Anyone heard of this effect being replicated? It seems awfully steep (17 point drop?) to be believed. I ask because ideally we want to maximize cognition to maximize workplace and personal success, and this seems very detrimental to many people who are in lower-status positions within the hierarchy. It also may explain why some people seem to perform worse when their boss is hovering over them. If this is true, then there is some truth when people say, “Don’t worry about what others are thinking”.
An alternate explanation: It is possible that those with lower baseline IQ experience more fatigue after taking a mentally stimulating test, so that they experience a greater drop in cognition when taking another one back-to-back. Did the researchers reveal the times between the paper-and-pencil test and the computer-based one? The article doesn’t say.
EDIT: The paper is free and is found below. Apparently the computer-based test was taken soon after based on the wording of the authors. I wish the test was given the day after to control for mental fatigue. Too bad, seems like they were on to something there.
Anyone heard of this effect being replicated? It seems awfully steep (17 point drop?) to be believed. I ask because ideally we want to maximize cognition to maximize workplace and personal success, and this seems very detrimental to many people who are in lower-status positions within the hierarchy. It also may explain why some people seem to perform worse when their boss is hovering over them. If this is true, then there is some truth when people say, “Don’t worry about what others are thinking”.
An alternate explanation: It is possible that those with lower baseline IQ experience more fatigue after taking a mentally stimulating test, so that they experience a greater drop in cognition when taking another one back-to-back. Did the researchers reveal the times between the paper-and-pencil test and the computer-based one? The article doesn’t say.
EDIT: The paper is free and is found below. Apparently the computer-based test was taken soon after based on the wording of the authors. I wish the test was given the day after to control for mental fatigue. Too bad, seems like they were on to something there.
http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/367/1589/704.full