Looking Down on Human Intelligence
Abstract
Human mental ability differences have a hierarchical structure, and may be viewed at levels from general ability (g) to specific abilities. Ability differences show moderate stability across the lifespan, moderate heritability, and some predictive power in the fields of education, work, and social life. The most persistent mystery is the origin(s) of individual differences in cognitive and biological processes. The book reviews the search for these origins. The chapters cover historical work from antiquity to the 20th century. Research addresses the search for the origins of mental ability differences in cognitive components, reaction times, and inspection times. Biological areas such as brain size, event-related potentials, functional brain imaging, and molecular genetics are presented. The book identifies solid findings and sites of progress and criticizes empirical and conceptual weaknesses in the field.
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A century of research strongly supports all five evidentiary prerequisites.
“A century of research strongly supports all five.”
From What if the hereditarian hypothesis is true? (2005) · cites this paper as Deary, 2000
Within-group variability in phenotypic g has strong genetic roots and many physiological correlates in the brain.
“that within -group variability in phenotypic g has strong genetic roots and many physiological correlates in the brain”
From What if the hereditarian hypothesis is true? (2005) · cites this paper as Deary, 2000
g is the backbone of all broad mental abilities in all age, race, sex, and national groups studied to date.
“It has provided a vast, interlocking network of evidence that g is the backbone of all broad mental abilities in all age, race, sex, and national groups studied to date”
From What if the hereditarian hypothesis is true? (2005) · cites this paper as Deary, 2000
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The neuroscience of human intelligence differences
Deary, I. J., Penke, L., & Johnson, W. (2010) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn2793 · Cited by 1,038 · see citing works
Self-citationWorking Memory and Intelligence: The Same or Different Constructs?
Ackerman, P. L., Beier, M. E., & Boyle, M. O. (2005) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.131.1.30 · Cited by 969 · see citing works
Genetics and intelligence differences: five special findings
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Self-citationGottfredson, L. S. (2004) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.86.1.174 · Cited by 580 · see citing works
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Gray, J. R., & Thompson, P. M. (2004) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn1405 · Cited by 479 · see citing works
Cognitive reserve and the neurobiology of cognitive aging
Whalley, L. J., Deary, I. J., Appleton, C. L., & Starr, J. M. (2004) · Ageing Research Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.arr.2004.05.001 · Cited by 460 · see citing works
Self-citationThirty years of research on race differences in cognitive ability.
Rushton, J. P., & Jensen, A. R. (2005) · Psychology, Public Policy, and Law · doi:10.1037/1076-8971.11.2.235 · Cited by 457 · see citing works
What cognitive changes can be expected with normal ageing?
Christensen, H. (2001) · Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1046/j.1440-1614.2001.00966.x · Cited by 321 · see citing works
Deary, I. J., Liewald, D., & Nissan, J. (2011) · Behavior Research Methods · doi:10.3758/s13428-010-0024-1 · Cited by 328 · see citing works
Self-citationWhite matter integrity and cognition in childhood and old age
Deary, I. J., Bastin, M. E., Pattie, A., Clayden, J. D., Whalley, L. J., Starr, J. M., & Wardlaw, J. M. (2006) · Neurology · doi:10.1212/01.wnl.0000199954.81900.e2 · Cited by 207 · see citing works
Self-citationBroadway, J. M., & Engle, R. W. (2010) · Behavior Research Methods · doi:10.3758/brm.42.2.563 · Cited by 184 · see citing works
Genetic variation, brain, and intelligence differences
Deary, I. J., Cox, S. R., & Hill, W. D. (2022) · Molecular Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/s41380-021-01027-y · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Self-citationWirth, M., Madison, C. M., Rabinovici, G. D., Oh, H., Landau, S. M., & Jagust, W. J. (2013) · The Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1523/jneurosci.4409-12.2013 · Cited by 151 · see citing works
Austin, E. J. (2004) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2003.07.006 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Chang, W., Chen, E., Mellers, B., & Tetlock, P. (2016) · Judgment and Decision Making · doi:10.1017/s1930297500004599 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
“…on individual differences and job performance suggests, for instance, a potential interaction effect between cognitive ability and practice (i.e., repeated execution of the thinking principles relayed didac-tically via training) (Deary, 2000; Ericsson & Lehmann, 1996; Schmidt & Hunter, 2000).”
What if the hereditarian hypothesis is true?
Gottfredson, L. S. (2005) · Psychology, Public Policy, and Law · doi:10.1037/1076-8971.11.2.311 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Sörberg Wallin, A., Zeebari, Z., Lager, A., Gunnell, D., Allebeck, P., & Falkstedt, D. (2018) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/acps.12817 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
The cultural malleability of intelligence and its impact on the racial/ethnic hierarchy.
Suzuki, L., & Aronson, J. (2005) · Psychology, Public Policy, and Law · doi:10.1037/1076-8971.11.2.320 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
The impact of processing speed training on working memory in old adults.
Peng, H., Wen, J., Wang, D., & Gao, Y. (2012) · Journal of Adult Development · doi:10.1007/s10804-012-9142-6 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
- Authors
- Deary, I.
- Corresponding author
- Deary, Ian
- ORCID
- Deary, Ian
- Venue
- Oxford University Press eBooks
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Published
- 2000-09-21
- OpenAlex
- W4302084454
- Cited by
- 296
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 10.32
- Type
- book
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Oxford University Press eBooks (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Statistics and Probability › Cognitive and developmental aspects of mathematical skills
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
- Keywords
- individual differences in intelligence, heritability of intelligence, reaction time, inspection time, brain size, event-related potentials, functional neuroimaging, cognitive ability
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