General intelligence does not help us understand cognitive evolution

David M. Shuker; Louise Barrett; Thomas E. Dickins; Thom C. Scott-Phillips; Robert A. Barton

doi:10.1017/S0140525X16001771

General intelligence does not help us understand cognitive evolution

David M. Shuker, Louise Barrett, Thomas E. Dickins, Thom C. Scott-Phillips, Robert A. Barton

Research output: Contribution to journal › Comment/debate › peer-review

Abstract

Burkart et al. conflate the domain-specificity of cognitive processes with the statistical pattern of variance in behavioural measures that partly reflect those processes. General intelligence is a statistical abstraction, not a cognitive trait, and we argue that the former does not warrant inferences about the nature or evolution of the latter.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	e218
Journal	The Behavioral and brain sciences
Volume	40
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X16001771
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2017

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title = "General intelligence does not help us understand cognitive evolution",

abstract = "Burkart et al. conflate the domain-specificity of cognitive processes with the statistical pattern of variance in behavioural measures that partly reflect those processes. General intelligence is a statistical abstraction, not a cognitive trait, and we argue that the former does not warrant inferences about the nature or evolution of the latter.",

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AB - Burkart et al. conflate the domain-specificity of cognitive processes with the statistical pattern of variance in behavioural measures that partly reflect those processes. General intelligence is a statistical abstraction, not a cognitive trait, and we argue that the former does not warrant inferences about the nature or evolution of the latter.

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M3 - Comment/debate

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SN - 0140-525X

VL - 40

SP - e218

JO - The Behavioral and brain sciences

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General intelligence does not help us understand cognitive evolution

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