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Intelligence and the Frontal Lobe: The Organization of Goal-Directed Behavior
Abstract
Basic to the study of individual differences is the concept of 'general intelligence' or Spearman's g. In this article we suggest that g is largely a reflection of the control functions of the frontal lobe. A series of experiments investigates a phenomenon we call goal neglect: disregard of a task requirement event though it has been understood and remembered. Subjectively it is as though the neglected requirement "slips the subject's mind." Previously described in frontal patients, we show that goal neglect can also be seen in some members of the normal population. In line with conventional distinctions between controlled and automatic processing, eliciting conditions for goal neglect include novelty, weak error feedback, and multiple concurrent task requirements. Under these conditions neglect is linked closely to g and extremely common after frontal lesions. Following many other models, we suggest that behavior in any task is structured by a set of action constraints or requirements, derived in part from verbal instructions and specified at multiple levels of abstraction. A frontal process of constraint or requirement activation is fundamental to Spearman's g.
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“there appears to be a growing consensus that functions subsumed under the heading of ''executive functions'' or ''cognitive control'' are involved at the behavioral level”
From Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development: Can the Functional Capacity of Older Adults Be Preserved and Enhanced? (2008) · cites this paper as Duncan, Emslie, Williams, Johnson, & Freer, 1996
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Miyake, A., Friedman, N. P., Emerson, M. J., Witzki, A. H., Howerter, A., & Wager, T. D. (2000) · Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1006/cogp.1999.0734 · Cited by 15,798
An Integrative Theory of Prefrontal Cortex Function
Miller, E. K., & Cohen, J. D. (2001) · Annual Review of Neuroscience · doi:10.1146/annurev.neuro.24.1.167 · Cited by 12,803
Individual differences in reasoning: Implications for the rationality debate?
Stanovich, K. E., & West, R. F. (2000) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x00003435 · Cited by 4,481
Executive functions and developmental psychopathology.
Pennington, B. F., & Ozonoff, S. (1996) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1996.tb01380.x · Cited by 3,150
Working memory, short-term memory, and general fluid intelligence: A latent-variable approach.
Engle, R. W., Tuholski, S. W., Laughlin, J. E., & Conway, A. R. A. (1999) · Journal of Experimental Psychology: General · doi:10.1037/0096-3445.128.3.309 · Cited by 3,078
Metadata
- Authors
- Duncan, J., Emslie, H., Williams, P., Johnson, R., & Freer, C.
- Affiliations
- Addenbrooke's Hospital (GB)
- Venue
- Cognitive Psychology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1996-06
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 257-303
- ISSN
- 0010-0285 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1989920002
- Cited by
- 902
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 28 · 2017: 40 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 54 · 2013: 48 · 2012: 38
- FWCI
- 6.37
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cognitive Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Keywords
- general intelligence, frontal lobe, goal neglect, goal-directed behavior, frontal lobe lesions, task demands, error feedback, novelty, individual differences, action constraints
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Arousal, Attention, Brain Damage, Chronic, Brain Mapping, Concept Formation, Dichotic Listening Tests, Female, Frontal Lobe, Goals, Humans, Intelligence, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Orientation, Pattern Recognition, Visual, Mental Recall, Speech Perception
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