Neuroergonomics of Individual Differences in Cognition: Molecular Genetic Studies

Abstract

Neuroergonomics—the study of brain and behaviour at work (Parasuraman, 2003; Parasuraman & Rizzo, 2007)—has grown rapidly owing, in part, to the development and availability of noninvasive techniques for imaging the stmcture and function of the human brain (Parasuraman, 2011b; Posner, 2012). As the use of neuroimaging and brain stimulation techniques in human factors and ergonomics has advanced (e.g. Clark et al., 2012; James et al., 2011; Just et al., 2008; Wilson, 2001), researchers have increasingly turned to address an important, but relatively neglected, issue in human performance: individual differences. That people differ, both in their behaviour and in the functioning of their brains, is well known and appreciated. But, typically, such variability between participants is not emphasized when researchers report the results of their studies. Yet, it can be argued that it is not only important to consider such interindividual differences quantitatively, but also to examine ways in which one can incorporate such variability in theories of neurocognitive functioning.