 |
|
VCU Study Shows Big-Brained People Are Smarter
June 20, 2005RICHMOND, Va. - People with bigger brains are smarter than their smaller-brained counterparts, according to a study conducted by a Virginia Commonwealth University researcher published in the journal "Intelligence."
The study, published on line June 16, could settle a long-standing scientific debate about the relationship between brain size and intelligence. Ever since German anatomist and physiologist Frederick Tiedmann wrote in 1836 that there exists "an indisputable connection between the size of the brain and the mental energy displayed by the individual man," scientists have been searching for biological evidence to prove his claim.
The study is the most comprehensive of its kind, drawing conclusions from 26 previous - mostly recent - international studies involving brain volume and intelligence. It was only five years ago, with the increased use of MRI-based brain assessments, that more data relating to brain volume and intelligence became available.
McDaniel, a professor in management in VCU's School of Business, found that, on average, intelligence increases with increasing brain volume. Intelligence was measured with standardized intelligence tests, which have important consequences on peoples' lives, such as where they'll go to college or what kind of job they get. Critics have called the tests inaccurate or irrelevant to the real world, he said.
"But when intelligence is correlated with a biological reality such as brain volume, it becomes harder to argue that human intelligence can't be measured or that the scores do not reflect something meaningful," said McDaniel.
As an industrial and organizational psychologist, McDaniel works with employers to screen job applicants and measure their performance. He said employers will appreciate his findings because intelligence tests are the single best predictor of job performance.
"On average, smarter people learn quicker, make fewer errors, and are more productive," McDaniel said. "The use of intelligence tests in screening job applicants has substantial economic benefits for organizations."
Before MRIs, scientists often used external skull measurements or waited until a person died to estimate brain size. The external skull measurements were only approximate estimates of brain volume.
For a copy of the study please go to http://www.vcu.edu/uns/Releases/2005/june/McDaniel-Big%20Brain.pdf. If you need a fax copy, please contact University News Services at (804) 828-1231.
Virginia Commonwealth University
Intelligence Current Events and Intelligence News RSSCalifornia Academy of Sciences becomes first aquarium in US to breed dwarf cuttlefish
Anchored to an algae-covered rock in a 120-gallon tank at the California Academy of Sciences' Steinhart Aquarium, a cluster of inky-colored cuttlefish eggs is beginning to swell-evidence of success for the Academy's new captive breeding program for dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis.
New study reveals handwriting is real problem for children with autism
Handwriting skills are crucial for success in school, communication, and building children's self-esteem.
Developmental delay could stem from nicotinic receptor deletion
The loss of a gene through deletion of genetic material on chromosome 15 is associated with significant abnormalities in learning and behavior, said a consortium of researchers led by Baylor College of Medicine (www.bcm.edu) in a report that appears online today in the journal Nature Genetics.
American Dietetic Association Releases Updated Position Paper Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding
The American Dietetic Association has released an updated position paper on breastfeeding that details health benefits for both infants and mothers and encourages promotion of breastfeeding whenever possible.
Research Continues on Secure, Mobile, Quantum Communications
Researcher Dr. David H. Hughes of the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, N.Y. is leading a team investigating long-distance, mobile optical links imperative for secure quantum communications capabilities in theater.
Intelligent system to help autistic children recognize emotions
Computer scientists from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore are working on the development of an efficient and intelligent facial expression recognition system.
A woman in space
In the early years of the "space race" (1957-1975) two men sought to test a scientifically simple yet culturally complicated theory: that women might be innately better suited for space travel than men.
Eating liquorice in pregnancy may affect a child's IQ and behavior
Expectant mothers who eat excessive quantities of liquorice during pregnancy could adversely affect their child's intelligence and behaviour, a study has shown.
Young Adults May Outgrow Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar disorder, or manic-depression, causes severe and unusual shifts in mood and energy, affecting a person's ability to perform everyday tasks. With symptoms often starting in early adulthood, bipolar disorder has been thought of traditionally as a lifelong disorder.
Hyenas cooperate, problem-solve better than primates
Spotted hyenas may not be smarter than chimpanzees, but a new study shows that they outperform the primates on cooperative problem-solving tests.
More Intelligence Current Events and Intelligence News Articles
 |
Intelligence: From Secrets to Policy by Mark M. Lowenthal (Author) Intelligence veteran Mark M. Lowenthal details how the intelligence community's history, structure, procedures, and functions affect policy decisions. With his friendly prose, he demystifies a complicated and complex process. Rich with examples and anecdotes, Intelligence also includes bolded key terms, an acronym list, suggested readings and websites, and a list of major intelligence reviews or proposals. This new, fully-updated fourth edition highlights many crucial recent developments in reforms, ethics, and transnational issues, including: -the actual implementation of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) reforms and their successes and strains; |
 |
On Intelligence by Jeff Hawkins (Author), Sandra Blakeslee (Author) From the inventor of the PalmPilot comes a new and compelling theory of intelligence, brain function, and the future of intelligent machines Jeff Hawkins, the man who created the PalmPilot, Treo smart phone, and other handheld devices, has reshaped our relationship to computers. Now he stands ready to revolutionize both neuroscience and computing in one stroke, with a new understanding of intelligence itself. Hawkins develops a powerful theory of how the human brain works, explaining why computers are not intelligent and how, based on this new theory, we can finally build intelligent machines. The brain is not a computer, but a memory system that stores experiences in a way that reflects the true structure of the world, remembering sequences of events and their... |
 |
Intelligence Starring: Ian Tracey, Klea Scott Directed By: Stephen Surjik Information is the most addictive drug of all. "One of the smartest cop dramas in years" -- The Vancouver Sun "Smart. . .sexy. . .edgy" -- The Toronto Star This critically acclaimed drama from the creator of Da Vinci’s Inquest takes you deep inside the murky world of organized crime and the cops who keep tabs on it. As a dedicated father, respected businessman, and big-time drug smuggler, Jimmy Reardon (Ian Tracey) feels the heat from outlaw bikers muscling in on his territory. Mary Spalding (Klea Scott), the ruthlessly ambitious head of Vancouver’s organized crime unit, fears her rivals in the intelligence community more than she fears criminals. Together, Jimmy and Mary form an uneasy alliance that threatens to undo them both. From Vancouver’s mean streets to its... |
 |
Intelligence Analysis: A Target-Centric Approach by Robert M. Clark (Author) As Americas enemies have changed and evolved, the American intelligence community has been forced to find more effective methods of managing intelligence analysis. Old hierarchical models of collection and analysis must give way to horizontal, networked solutions. In Intelligence Analysis, Robert M. Clark explains that a collaborative, target-centric approach allows for more effective analysis, while better meeting customer needs. The new third edition has been comprehensively revised to reflect changes in the constantly shifting landscape of intelligence. With new examples throughout, Intelligence Analysis now includes discussions of framing effects, human terrain models, cyber collection, computer network exploitation, and more. Further, a new section on the defense analysis... |
 |
Analyzing Intelligence: Origins, Obstacles, and Innovations by Roger Z. George (Editor), James B. Bruce (Editor) Drawing on the individual and collective experience of recognized intelligence experts and scholars in the field, "Analyzing Intelligence" provides the first comprehensive assessment of the state of intelligence analysis since 9/11. Its in-depth and balanced evaluation of more than fifty years of U.S. analysis includes a critique of why it has under-performed at times. It provides insights regarding the enduring obstacles as well as new challenges of analysis in the post-9/11 world, and suggests innovative ideas for improved analytical methods, training, and structured approaches. The book's six sections present a coherent plan for improving analysis. Early chapters examine how intelligence analysis has evolved since its origins in the mid-20th century, focusing on traditions, culture,... |
 |
Silent Warfare: Understanding the World of Intelligence, 3d Edition by Abram N. Shulsky (Author), Gary J. Schmitt (Author) Revised edition of an introduction to the world of intelligence. Text provides an overview of the basic principles of intelligence such as data collection, analysis, covert action, and counterintelligence. Softcover. |
 |
Intelligence: Season 2 Starring: Ian Tracey Information is the most addictive drug of all. Winner of the Gemini for best drama and many other awards, this pulse-pounding series explores espionage in the international drug trade and beyond. The story centers around Jimmy Reardon (Ian Tracey), a Vancouver drug lord trying to go legit, and Mary Spalding (Klea Scott), the head of the Canadian intelligence service for the Pacific region. Although they work on opposite sides of the law, Reardon and Spalding form an uneasy undercover alliance to protect their turf from rivals inside and outside their organizations. All loyalties are negotiable in this high-stakes game, and the players use money, sex, drugs, and murder to secure the most powerful commodity of all--information. Combining the crime family drama of The Sopranos... |
 |
Intelligence and How to Get It: Why Schools and Cultures Count by Richard E. Nisbett (Author) A bold refutation of the belief that genes determine intelligence. Who are smarter, Asians or Westerners? Are there genetic explanations for racial differences in test scores? What makes some nationalities excel in engineering and others in music? Will math and science remain a largely male preserve. From the damning research of The Bell Curve to the more recent controversy surrounding geneticist James Watson's statements, one factor has been consistently left out of the equation: culture. In the tradition of The Mismeasure of Man by Stephen Jay Gould, world-class social psychologist Richard E. Nisbett takes on ... |
 |
The Craft of Intelligence: America's Legendary Spy Master on the Fundamentals of Intelligence Gathering for a Free World by Allen W. Dulles (Author) If the experts could point to any single book as a starting point for understanding the subject of intelligence from the late twentieth century to today, that single book would be Allen W. Dulles's The Craft of Intelligence. This classic of spycraft is based on Allen Dulles's incomparable experience as a diplomat, international lawyer, and America's premier intelligence officer. Dulles was a high-ranking officer of the CIA's predecessor-the Office of Strategic Services-and was present at the inception of the CIA, where he served eight of his ten years there as director. Here he sums up what he learned about intelligence from nearly a half-century of experience in foreign affairs. In World War II his OSS agents penetrated the German Foreign Office, worked with the anti-Nazi... |
 |
Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons in Theory and Practice by Howard E. Gardner (Author) Gardner's seminal 1993 account of the practical applications of Multiple Intelligences theory is now completely updated and expanded to reflect the latest developments in the field Howard Gardner's brilliant conception of individual competence has changed the face of education in the twenty-three years since the publication of his classic work, Frames of Mind. Since then thousands of educators, parents, and researchers have explored the practical implications and applications of Multiple Intelligences theory--the powerful notion that there are separate human capacities, ranging from musical intelligence to the intelligence involved in self-understanding. The first decade of research on MI theory and practice was reported in the 1993 edition of Multiple Intelligences. This new... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |