Speed of Information Processing: Developmental Change and Links to Intelligence

Abstract This article explores the nature and consequences of developmental change in speed of information processing. The first part of the article summarizes evidence indicating that age differences in processing speed reflect developmental change in a global mechanism that limits processing speed on most tasks. The second part of the article describes evidence that suggests a role for processing speed in the development of intelligence. The article concludes with some implications of these findings for theories and assessment of intelligence.

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