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Abstract: Smart fraction theory supposes that gifted and talented persons are especially
relevant for societal development. Using results for the 95th percentile from TIMSS 1995-
2007, PISA 2000-2006 and PIRLS 2001-2006 we calculated an ability sum value (N=90
countries) for the upper level group (equivalent to a within country IQ-threshold of 125 or
a student assessment score of 667) and compared its influence with the mean ability and
the 5th percentile ability on wealth (GDP), patent rates, Nobel Prizes, numbers of scientists,
political variables (government effectiveness, democracy, rule of law, political liberty), HIV,
AIDS and homicide. Additionally, using information on school and professional education,
we estimated the cognitive competence of political leaders in N=90 countries. Results of
correlations, regression and path analyses generally show a larger impact of the smart
fractions’ ability on positively valued outcomes than of the mean result or the 5th percentile
fraction. The influence of the 5th percentile fraction on HIV, AIDS and homicide, however,
was stronger. The intelligence of politicians was less important, a longitudinal crosslagged
analysis could show a positive influence on the cognitive development of nations.

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IQ cognition social science SAS wealth disability competence cognitive ability

"In both these studies the most striking finding was that the `big five' personality trait of Conscientiousness is the only consistent predictor of job performance. The other `big five' dimensions of extraversion, neuroticism, openness-to-experience and agreeableness do, however, provide some predictive power in particular circumstances. Sackett and Wanek (1996) argue that the general predictive power of Conscientiousness comes about as a consequence of the close conceptual relationship between Conscientiousness and Integrity. They further suggest that a combined trait representing High Conscientiousness, Low Neuroticism and High Agreeableness is a surrogate for Integrity and can explain all of the ability of the `big five' personality traits to predict job performance."

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social science psychology cognition big five five factor big 5 personality

"Decades later, Raine's own team looked to see if any of the subjects had criminal records and found 137 that did. The team discovered that, as toddlers, these people had sweated significantly less in anticipation of the blare compared with subjects of similar race, gender and background for whom no criminal record was found."

www.newscientist.com/...ar-go-on-to-commit-crimes.html - Preview

crime fear science social science psychology cognition

A new study, published today in Psychology and Health, reveals that if you use your willpower to do one task, it depletes you of the willpower to do an entirely different task.

www.eurekalert.org/...mu-rda092409.php - Preview

cognition psychology will will power willpower

Participants were given two chances to sign the confession, and by the end of the day all of them did. 87% signed on the first request, and the remaining 13% signed on the second.

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cognition psychology

The fact that an increasing number of medications are unable to beat sugar pills has thrown the industry into crisis.

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health placebo drugs cognition

CHICAGO (Aug. 24, 2009) – The battle of the sexes rages on, this time from the trading floor. While there has long been debate about the social and biological differences between men and women, new research by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the University of Chicago's Department of Comparative Human Development explores how the hormone testosterone plays an important role in gender differences in financial risk aversion and career choice.

www.eurekalert.org/...uoc-hlo081909.php - Preview

psychology cognition social science testosterone risk

"Although it has long been suggested that mu-opioids play a role in social pain — and there are convincing animal models that show this — this is the first human study to link this mu-opioid receptor gene with social sensitivity in response to rejection," Eisenberger said.

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cognition psychology pain rejection social science

Spearman’s Law of Diminishing Returns: Implications for High End Testing

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IQ cognition

It might be all those things. Economists, anthropologists and evolutionary biologists have been teasing out how, used judiciously, spiteful behaviour can be one of our best weapons in maintaining a fair and ordered society. But intentions that are noble in one situation can be malicious in another - making spite a weapon that can all too easily backfire.

www.newscientist.com/...e-humans-cruel-to-be-kind.html - Preview

psychology cognition social science punishment altruistic punishment

Here are 10 insightful studies that give a flavour of what has been discovered about the dynamics of group psychology.

www.spring.org.uk/...0-rules-that-govern-groups.php - Preview

psychology cognition social science groups social psychology

Dr Nesse believes that persistence is a reason for the exceptional level of clinical depression in America—the country that has the highest depression rate in the world. “Persistence is part of the American way of life,” he says. “People here are often driven to pursue overly ambitious goals, which then can lead to depression.” He admits that this is still an unproven hypothesis, but it is one worth considering. Depression may turn out to be an inevitable price of living in a dynamic society.

www.economist.com/...displaystory.cfm - Preview

depression cognition psychology social science

Therefore, assuming this tiny study is correct, society could eliminate roughly 75 percent of the IQ gaps caused by genetic differences. All it would take is for the government to make parents in the upper and lower sectors of society exchange their children.

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According to a research abstract that will be presented on Thursday, June11, at SLEEP 2009, the 23rd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies, sleep selectively preservers memories that are emotionally salient and relevant to future goals when sleep follows soon after learning. Effects persist for as long as four months after the memory is created.

www.eurekalert.org/...aaos-smb060209.php - Preview

sleep cognition memory learning psychology

The preceding lists the most recent and complete of the 15 normal and abnormal personalities derived from the Millon Evolutionary Theory. Each box includes first the normal prototype or personality style (e.g., retiring), and second, the abnormal prototype or personality disorder (e.g., schizoid). The following circulargram portrays the same 15 personalities in a spectrum fashion. It also represents both the normal and abnormal prototypes of the theory.

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cognition health personality mental health psychology psychiatry

So we make two types of errors: a type I error, or false positive, is believing a pattern is real when it is not; a type II error, or false negative, is not believing a pattern is real when it is. If you believe that the rustle in the grass is a dangerous predator when it is just the wind (a type I error), you are more likely to survive than if you believe that the rustle in the grass is just the wind when it is a dangerous predator (a type II error). Because the cost of making a type I error is less than the cost of making a type II error and because there is no time for careful deliberation between patternicities in the split-second world of predator-prey interactions, natural selection would have favored those animals most likely to assume that all patterns are real.

But we do something other animals do not do. As large-brained hominids with a developed cortex and a theory of mind—the capacity to be aware of such mental states as desires and intentions in both ourselves and others—we infer agency behind the patterns we observe in a practice I call “agent­icity”: the tendency to believe that the world is controlled by invisible intentional agents. We believe that these intentional agents control the world, sometimes invisibly from the top down (as opposed to bottom-up causal randomness). Together patternicity and agent­icity form the cognitive basis of shamanism, paganism, animism, polytheism, monotheism, and all modes of Old and New Age spiritualisms.

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psychology cognition religion agency pattern recognition

They had 51 normally-ovulating women (mean age 19.1 years old) provide complete cell phone bills from one month, along with their menstrual cycle information and details about individuals on their phone bill. It turned out that the subjects called their fathers significantly less than their mothers during high fertility days, and when both mothers and fathers called them during high fertility days they spent less time on the phone with their dads than with their moms.

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evolutionary psychology psychology cognition social science

"First, assume that your first estimate is off the mark. Second, think about a few reasons why that could be. Which assumptions and considerations could have been wrong? Third, what do these new considerations imply?... Fourth, based on this new perspective, make a second, alternative estimate." When the participants used the more involved method, the average was significantly more accurate than the first estimate.

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wisdom of crowds science social science psychology cognition decision making decisions

One married man, a machine that can read his mind, and a head-to-head matchup between his wife... and Angelina Jolie. Sounds like no good can come of this. Unless, of course, he discovers the meaning of love.

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science brain mind psychology cognition love lust attachment

Studies suggest that conservatives are more often distressed by actions that seem disrespectful of authority, such as slapping Dad. Liberals don’t worry as long as Dad has given permission.

Likewise, conservatives are more likely than liberals to sense contamination or perceive disgust. People who would be disgusted to find that they had accidentally sipped from an acquaintance’s drink are more likely to identify as conservatives.

The upshot is that liberals and conservatives don’t just think differently, they also feel differently. This may even be a result, in part, of divergent neural responses.

www.nytimes.com/...28kristof.html - Preview

politics social science psychology cognition disgust morality liberal conservative