The relationship between performance in dynamic systems and intelligence

Abstract

System dynamics is a field that emphasizes the complex demands on human decisionmakers and the cognitive processes that are either wired into the brain by nature or by education or that are stimulated by nurture. The world can be regarded as a complex system and it is a fascinating question how the human brain has adapted to its complexity and survived. Of considerable interest are the human dispositions or characteristics that are responsible for survival and adaptation. Are individual differences in human ability, aptitude, personality, or knowledge the origin of failures and successes in complex environments? These constructs are at the center of much research in psychology and cognitive sciences. Much controversy has revolved around whether dispositions like intelligence or situational constraints and characteristics of the environment are the most important predictive and explanatory constructs. The present work describes recent psychological research on working memory, intelligence, and performance on complex tasks. This research shows that intelligence, combined with personality and interests, are indeed constructs of impressive power in predicting performance. Implications of this research for selecting, educating, and training managers and decision-makers in charge of handling such complex systems are proposed and elaborated.

Complex problem solving: a case for complex cognition?

“…In the last 30 years, such microworlds have been used in numerous studies (for reviews, see Funke 1991Funke , 1995Funke and Frensch 2007;Osman 2009). There is a still ongoing debate if complex problem solving is a competence on its own (the related concept of operative intelligence is presented below), or if it is merely a subpart of ''intelligence'' Kluwe et al 1991;Kröner et al 2005;Rigas and Brehmer 1999;Strohschneider 1991;Süß 1996Süß , 1999Süß et al 1991;Wenke and Frensch 2003;Wittmann and Hattrup 2004). I will not answer this question here but point to one central question: Is complex problem solving a good case for complex cognition?…”

Complex problem solving — More than reasoning?

“…Earlier CPS-research in particular reported zero-correlations (e.g., Joslyn & Hunt, 1998;Putz-Osterloh, 1981), while more recent studies revealed moderate to high correlations between CPS and reasoning (e.g., Wittmann & Hattrup, 2004;Wittmann & Süß, 1999). For instance, Gonzalez, Thomas, and Vanyukov (2005) showed that performance in the CPSscenarios Water Purification Plant (0.333, p b 0.05) and Firechief (0.605; p b 0.05) were moderately to highly correlated with APM.…”

The predictive qualities of operator characteristics for process control performance: The influence of personality and cognitive variables

“…First, an operator needs reasoning ability in order to develop hypotheses about the causal structure of the system. Second, reasoning with numbers has proven to be a predictor of performance in dealing with simulated complex systems (Wittmann andHattrup 2004, Kluge 2008). Third, an operator requires verbal and figural abilities in order to understand instructions, information and graphs given by the system (Wittmann andHattrup 2004, Kluge 2008).…”

“…Second, reasoning with numbers has proven to be a predictor of performance in dealing with simulated complex systems (Wittmann andHattrup 2004, Kluge 2008). Third, an operator requires verbal and figural abilities in order to understand instructions, information and graphs given by the system (Wittmann andHattrup 2004, Kluge 2008). Drawing on the empirical results presented in the literature, it is hypothesised that cognitive ability is positively related to process control performance.…”