The modified blink reflex and individual differences in speed of processing

Two studies investigated a new method of measuring speed of processing. The method takes advantage of the fact that attributes of the blink reflex change systematically when the temporal relationship between a blink reflex eliciting stimulus and a modifying stimulus (for example, a tone that itself does not elicit a reflex blink) is manipulated. The modified blink reflex (MBR) was measured across conditions that manipulated the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between a reflex-eliciting tap to the forehead and a modifying tone. Slope values, which indexed the rate of change in the MBR across conditions, were calculated for each subject in an attempt to index the speed with which individuals processed the tone. Subjects were tested for intelligence using Raven's Progressive Matrices. Inspection time (IT), a behavioral measure of speed of processing, was also measured. In the first study the expected negative correlation between Raven's and IT was obtained and slopes of MBR onset latency correlated with both Raven's and IT in the predicted opposite directions — faster processors (high Raven's, low IT) demonstrated a more rapid change in onset latency of the MBR across conditions. The results of a second study, which replicated those of Study 1 for males only, are reported and the implications are discussed.

[1]  M. Masson,et al.  Using confidence intervals in within-subject designs , 1994, Psychonomic bulletin & review.

[2]  T. Nettelbeck.  Inspection time and intelligence. , 1987 .

[3]  N. Swerdlow,et al.  A preliminary assessment of sensorimotor gating in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder , 1993, Biological Psychiatry.

[4]  H. J. Eysenck,et al.  Advances in psychophysiology: J.R. Jennings, P.K. Ackles & M.G.H. Coles (Eds) Vol.5 (1993).320 pp. £42.50 (hardback). ISBN 185302 191 1 , 1994 .

[5]  P. Vernon.  Speed of Information-Processing and Intelligence: , 1988 .

[6]  A. Jensen,et al.  Reaction Time and Psychometric g , 1982 .

[7]  Mike Anderson,et al.  Inspection time, information processing and the development of intelligence , 1988 .

[8]  C. Brunia,et al.  The effect of an acoustic warning stimulus upon the electrically elicited blink reflex in humans. , 1991, Psychophysiology.

[9]  J. Stevens,et al.  Outliers and influential data points in regression analysis. , 1984 .

[10]  Ken Knibb,et al.  A dynamic mask for inspection time , 1992 .

[11]  Howard Wainer,et al.  Influence-enhanced scatterplots. , 1981 .

[12]  H. Eysenck,et al.  A Model for intelligence , 1982 .

[13]  H. Wainer,et al.  Three steps towards robust regression , 1976 .

[14]  A. Jensen,et al.  Equating the Standard and Advanced Forms of the Raven Progressive Matrices , 1988 .

[15]  Ian J. Deary,et al.  Neuroscience and human intelligence differences , 1997, Trends in Neurosciences.

[16]  Michael Davis.  The Mammalian Startle Response , 1984 .

[17]  N. Swerdlow,et al.  Changes in sensorimotor inhibition across the menstrual cycle: Implications for neuropsychiatric disorders , 1997, Biological Psychiatry.

[18]  H. Hoffman,et al.  Reflex modification in the domain of startle: II. The anomalous history of a robust and ubiquitous phenomenon. , 1983, Psychological bulletin.

[19]  David A. Smith,et al.  Test-retest reliability of prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response , 1993, Biological Psychiatry.

[20]  P. Vernon,et al.  Peripheral nerve conduction velocity, reaction time, and intelligence: an attempt to replicate Vernon and Mori (1992) , 1994 .

[21]  J. Raven,et al.  Manual for Raven's progressive matrices and vocabulary scales , 1962 .

[22]  H. Hoffman,et al.  Eyeblink inhibition by monaural and binaural stimulation: one ear is better than two. , 1976, Science.

[23]  U. Tan.  Correlations between nonverbal intelligence and peripheral nerve conduction velocity in right-handed subjects: sex-related differences. , 1996, International journal of psychophysiology : official journal of the International Organization of Psychophysiology.

[24]  Robert C. Eaton,et al.  Neural Mechanisms of Startle Behavior , 1984 .

[25]  H. Hoffman,et al.  Reflex modification by acoustic signals in newborn infants and in adults. , 1985, Journal of experimental child psychology.