what about executive functions and chc theory: new research for discussion

What about executive functions in CHC theory?New research for discussion

Kevin S. McGrew, PhD

Institute for Applied Psychometrics & University of Minnesota

© Institute for Applied Psychometrics, Dr. Kevin S. McGrew, 092116

(These are a small subset of slides that were part of a larger presentation made at the 2016 Australian Psychological Society (APS) annual congress in Melbourne, Australia. Time did not allow for detailed

coverage of these slides—they are presented here “as is” for those who would like to view them)

Dr. Kevin McGrew, coauthor of the WJ IV, is responsible for the content of this PPT module.

The information, hypotheses, and opinions expressed in this PPT module do not necessarily represent the

opinions of the other WJ IV authors or HMH (the publisher of the WJ IV)

© Institute for Applied Psychometrics; Kevin McGrew 05-04-16

http://tinyurl.com/z4swhlj

The next slide provides a framework for “connecting the dots” in intelligence theory and testing-related research. A six-minute narrated animated video

explanation of this framework can be found at the link below. This framework is important for understanding the last slide included in this module


http://tinyurl.com/z4swhlj

Intelligence Testing Related Research:

Levels of theoretical reductionism and

explanation

Neural efficiency

(biological &

neurocognitive

models)White matter tract

organization, integrity & efficiency

-rate of neural oscillations-neural synchronization-Reaction-time and temporal g-ERP’s (e.g., ABR)

Information processi

ng

(mechanica

l models)Measurable co

gnitive

behaviors

(psychometric

models)

PMA1

T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 T8 T9T1 T12T10 T11

PMA2 PMA3 PMA4 …etc

…etc

G1 G2 G3…etc

g ?

(Consensus Cattell-Horn-Carroll Hierarchical Three-Stratum Model)

Brain functi

on &

networks

(biological &

neurocognitive

models)

-Human Connectome-Functional brain networks (Bressler & Menon, 2010)-“Rich club” network hubs-P-FIT model

(Adapted from conceptual distinctions of Earl Hunt, 2011)


What about executive functions and the CHC model?

A number of recent research papers suggest interesting hypotheses regarding the

nature of executive functions, how they fit (or do not fit) in the CHC taxonomy of human

cognitive abilities, and how they may relate to the construct of general intelligence (g). The viewer is urged to read the

papers mentioned in this brief module.


CHC-based CFA of 9 major data sets with

multiple different cognitive and

neuropsychological test indicators

Notice direction of arrows:CHC abilities are considered to be causal reflective variables while g is considered to be a

formative variable that “emerges”

“Executive processes act as a bottleneck”

Attention

Motor Power, Speed & Timing (Gp,Gps)

(feedback loop)

Central Executive

Working Memory Capacity (WMC) = Efficiency of Attentional

Control (AC)

Gs=Attentional Fluency

Learning (storage) efficiency (Glr)

Retrieval fluency (Glr)

Focus of Attention

Short-Term Working Memory (Gwm)

Sensory & PerceptualSystems

Gf = Complexity of Reasoningwithin Working Memory

(feedback loop)

Beyond CHC TheoryAdapted from Schneider & McGrew

(2012, 2013)

Visual (Gv)

Auditory (Ga)

Tactile (Gh)

Kinesthetic (Gk)

Olfactory (Go)

Motor Control

(Note: e.g.., Gv, Ga, etc. are not simple visual perceptual or sensory processing but the complexity of visual processing that a person can handle)

Gt = Speed of Elem.Perc. Processing

Cognitive Processing Speed (Gs)

Acquired Knowledge Systems (aka, long-term memory)

Etc. (what)

Etc. (how)

Etc. (what)

Etc. (how)

Motor Sequences

(what)

Motor Sequences

(how)Grw

(what)Grw

(how)

Gc (what)

Gc (how)

Nonverbal (e.g., motor)

Cognitive

Environmental Input

Includes both tacit andexplicit knowledge systems;

declarative (what) and procedural (how) knowledge

Cognitive performance

Motor performance

Attentional control system

© Institute for Applied Psychometrics, Dr. Kevin

S. McGrew, 012314

Motor Power, Speed & Timing (Gp,Gps)

(feedback loop)

Learning (storage) efficiency (Glr)

Retrieval fluency (Glr)

Sensory & PerceptualSystems

(feedback loop)

Beyond CHC TheoryAdapted from Schneider & McGrew

(2012, 2013)

Visual (Gv)

Auditory (Ga)

Tactile (Gh)

Kinesthetic (Gk)

Olfactory (Go)

Motor Control

(Note: e.g.., Gv, Ga, etc. are not simple visual perceptual or sensory processing but the complexity of visual processing that a person can handle)

Gt = Speed of Elem.Perc. Processing

Cognitive Processing Speed (Gs)

Acquired Knowledge Systems (aka, long-term memory)

Etc. (what)

Etc. (how)

Etc. (what)

Etc. (how)

Motor Sequences

(what)

Motor Sequences

(how)Grw

(what)Grw

(how)

Gc (what)

Gc (how)

Nonverbal (e.g., motor)

Cognitive

Environmental Input


Motor performance

© Institute for Applied Psychometrics, Dr. Kevin

S. McGrew, 012314

The Parietal-Frontal Integration (P-FIT) Model of Intelligence

The frontal (esp., DLPFC) and parietal lobes have been

repeatedly linked (via research) to the cognitive constructs of controlled attention, working

memory and executive functions general intelligence and higher

level cognition

T

Focusing attention internally

Focusing attention externally

Short-term storage

Response selection

Working Memory General reasoning

Procedural & Declarative

know.

Frontal Lobe(DLPFC)

Parietal Lobe

Anterior cingulate gyrus

The Brain and Working Memory: The Evidence-Based P-FIT Model

Adapted from Hunt (2011)

Bivariate Cholesky decomposition for additive genetic (A), shared environmental (C), and nonshared environmental (E) contributions to executive function (EF) and

measures of intelligence

Multivariate Cholesky decomposition for additive genetic (A), shared environmental (C), and nonshared environmental (E) contributions to executive function (EF), measures of

intelligence, and speed

R2 = 58.6 % of Gf variance explained

White matterGtGf

Indicators of g-factor wereWAIS-III Gs tests (Symbol

Search, Digit Symbol), Gsm tests (Digit Span-Backwards;

Let-Num. Seq),Gf test (Matrix Reasoning),and Gv test (Block Design).

Indicators of g-speed were measures of reaction time (Gt) – simple reaction time, four-choice reaction time,

inspection time)

CHC test classifications not by article authors but by Kevin McGrew as per CHC theory

Three biomarkers of white matter integrity

•White matter integrity markers strongly correlated.

• Individuals with lower (higher) integrity also tend to have lower (higher) integrity in all other white matter tracts.

• Results found that g-speed (cognitive information processing speed) factor fully mediated the effects of the integrity of all three white matter biomarker tracts (g-speedg of -.81)

• White matter integrity is to a substantial degree a brain-wide property.

• If an otherwise healthy individual shows structural deficits in one track, all other tracts will likely also be affected to some degree.

• “White matter tracts constitute the neuroanatomical infrastructure for any brain network model of cognitive performance, and tract integrity can be directly linked to cognitive information processing speed and via this mediating path to general intelligence.” (p.4)

These two (and other studies) suggest interesting white matter, Gs/Gt, g/Gf relations

Gt

Gs

Gf

g

Approximately 60% of variance explained


(reasoning, comprehension,

etc)

The temporal resolution (faster clock speed) of the brain

clock(s) results in greater neural efficiency of the brain

Neural efficiency influences brain network communication efficiency

via white matter tracts, particularly between the

parietal-frontal regions (P-FIT neuro-model of

intelligence)

Frontal Lobe(DLPFC) Parietal Lobe

White matter tracts (brain network

communication infrastructure)

Network communication

Knowledge in long-term memory. Cognitive abilities.

Exec functions

focus

Working memoryImproves focus (attentional control that maintains goal related

information active in working memory) which in turn improves

efficiency of working memory, the most central cognitive ability for new

learning and performance

Attentional control system

Neural efficiency

(biological &

neurocognitive

models)

Information

processing

(mechanica

l models)

Brain functi

on &

networks

(biological &

neurocognitive

models)

Measurable

cognitive

behaviors

(psychometric

models)

Note: The originof this slide (which has

considerable animation) was a 2012 keynote

presentation for Interactive Metronome

(IM) and a MindHub Pub (#3) that hypothesized why IM may work. The model is not IM-specific

and is relevant to the information presented in the current set of slides.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/hwj86z7 for access to the 2012 IM

keynote video and MindHub Pub


http://tinyurl.com/hwj86z7

http://tinyurl.com/hwj86z7

what about executive functions and chc theory: new research for discussion

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