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Do Attentional Lapses Account for the Worst Performance Rule?

Christoph Löffler1,2, Gidon T Frischkorn3, Jan Rummel1

  • 1Institute of Psychology, Heidelberg University, Hauptstr. 47-51, 66917 Heidelberg, Germany.

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|January 25, 2022
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Summary

The worst performance rule (WPR), where slowest responses predict intelligence, is explained by attentional lapses. These lapses, more frequent in less intelligent individuals, cause slower reaction times, supporting the attentional lapses account.

Keywords:
attentional lapsesattentional lapses accountintelligencemultilevel analysistask-unrelated thoughtsworst performance rule

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Psychometrics

Background:

  • The worst performance rule (WPR) suggests slowest responses are more predictive of intelligence than average or fastest responses.
  • An attentional lapses account proposes that individuals with lower intelligence experience more attention lapses, leading to skewed reaction time distributions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To empirically test the attentional lapses account of the WPR.
  • To determine if including measures of attentional lapses eliminates the WPR pattern.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a hierarchical modeling approach with behavioral, self-report, and neural measures of attentional lapses.
  • Analyzed data from an initial sample (N=85) and replicated findings in a larger, previously published dataset.

Main Results:

  • Attentional lapses were found to account for the WPR phenomenon.
  • Individual covariates related to attentional lapses showed small to very small effect sizes.
  • Replication in a larger dataset confirmed the primary findings.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides empirical support for the attentional lapses account of the WPR.
  • While attentional lapses explain the WPR, their individual contribution to the effect is modest.