Carmen Flores-Mendoza | UFMG - The Federal University of Minas Gerais (original) (raw)

Papers by Carmen Flores-Mendoza

Memory, 2006

Storage-oriented memory span tasks with no explicit concurrent processing are usually referred as... more Storage-oriented memory span tasks with no explicit concurrent processing are usually referred as shortterm memory (STM) tasks, whereas tasks involving storage plus concurrent processing requirements are designated as working memory (WM) tasks. The present study explores a question that remains unsolved: Do STM and WM tasks clearly tap distinguishable theoretical constructs? For that purpose, a large sample of 403 participants was tested through 12 diverse memory span tasks. Half of those tasks are widely accepted as measures of STM, whereas the other half measure WM. The results show that STM and WM share largely overlapping underlying capacity limitations, suggesting that all memory span tasks tap essentially the same construct. Some implications are discussed.

Psicologia: Teoria E Pesquisa, 2001

Psicologia: Teoria E Pesquisa, 2006

The present article presents and discusses the empirical evidences derived from the analysis of t... more The present article presents and discusses the empirical evidences derived from the analysis of the relationship between two key constructs of both human information processing and psychology of individual differences, namely: working memory and general factor of intelligence (g). Empirical evidences supports the isomorphism between both constructs although the reason why such isomorphism is kept remains unknown. In some studies results support the important role of controlled attention, while others recognize the favour short-term storage (and short-term recognition speed) as nuclear components underlying such relationship. The core academic discussions around this topic, as well as data collected in recent investigations conducted by the authors are described. The main findings of our group are consistent with the perspective that the capacity for short-term storage, as well as for short-term recognition speed, account for the strong relationship between the working memory and the g factor.

Intelligence, 2008

Working memory and the general factor of intelligence (g) are highly related constructs. However,... more Working memory and the general factor of intelligence (g) are highly related constructs. However, we still don't know why. Some models support the central role of simple short-term storage, whereas others appeal to executive functions like the control of attention. Nevertheless, the available empirical evidence does not suffice to get an answer, presumably because relevant measures are frequently considered in isolation. To overcome this problem, here we consider concurrently simple short-term storage, mental speed, updating, and the control of attention along with working memory and intelligence measures, across three separate studies. Several diverse measures are administered to a total of 661 participants. The findings are consistent with the view that simple shortterm storage largely accounts for the relationship between working memory and intelligence. Mental speed, updating, and the control of attention are not consistently related to working memory, and they are not genuinely associated with intelligence once the short-term storage component is removed.

Personality and Individual Differences, 2003

The correlation perspective shows that working memory (WM) is strongly related to psychometric in... more The correlation perspective shows that working memory (WM) is strongly related to psychometric intelligence. Although there are numerous psychometric abilities, there is a powerful single source of variance, namely, g. g Is evidenced by the positive correlation between all psychometric cognitive abilities. The construct of WM distinguishes contents (verbal, numerical, spatial) and operations (storage and processing). However, some studies found a high correlation between several diverse WM tasks, which supports the construct validity of the concept of WM as one general cognitive resource. This study explores the structure of WM drawing on the methodology of intelligence structure research. Then, WM is related to intelligence. One hundred and eighty-seven participants took part in the study. WM was assessed through eight computerized tasks, while intelligence was assessed through the Raven Matrices or the PMA-R. The results show that WM can be considered as one general cognitive resource and that this resource is strongly related with intelligence (r=+0.7). The statement that there is something underlying WM and intelligence is discussed. #

Intelligence, 2007

This study explores whether or not intelligence tests' scores predict individual differences in s... more This study explores whether or not intelligence tests' scores predict individual differences in scholastic achievement irrespective of SES factors such parents' income and education. The variables of interest are analyzed considering three independent samples of participants comprising a total of 641 children. The participants belonged to a Brazilian School characterized by broad and representative ranges in intelligence, scholastic achievement, and SES factors. The results indicate that SES factors do not predict children differences in scholastic achievement, whereas children's intelligence tests' scores predict their scholastic differences. These results underscore personal intelligence as a genuine predictor of individual differences in scholastic achievement.

Journal of Biosocial Science, 2007

Although gains in generational intelligence test scores have been widely demonstrated around the ... more Although gains in generational intelligence test scores have been widely demonstrated around the world, researchers still do not know what has caused them. The cognitive stimulation and nutritional hypotheses summarize the several diverse potential causes that have been considered. This article analyses data for a sample of 499 children tested in 1930 and one equivalent sample of 710 children tested 72 years later, the largest gap ever considered. Both samples comprised children aged between 7 and 11 who were assessed by the Draw-a-Man test in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Further, one additional sample of 132 children was assessed in 2004 in a rural area very similar in several diverse factors to the 1930 urban sample. The results are consistent with both the cognitive stimulation and the nutritional hypotheses.

Personality and Individual Differences, 2005

This study examined the relationships among short-term memory (STM), working memory (WM), and gen... more This study examined the relationships among short-term memory (STM), working memory (WM), and general intelligence (g). Two independent samples of participants performed several verbal, quantitative, and spatial STM and WM tasks, as well as a broad set of tests measuring psychometric intelligence. The constructs are carefully sampled to include heterogeneous tasks and tests to control the effect of unwanted variance. The results have several points of interest. First, there is a strong correlation between STM and WM. Second, WM is a slightly better predictor of g than STM. Third, when the correlation between STM and WM is statistically controlled, the unique predictive power of WM is small, which suggests that the short-term storage component of the WM system largely drives the relationship between WM and g.

RESUMO: A inteligência emocional talvez seja o conceito psicológico mais popular do final do sécu... more RESUMO: A inteligência emocional talvez seja o conceito psicológico mais popular do final do século XX. Rodeada mais de expectativa do que comprovação científica, a inteligência emocional não alcança, ainda, uma definição semântica e tampouco de validade psicométrica para que possamos considerá-la um tipo de inteligência. Com base era estudos recentes, o artigo apresenta uma reflexão crítica sobre a inteligência emocional e os instrumentos disponíveis para medi-la e aponta algumas direções para futuras pesquisas.

Tradicionalmente, a inteligência é avaliada por instrumentos psicométricos. Em se tratando da ava... more Tradicionalmente, a inteligência é avaliada por instrumentos psicométricos. Em se tratando da avaliação cognitiva na primeira infância (0 a 36 meses de idade), os testes geralmente baseiam-se em critérios de desempenho psicomotor. Meio século de pesquisas tem demonstrado pouca ou nenhuma associação entre o que é requisitado nas escalas clássicas de desenvolvimento infantil e a performance cognitiva nos anos posteriores. Tais resultados fortaleceram a crença na descontinuidade do desenvolvimento da inteligência ao longo do ciclo vital. No entanto, há recentes evidências de que medidas de processamento de informação podem trazer respostas ao desafio de encontrar maiores correlações entre as pontuações em inteligência nos primeiros anos de vida e posteriores do que as obtidas por meio dos testes de desenvolvimento psicomotor. Índices de habituação visual e preferência pela novidade, bastante livres de requisitos motores, têm apresentado moderada validade preditiva em relação ao desenvolvimento cognitivo. No presente trabalho apresentam-se os principais estudos a esse respeito. Palavras-Chave: Inteligência; Primeira infância; Habituação; Preferência pelo novo.

Psicologia Em Estudo, 2007

Owing to the almost lack of a national research on psychological testing for the evaluation of bl... more Owing to the almost lack of a national research on psychological testing for the evaluation of blind people, a psychometric study has been developed with the WISC-III and WAIS-III verbal scales. After adaptations in stimuli and instructions, scales were applied to 120 children and 52 adults in Belo Horizonte MG Brazil. Results show that modified verbal scales had a good internal consistency (a > 0.80) and the factorial analysis clearly indicated the presence of a single principal component. Actually it explains a total of 81% and 64% for WISC III and WAIS III respectively. Since adaptations do not affect the factorial structure of the above-mentioned scales, professionals may use the modified scales to measure the intelligence of blind people.

Estudos De Psicologia (campinas), 2007

The study had as objective to raise information about the rural children cognition. This sample w... more The study had as objective to raise information about the rural children cognition. This sample was composed by 144 rural children, aged from 6 to11 years old, who live in a very poor village localized in the north of Minas Gerais State. The Coloured Matrices Progressives test was applied as well as three subtests from Wechsler Intelligence Scale for ChildrenIII [Arithmetic, Digit Span and Code]. The results showed that, in general, the differences in performance on these tests were associated to age only in younger groups. The comparison between the rural children sample (n=59) to the urban children one (n=143), aged from 7 to 8 years old and all of them academic level equivalent, pointed 30 points of intellectual quotient difference on Raven, and 16.18 points of intellectual quotient difference on two verbal subtests [Arithmetic and Digit Span]. It was concluded that environmental deficits affect more the fluid intelligence than the crystallized intelligence.

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