Quote of the Day | 0302
You say people with more cognitive horsepower may be more likely to fail. How so?
We all have this idea that more intelligence is always better, but I have shown that it’s the people with the most working memory who are most susceptible to poor performance.
We had people do mathematics problems that could be solved by working through a complicated algorithm, or by using a shortcut. In low-stress situations with lots of time, those with more working memory were likely to use the algorithm, while those with less were likely to see the shortcut. Under stress, people with more cognitive horsepower suffered because the pressure taxed their working memory. For people with less working memory – who were relying on shortcuts that didn’t tax their cognitive system in the same way – pressure didn’t have a negative impact.
Sian Beilock in: ‘Why we screw up when the heat is on’
[x]#9876 fan vrijdag 2 maart 2012 @ 17:15:27
