Individual Differences in Cognition from a Neurophysiological Perspective: The Commentaries

Abstract

We think this is an open empirical question. A good analogy is the concept of general intelligence, which has been the focus of many recent neuroscience studies. It is ultimately an empirical question as to whether intelligence is best described as a single monolithic construct or in terms of narrower lower-order abilities (e.g., visuospatial ability, verbal intelligence, etc.). Some studies have found important brain structural and functional correlates of general intelligence, when treated as a monolithic construct (e.g., Thompson). However, other work has led potential to refinement or revision of the construct (e.g., placing focus on lower-level processes, such as interference control). The concept of arousal has received less attention in cognitive neuroscience research, but the situation may nevertheless be similar. Is there a monolithic arousal system in the brain? Perhaps not, just as few people would argue that there is a single “intelligence system”; on the other hand, we suspect that when arousal is operationalized in relatively general ways – e.g., in terms of individuals’ propensity to respond to emotional stimuli, their basal activity level, etc. – there will be identifiable neural correlates.