Presented by: W. Joel Schneider
The question of general intelligence versus specific cognitive abilities is one of the oldest debates in psychology. In this session we present process overlap theory (POT), which explains correlations among different cognitive tests without proposing a general cognitive ability. Instead, POT focuses on limitations of working memory capacity, determined by processes involved in selective attention, sustained attention, mental flexibility, planning and the like. Limited processing capacity will affect performance in a number of areas, regardless of domain-specific abilities. According to POT, general intelligence is a summary of different but related abilities rather than the reflection of a single, unitary ability. This approach has consequence for applied cognitive testing. For if the theory of general intelligence is correct then the optimal level of evaluating performance on cognitive ability tests is a global score. In contrast, if POT is correct then the focus should be on specific abilities that can provide a cognitive profile of strengths and weaknesses.