Generalization of the worst performance rule across the lifespan

• Published in: Intelligence (Norwood) Vol. 42; pp. 31 - 43
• Main Authors: Fernandez, Sébastien, Fagot, Delphine, Dirk, Judith, de Ribaupierre, Anik
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 01-01-2014; Elsevier; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Activity levels. Psychomotricity; Adult. Elderly; Age differences; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child development; Cognition. Intelligence; Cognitive psychology; Correlation analysis; Developmental psychology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Intellectual and cognitive abilities; Intelligence; Intra-individual variability; Lifespan; Performance evaluation; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reaction time; Worst performance rule; Reaction time; Intelligence; Lifespan; Intra-individual variability; Worst performance rule; Human; Cognition; Generalization; Intraindividual comparison; Young adult; Development; Intellectual ability; Cognitive development; Rule; Performance; Child; Elderly
• ISSN: 0160-2896; 1873-7935
• DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2013.10.001

The worst performance rule (WPR) predicts that the slowest trials in reaction time (RT) tasks are more strongly related to intelligence than the fastest trials. To date, the WPR was observed mainly in young adults. The present study examined if the WPR holds not only in young adults but also in children and older adults in three kinds of RT tasks (simple RT, choice RT, and inhibition). Results showed that in each age group slowest and fastest trials were related to intelligence but the former correlated with intelligence to a greater extent than the latter. These results support the assumption that the WPR can be generalized across the lifespan.
•The WPR is observed in children, young adults and older adults across three tasks.•Slow reaction times correlate more with intelligence than fast reaction times.•The magnitude of the WPR is more important in tasks requiring executive control.