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.",

author = "Shuker, \{David M.\} and Louise Barrett and Dickins, \{Thomas E.\} and Scott-Phillips, \{Thom C.\} and Barton, \{Robert A.\}",

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AU - Shuker, David M.

AU - Barrett, Louise

AU - Dickins, Thomas E.

AU - Scott-Phillips, Thom C.

AU - Barton, Robert A.

PY - 2017/1/1

Y1 - 2017/1/1

N2 - 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.

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.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85055757556

U2 - 10.1017/S0140525X16001771

DO - 10.1017/S0140525X16001771

M3 - Comment/debate

C2 - 29342673

AN - SCOPUS:85055757556

SN - 0140-525X

VL - 40

SP - e218

JO - The Behavioral and brain sciences

JF - The Behavioral and brain sciences

ER -

General intelligence does not help us understand cognitive evolution

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