Editorial: The Genetic Overlap Between Cognitive Abilities and a Transdiagnostic Vulnerability for Psychopathology

Cognitive abilities, such as working memory, selective attention, inhibition, alertness, and flexibility, are collectively known as executive functioning (EF), which is essential in daily life routines. For instance, EF is important when planning a series of actions, in novel situations, or during the performance of complex tasks. General intelligence, or g, is a related construct and involves, for instance, the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, and learn from experience. The concept g is usually measured with a psychometric intelligence test. It has been known for more than a decade that EF and, in particular, g are negatively correlated with psychopathology. Yet, the underlying source of this correlation is largely unknown.