Genetics and general cognitive ability (g)
Trends in Cognitive SciencesPublished 1 April 2002
Robert Plomin, Frank M. Spinath
Citations195
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score4.51
SNIP5.51
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TL;DR
This review considers g from a genetic perspective, suggesting not only that elementary cognitive tasks are genetically linked to psychometric g but also that genetic g pervades these tasks.
Abstract
Two recent articles in this journal made the case for the existence and importance of g and reviewed research on cognitive and psychophysical correlates of psychometric g. This review considers g from a genetic perspective. Multivariate genetic research indicates that g accounts for nearly all of the genetic variance of diverse psychometric cognitive tests (genetic g). Recent research suggests not only that elementary cognitive tasks are genetically linked to psychometric g but also that genetic g pervades these tasks. Contrary to the assumption of modularity that dominates cognitive science, genetic g exists in the mind as well as in psychometric tests.
Keywords
Psychology
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