Neurocognition and academic achievement among bereaved children in the Generation R Cohort.

Childhood bereavement is an adverse event, yet children demonstrate considerable variability in health outcomes. Bereaved children are at risk of lower lifelong educational attainment, though the contribution of neurocognitive performance is yet to be investigated. Using data from the population-based Generation R Study wherein nearly 10,000 pregnant mothers were recruited between 2002 and 2006, we estimated the association of bereavement by age 10 years with four subtests of cognitive function and academic achievement at 13 years. Bereavement by 10 years of age was experienced by n = 796 (37.3%) of youth and was associated with a 1.12-point (SD = 0.55; p-value = 0.04) lower full-scale IQ at 13 years, which was mainly driven by lower matrix reasoning scores (ßadjusted = -0.27, SE = 0.11, p < 0.02). There were no differences in academic achievement or other subtests of neurocognitive function between bereaved and non-bereaved children. Secondary analyses adjusting for pre-bereavement nonverbal cognitive ability and mental health problems revealed an overall association between bereavement and subsequent full-scale IQ and matrix reasoning, but only among those youth whose caregivers reported that the loss had an emotional influence on the child. These novel findings leveraging prospective assessments in a population-based birth cohort highlight risk and resilience mechanisms warranting further research.

Kindness or Intelligence? Angry Men are Perceived as Less Intelligent by Their Female Romantic Partners.

We were interested in how people in a romantic relationship would perceive the intelligence of their partners who have high or low trait anger. Specifically, we referred to the tension between compassion (low anger) and competence (high intelligence) in mate choice. Some evolutionary theories suggest that mating might be considered a bargaining process between these two higher-order attributes. Our study involved 148 heterosexual couples in romantic relationships. We measured the relationship between relationship satisfaction, trait anger, objective intelligence, self-assessed intelligence, and subjectively assessed partners' intelligence. We found that angrier men were less satisfied in their romantic relationship than those men who were less angry, and their partners were also less satisfied in the relationship. Additionally, women perceived angrier men as less intelligent, an effect that remained after controlling for men's objective intelligence. Lastly, we found that women's perception of their partner's intelligence mediated the link between men's anger and relationship satisfaction for both sexes. Our findings suggest that both anger and intelligence play important roles in romantic relationship functioning, consistent with evolutionary theories that emphasize the value of competence (i.e., intelligence) and compassion (i.e., low anger) in romantic partners. Furthermore, our study highlights the importance of women's perception of their partner's intelligence in determining the quality of the relationship.

Executive functioning profiles and mathematical and reading achievement in Grades 2, 6, and 10.

Using a person-centered approach, we aimed to identify different executive functioning profiles to assess heterogeneity across individuals within the same school grade through latent profile analysis. A sample of 150 Grade 2 (7-8 years old), 150 Grade 6 (11-12 years old), and 150 Grade 10 (15-16 years old) children and adolescents were assessed on 11 different executive tasks representative of the three main executive functioning subcomponents (i.e., inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory), fluid intelligence, processing speed, problem-solving, and reading comprehension. Three different executive functioning profiles of different patterns of interactions based on inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory within and between grades were identified. Moreover, these profiles were differentially related to reading comprehension and mathematical achievement. Second, as expected, we did not find these profiles to be associated with sociodemographic variables such as chronological age or sex. Still, fluid intelligence and processing speed were differentially related to the different profiles at each grade. We also found that the executive functioning profiles interacted with each cognitive skill (i.e., fluid intelligence and processing speed) in predicting reading comprehension and math achievement. These findings provide valuable insights for developing preventive and intervention strategies in education.

Genetic estimation of causalities between educational attainment with common digestive tract diseases and the mediating pathways.

BACKGROUND: The association between education, intelligence, and cognition with digestive tract diseases has been established. However, the specific contribution of each factor in the pathogenesis of these diseases are still uncertain. METHOD: This study employed multivariable Mendelian randomization (MR) to assess the independent effects of education, intelligence, and cognition on gastrointestinal conditions in the FinnGen and UK Biobank European-ancestry populations. A two-step MR approach was employed to assess the mediating effects of the association. RESULTS: Meta-analysis of MR estimates from FinnGen and UK Biobank showed that 1- SD (4.2 years) higher education was causally associated with lower risks of gastroesophageal reflux (OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.50, 0.66), peptic ulcer (OR: 0.57; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.69), irritable bowel syndrome (OR: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.56, 0.87), diverticular disease (OR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.61, 0.78), cholelithiasis (OR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.59, 0.79) and acute pancreatitis (OR: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.41, 0.72), independently of intelligence and cognition. These causal associations were mediating by body mass index (3.7-22.3%), waist-to-hip ratio (8.3-11.9%), body fat percentage (4.1-39.8%), fasting insulin (1.4-5.5%) and major depression (6.0-12.4%). CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate a causal and independent association between education and six common digestive tract diseases. Additionally, our study highlights five mediators as crucial targets for preventing digestive tract diseases associated with lower education levels.

The Impact of Exposure to Iodine and Fluorine in Drinking Water on Thyroid Health and Intelligence in School-Age Children: A Cross-Sectional Investigation.

Iodine and fluorine, as halogen elements, are often coexisting in water environments, with nearly 200 million people suffering from fluorosis globally, and, in 11 countries and territories, adolescents have iodine intakes higher than that required for the prevention of iodine deficiency disorders. It has been suggested that excess iodine and/or fluorine can affect thyroid health and intellectual development, especially in children, but their combined effect has been less studied in this population. This study investigated 399 school-age children in Tianjin, China, collected drinking water samples from areas where the school-age children lived, and grouped the respondents according to iodine and fluorine levels. Thyroid health was measured using thyroid hormone levels, thyroid volume, and the presence of thyroid nodules; intelligence quotient (IQ) was assessed using the Raven's Progressive Matrices (CRT) test; and monoamine neurotransmitter levels were used to explore the potential relationship between thyroid health and intelligence. Multiple linear regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses showed that iodine and fluorine were positively correlated with thyroid volume and the incidence of thyroid nodules in school-age children, and negatively correlated with IQ; similar results were obtained in the secondary subgroups based on urinary iodine and urinary fluoride levels. Interaction analyses revealed a synergistic effect of iodine and fluorine. A pathway analysis showed that iodine and fluorine were negatively associated with the secretion of free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free tetraiodothyronine (FT4), which in turn were negatively associated with the secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Iodine and fluorine may affect IQ in school-aged children through the above pathways that affect thyroid hormone secretion; of these, FT3 and TSH were negatively correlated with IQ, whereas FT4 was positively correlated with IQ. The relationship between thyroid hormones and monoamine neurotransmitters may involve the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, with FT4 hormone concentrations positively correlating with dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HT) concentrations, and FT3 hormone concentrations positively correlating with DA concentrations. Monoamine neurotransmitters may play a mediating role in the effects of iodine and fluoride on intelligence in schoolchildren. However, this study has some limitations, as the data were derived from a cross-sectional study in Tianjin, China, and no attention was paid to the reciprocal effects of iodine and fluorine at different doses on thyroid health and intelligence in schoolchildren in other regions.

Cognitive outcomes after fetal exposure to carbamazepine, lamotrigine, valproate or levetiracetam monotherapy: Data from the EURAP neurocognitive extension protocol.

PURPOSE: Prenatal exposure to antiseizure medications (ASMs) has been associated with an increased risk of major malformations and neurodevelopmental disorders, with the latter being mainly associated with valproate (VPA). Our aim was to compare neurocognitive outcome at age 6-7 years in children exposed prenatally to lamotrigine (LTG), carbamazepine (CBZ), valproate (VPA) or levetiracetam (LEV) monotherapy. METHODS: Eligible mother-child pairs were identified from the observational prospective multinational EURAP cohort study. Assessor-blinded testing was conducted at age 6-7 years using WISC-III and NEPSY-II. Verbal IQ (VIQ), performance IQ (PIQ), full scale IQ (FSIQ) and performance in neuropsychological tasks were compared across ASM groups by ANOVA. Scores were adjusted for maternal IQ, paternal education, maternal epilepsy type and child sex. RESULTS: Of 169 children enrolled in the study, 162 (LTG n = 80, CBZ n = 37, VPA n = 27, LEV n = 18) had sufficient data from WISC-III, NEPSY-II or both, and were included in the analyses. Observed (unadjusted) PIQ and FSIQ did not differ across exposure groups, but a difference was identified for VIQ (P<0.05), with children exposed to VPA having lower scores than children exposed to LEV (P<0.05) and children from all groups combined (P<0.01). Adjusted VIQ, PIQ and FSIQ scores did not differ significantly across groups, but VPA-exposed children had borderline significantly lower adjusted VIQ scores than children from all groups combined (P=0.051). VPA-exposed children had lower scores in comprehension of instructions before and after adjustment for confounding variables than children exposed to LTG (P<0.001), LEV (P<0.01) or children from all groups combined (p < 0.001). The VPA-exposed group also had lower scores in immediate and delayed memory for faces compared to children exposed to CBZ (P<0.05 and P<0.001, respectively) and LTG (P<0.05 and P<0.02, respectively), and children from all groups combined (P<0.02 and P<0.001, respectively). LEV-exposed children had lower scores in delayed memory for names than children exposed to LTG (P<0.001), CBZ (P<0.001), VPA (P<0.05) and children from all groups combined (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with previous reports, our results provide evidence for an adverse effect of prenatal exposure to valproate on verbal development. Our finding of relatively weaker performance of VPA-exposed children compared to other ASM exposures in both comprehension of instructions and face memory also suggest that children of mothers treated with VPA are at increased risk for compromised memory functions or altered processing of socially relevant information.

What makes working memory work? A multifaceted account of the predictive power of working memory capacity.

Working memory capacity (WMC) has received a great deal of attention in cognitive psychology partly because WMC correlates broadly with other abilities (e.g., reading comprehension, second-language proficiency, fluid intelligence) and thus seems to be a critical aspect of cognitive ability. However, it is still rigorously debated why such correlations occur. Some theories posit a single ability (e.g., attention control, short-term memory capacity, controlled memory search) as the primary reason behind WMC's predictiveness, whereas others argue that WMC is predictive because it taps into multiple abilities. Here, we tested these single- and multifaceted accounts of WMC with a large-scale (N = 974) individual-differences investigation of WMC and three hypothesized mediators: attention control, primary memory, and secondary memory. We found evidence for a multifaceted account, such that no single ability could fully mediate the relation between WMC and higher order cognition (i.e., reading comprehension and fluid intelligence). Further, such an effect held regardless of whether WMC was measured via complex span or n-back. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

[A comparative study on personality characteristics in individuals with borderline intellectual functioning]. / Een vergelijkend onderzoek naar persoonlijkheidskenmerken bij zwakbegaafdheid.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have been conducted on personality traits and psychopathology in females and males with borderline intellectual functioning. AIM: Examining gender differences in psychopathology and behavioral characteristics in patients with borderline intellectual functioning, and patients with average intellectual functioning. METHOD: The MMPI-2-RF was administered to 116 patients with borderline intellectual functioning and psychopathology. Average raw scores on the Restructured Clinical Scales (RC-scales) of female and male patients with borderline intellectual functioning were compared to those of a matched group from the general population, and a matched group with patients with mental disorders and average intelligence. The average raw scores on the RC-scales were compared between males and females with borderline intellectual functioning and between females and males across the various groups. RESULTS: Female patients with borderline intellectual functioning reported more symptoms on RC-scales related to internalizing emotional problems than male patients with borderline intellectual functioning. They reported significantly more complaints on RC-scales related to externalizing problems and thought disorders compared to average intelligent females with mental disorders. Several significant differences between female and male patients with borderline intellectual functioning were greater than within the other groups. We found no significant differences in behavioral characteristics and symptoms between male patients with borderline intellectual functioning and average intelligent males with mental disorders. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the importance of gender sensitivity in the multi-method assessment and treatment of psychopathology in patients with borderline intellectual functioning. Female patients with borderline intellectual functioning constitute the most vulnerable group in terms of nature and severity of psychopathology.

Characterising and differentiating cognitive and motor speed in older adults: structural equation modelling on a UK longitudinal birth cohort.

OBJECTIVES: Information processing speed (IPS) has been proposed to be a key component in healthy ageing and cognitive functioning. Yet, current studies lack a consistent definition and specific influential characteristics. This study aimed to investigate IPS as a multifaceted concept by differentiating cognitive and motor IPS. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A retrospective data analysis using data from the Medical Research Council National Survey of Health and Development (a population-based cohort of UK adults born in 1946) at childhood (ages 8, 11 and 15) and adulthood (ages 60-64 and 68-70). Using structural equation modelling, we constructed two models of IPS with 2124 and 1776 participants, respectively. OUTCOME MEASURES: Measures of interest included IPS (ie, letter cancellation, simple and choice reaction time), intelligence (ie, childhood intelligence and National Adult Reading Test), verbal memory, socioeconomic status (SES) and cognitive functions measured by the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III, as well as a variety of health indexes. RESULTS: We found distinct predictors for cognitive and motor IPS and how they relate to other cognitive functions in old age. In our first model, SES and antipsychotic medication usage emerged as significant predictors for cognitive IPS, intelligence and smoking as predictors for motor IPS while both share sex, memory and antiepileptic medication usage as common predictors. Notably, all differences between both IPS types ran in the same direction except for sex differences, with women performing better than men in cognitive IPS and vice versa in motor IPS. The second model showed that both IPS measures, as well as intelligence, memory, antipsychotic and sedative medication usage, explain cognitive functions later in life. CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results shed further light on IPS as a whole by showing there are distinct types and that these measures directly relate to other cognitive functions.

Computational thinking in university students: The role of fluid intelligence and visuospatial ability.

Computational thinking (CT) is a set of problem-solving skills with high relevance in education and work contexts. The present paper explores the role of key cognitive factors underlying CT performance in non-programming university students. We collected data from 97 non-programming adults in higher education in a supervised setting. Fluid intelligence, crystallized intelligence, and visuospatial ability were assessed using computerized adaptive tests; CT was measured using the Computational Thinking test. The direct and indirect effects of gender and visuospatial ability through fluid intelligence on CT were tested in a serial multiple mediator model. Fluid intelligence predicted CT when controlling for the effects of gender, age, and visuospatial ability, while crystallized intelligence did not predict CT. Men had a small advantage in CT performance when holding the effects of cognitive abilities constant. Despite its large correlation with gender and CT, visuospatial ability did not directly influence CT performance. Overall, we found that programming-naive computational thinkers draw on their reasoning ability that does not rely on previously acquired knowledge to solve CT problems. Visuospatial ability and CT were spuriously associated. Drawing on the process overlap theory we propose that tests of fluid intelligence and CT sample an overlapping set of underlying visuospatial processes.

Predicting individual differences in preschoolers' numeracy and geometry knowledge: The role of understanding abstract relations between objects and quantities.

Preschoolers' mathematics knowledge develops early and varies substantially. The current study focused on two ontogenetically early emerging cognitive skills that may be important predictors of later math skills (i.e., geometry and numeracy): children's understanding of abstract relations between objects and quantities as evidenced by their patterning skills and the approximate number system (ANS). Children's patterning skills, the ANS, numeracy, geometry, nonverbal intelligence (IQ), and executive functioning (EF) skills were assessed at age 4 years, and their numeracy and geometry knowledge was assessed again a year later at age 5 (N = 113). Above and beyond children's initial knowledge in numeracy and geometry, as well as IQ and EF, patterning skills and the ANS at age 4 uniquely predicted children's geometry knowledge at age 5, but only age 4 patterning uniquely predicted age 5 numeracy. Thus, although patterning and the ANS are related, they differentially explain variation in later geometry and numeracy knowledge. Results are discussed in terms of implications for early mathematics theory and research.

A local community on a global collective intelligence platform: A case study of individual preferences and collective bias in ecological citizen science.

The collective intelligence of crowds could potentially be harnessed to address global challenges, such as biodiversity loss and species' extinction. For wisdom to emerge from the crowd, certain conditions are required. Importantly, the crowd should be diverse and people's contributions should be independent of one another. Here we investigate a global citizen-science platform-iNaturalist-on which citizens report on wildlife observations, collectively producing maps of species' spatiotemporal distribution. The organization of global platforms such as iNaturalist around local projects compromises the assumption of diversity and independence, and thus raises concerns regarding the quality of such collectively-generated data. We spent four years closely immersing ourselves in a local community of citizen scientists who reported their wildlife sightings on iNaturalist. Our ethnographic study involved the use of questionnaires, interviews, and analysis of archival materials. Our analysis revealed observers' nuanced considerations as they chose where, when, and what type of species to monitor, and which observations to report. Following a thematic analysis of the data, we organized observers' preferences and constraints into four main categories: recordability, community value, personal preferences, and convenience. We show that while some individual partialities can "cancel each other out", others are commonly shared among members of the community, potentially biasing the aggregate database of observations. Our discussion draws attention to the way in which widely-shared individual preferences might manifest as spatial, temporal, and crucially, taxonomic biases in the collectively-created database. We offer avenues for continued research that will help better understand-and tackle-individual preferences, with the goal of attenuating collective bias in data, and facilitating the generation of reliable state-of-nature reports. Finally, we offer insights into the broader literature on biases in collective intelligence systems.

Cultural intelligence and acculturation among non-native Arabic learners: the impact of learning apps.

Background: Learning apps can be helpful to non-native language learners in learning Arabic, which includes speaking, writing, and speaking exercises. When learners become better in the language, they become more confident in interacting with the community, thus affecting their Cultural Intelligence (CQ) and Acculturation (AC). This study aimed to explore the relationship between the CQ and AC among non-native learners of Arabic. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate the potential impacts of learning apps and gender. Methods: This study used a correlational approach, involving a sample of 102 non-native Arabic language learners in Jordan. To assess these factors, this study used the Cultural Intelligence Scale and the Acculturation Survey. Results: The findings of this study revealed a positive correlation between the CQ and AC. Furthermore, the use of apps can provide CQ and AC levels. In addition, the study determined that gender did not play a significant role in influencing learners. Conclusion: the utilization of educational apps has been shown to enhance both CQ and AC. Thus, it is imperative to encourage learners to engage with these apps, as they foster cultural awareness, thereby facilitating the process of learning Arabic.

Correlation between studying strategies, personal and psychological factors with academic achievement and intelligence in health sciences university students: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: To date, there are no sufficient studies aimed to determine a correlation between personal, academic, and psychological variables with academic achievement, measured with the grade point average (GPA) and intelligence in university students according to each sex. STUDY AIM: To determine the correlation between studying strategies, personal and psychological factors with GPA and intelligence in a sample of health sciences university students. METHODS: Health Sciences university students, were invited to participate, those who accepted were cited in a computer room where they signed an informed consent and filled an electronic questionnaire with sociodemographic, behavioral, psychological variables and studying strategies (from the MLSQ instrument) afterwards they performed a verbal and non-verbal intelligence test (Shipley-2). RESULTS: A total of 439 students were included, from which 297 (67.7%) were women. The mean of age was 20.34 ± 2.61 years old. We found that no differences in GPA where observed between sexes. We detected a higher correlation between combined intelligence and GPA in women than in men. In addition, most studying strategies showed a higher correlation with GPA than intelligence scores in men´s sample. All these findings coincide with the fact that preparatory GPA was the most correlated variable with university GPA in both sexes. Finally, women showed higher levels of the sum of diseases, somatization, anxiety, depression and academic stress than men, and all these variables showed low significant correlations with the combined intelligence score only in women´s sample. CONCLUSION: Verbal and non-verbal intelligence scores show a lower association to GPA in men than in women, while studying strategies showed a higher association with GPA in men than in women.

Relation between child maltreatment and human capital: results from a population-based birth cohort.

This study aimed to investigate the association between child maltreatment and human capital, measured by intelligence quotient (IQ) at age 18 years and schooling at age 22 years in 3,736 members from a population-based birth cohort in Southern Brazil. A multiple linear regression was used to assess the association between child maltreatment and human capital measurements. Physical and emotional abuse and physical neglect occurring up to 15 years of age were considered child maltreatment. Physical neglect was associated with lower IQ scores in women (ß = -4.40; 95%CI: -6.82; -1.99) and men (ß = -2.58; 95%CI: -5.17; -0.01) and lower schooling for all sexes: women (ß = -1.19; 95%CI: -1.64; -0.74) and men (ß = -0.82; 95%CI: -1.34; -0.30). Moreover, men who had experienced one type of child maltreatment and women who had experienced two or more types had lower years of schooling at 22 years (ß = -0.41; 95%CI: -0.73; -0.89 and ß = -0.57; 95%CI: -0.91; -0.22, respectively) than those who suffered no kind of maltreatment. Efforts to improve future educational and cognitive outcomes must include early prevention and intervention strategies for child maltreatment.

Impact of Iron Intake and Reserves on Cognitive Function in Young University Students.

Iron is a key nutrient for cognitive function. During periods of high academic demand, brain and cognitive activity increase, potentially affecting iron intake and reserves. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of iron levels on cognitive function in a university sample, considering the influence of gender. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 132 university students (18-29 years) from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). A dietary record was formed through a questionnaire to analyze iron consumption, and blood and anthropometric parameters were measured. The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV was used to determine the Intelligence Quotient (IQ), as well as the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI), Working Memory Index (WMI), Processing Speed Index (PSI), and Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI), to assess cognitive abilities. Among women, the prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) was 21% and 4.2%, respectively. No ID or IDA was found in men. The impact of iron intake on IQ and cognitive abilities was mainly associated with the female population, where a positive association between iron intake, serum ferritin, and total IQ was revealed. In conclusion, low iron intake is related to poorer intellectual ability, suggesting that an iron-rich diet is necessary to maintain the academic level of university students.

The minimal computational substrate of fluid intelligence.

The quantification of cognitive powers rests on identifying a behavioural task that depends on them. Such dependence cannot be assured, for the powers a task invokes cannot be experimentally controlled or constrained a priori, resulting in unknown vulnerability to failure of specificity and generalisability. Evaluating a compact version of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (RAPM), a widely used clinical test of fluid intelligence, we show that LaMa, a self-supervised artificial neural network trained solely on the completion of partially masked images of natural environmental scenes, achieves representative human-level test scores a prima vista, without any task-specific inductive bias or training. Compared with cohorts of healthy and focally lesioned participants, LaMa exhibits human-like variation with item difficulty, and produces errors characteristic of right frontal lobe damage under degradation of its ability to integrate global spatial patterns. LaMa's narrow training and limited capacity suggest matrix-style tests may be open to computationally simple solutions that need not necessarily invoke the substrates of reasoning.

Sleep problems and duration in school-aged children at different levels of giftedness.

OBJECTIVES: Optimal sleep is crucial for developing and maintaining gifted children's cognitive abilities. However, only a few studies have explored the sleep profiles of gifted children and overlooked their internal variations. This study aimed to investigate subjective and object sleep profiles in school-aged gifted children with different levels of giftedness. METHODS: This study included 80 school-aged children (50 % male) aged 6-11 years. Giftedness was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). Subjective and objective sleep were evaluated using the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) and Actiwatch 2. RESULTS: The sample was divided into three groups based on their full scale intelligence quotient (IQ): 16 typically developing children (IQ < 130), 38 moderately gifted children (IQ: 130-145), and 26 highly gifted children (IQ > 145). The highly gifted children had the mildest sleep problems, particularly in sleep duration and daytime sleepiness. Moderately gifted children had the shortest subjective average sleep duration, while the three groups had no significant differences in Actiwatch-measured sleep variables. Furthermore, CSHQ total and daytime sleepiness subscale scores were negatively associated with the full scale IQ in gifted children after controlling for confounders including emotional and behavioral problems. CONCLUSIONS: Children with higher levels of giftedness experience fewer subjective sleep problems but have similar objective sleep parameters. It is imperative to implement tailored sleep strategies for fostering intellectual development and nurturing young talents.

High-performing teams: Is collective intelligence the answer?

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The concept of a general factor of collective intelligence, proposed by Woolley et al. in 2010, has spurred interest in understanding collective intelligence within small groups. This study aims to extend this investigation by examining the validity of a general collective intelligence factor, assessing its underlying factor structure, and evaluating its utility in predicting performance on future group problem-solving tasks and academic outcomes. METHODS: Employing a correlational study design, we engaged 85 university students in a series of complex cognitive tasks designed to measure collective intelligence through individual, group, and predictive phases. RESULTS: Contrary to the hypothesized single-factor model, our findings favor a two-factor model influenced by Cattell's theory of crystalized and fluid intelligence. These two factors accounted for substantial variance in group performance outcomes, challenging the prevailing single-factor model. Notably, the predictive validity of these factors on group assignments was statistically significant, with both individual and collective intelligence measures correlating moderately with group assignment scores (rs = .40 to .47, p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our research suggests that collective intelligence in small group settings may not be uniformly governed by a single factor but rather by multiple dimensions that reflect established theories of individual intelligence. This nuanced understanding of collective intelligence could have significant implications for enhancing group performance in both educational and organizational contexts. Future research should explore these dimensions and their independent contributions to group dynamics and outcomes.