiki, 2012. "Feature-Specific Encoding Flexibility in Visual Working Memory," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 7(12), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Sumin Kim & Benson Teck Heng Lim & Bee Lan Oo, 2022. "Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions of Mandatory Green Certified Offices in Australia: Evidence and Lessons Learnt across 2011–2020," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-18, October.
    4. Coyle, Thomas R., 2022. "Processing speed mediates the development of tech tilt and academic tilt in adolescence," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    5. Jifan Zhou & Jun Yin & Tong Chen & Xiaowei Ding & Zaifeng Gao & Mowei Shen, 2011. "Visual Working Memory Capacity Does Not Modulate the Feature-Based Information Filtering in Visual Working Memory," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(9), pages 1-10, September.
    6. Woodley of Menie, Michael A. & Peñaherrera-Aguirre, Mateo & Sarraf, Matthew A., 2022. "Signs of a Flynn effect in rodents? Secular differentiation of the manifold of general cognitive ability in laboratory mice (Mus musculus) and Norwegian rats (Rattus norvegicus) over a century—Results," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    7. Egeland, Jonathan, 2022. "The ups and downs of intelligence: The co-occurrence model and its associated research program," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    8. Wai, Jonathan & Lakin, Joni M. & Kell, Harrison J., 2022. "Specific cognitive aptitudes and gifted samples," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    9. Krieger, Florian & Zimmer, Hubert D. & Greiff, Samuel & Spinath, Frank M. & Becker, Nicolas, 2019. "Why are difficult figural matrices hard to solve? The role of selective encoding and working memory capacity," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 35-48.
    10. Jonathan T Mall & Candice C Morey, 2013. "High Working Memory Capacity Predicts Less Retrieval Induced Forgetting," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(1), pages 1-7, January.
    11. Koch, Marco & Becker, Nicolas & Spinath, Frank M. & Greiff, Samuel, 2021. "Assessing intelligence without intelligence tests. Future perspectives," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    12. Mohammad Zia Ul Haq Katshu & Giovanni d'Avossa, 2014. "Fine-Grained, Local Maps and Coarse, Global Representations Support Human Spatial Working Memory," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(9), pages 1-13, September.
    13. Kolachev, Nikita & Kovaleva, Galina, 2023. "General intelligence in middle school students from different Russian regions: Results of PISA-like tests," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    14. Coyle, Thomas R., 2023. "Sex differences in tech tilt and academic tilt in adolescence: Processing speed mediates age-tilt relations," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 100(C).
    15. Feraco, Tommaso & Cona, Giorgia, 2022. "Differentiation of general and specific abilities in intelligence. A bifactor study of age and gender differentiation in 8- to 19-year-olds," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:intell:v:91:y:2022:i:c:s0160289622000101. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/intelligence .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.