Siegfried Lehrl

The basic parameters of human information processing: Their role in the determination of intelligence

Information psychology deals with information processing in humans which is measured in terms of time units (sec) and information units (bits) and is described by relatively simple models. The model of psychostructure is crucial. It adequately refers to information processing which runs as sequential dichotomous decisions on a ‘yes-no’ or an ‘on-off’ basis. The information unit 1 bit is allocated to each decision. Three basic parameters are important in central information processing: (1) The information flow to the short term storage CK (15.0 ± 3.1 bit/sec in adults). (2) The duration of presence (retention in primary memory) = TR (5.4 ± 0.8 sec in adults). (3) The basic speed of learning CV (depending on the time to retrieval: 0.01 to 1.00 bit/sec in adults). These capacities increase continuously from childhood to adulthood. Within each age group there are remarkable individual differences which exceed variations of biological variables such as body length or brain weight by far. The prerequisite of information psychological measurement is to determine the information content of the stimuli and the reactions and to measure the time between the stimulus and the response. Based on this it is shown that the basic parameters are unspecific, because the type of information, the sensory modalities and the repertory of signs do not alter the results. Besides, the parameters are independent of each other and reach the level of a ratio scale. According to other concepts and other empirical findings, CK and TR determine the intelligence quotient including the vocabulary while CV corresponds to mechanical learning. Tests for these parameters are given.

A basic information psychological parameter (BIP) for the reconstruction of concepts of intelligence

Adherents of the Galton paradigm favour the concept that the simple parameter ‘speed of information processing’ has a physiological basis and determines complex achievements assessed in intelligence tests as well as social success. These assumptions are supported by inter‐individual correlations. Further supporting evidence comes from total measurement where not only the information content of the stimuli is measured, but also the time to process them. This reveals an individually constant period during which 1 bit of information is processed. It is called the ‘basic period of information processing’ (BIP), which lasts 1/15 s (= 67 ms) in average adults (IQ 100) and is constant over the ranges from which target stimuli can be drawn and over varying modes of the signs (letters, numbers, musical notes, etc.). In representative samples of adults duration of BIP correlates with global IQ (r ≅ −0.60): We conclude that the BIP of an adult with an IQ of 122 is 50 ms and with an IQ of 78 twice as long (100 ms). We consider BIP to be a physiological and general determinant of intelligence, being measurable at a ratio or even an absolute scale level. Thus, it appears to be suitable as a building unit for reconstructing the rather fuzzy traditional concept of general intelligence.

Der impact-faktor als bewertungskriterium wissenschaftlicher leistungen — das recht auf chancengleichheit

HintergrundBewertungen der wissenschaftlichen Leistungen von Zeitschriften, einzelnen Arbeiten, Wissenschaftlern und Forschungsgruppen, zum Beispiel für Förderungsentscheidungen, legen zunehmend den Impact-Faktor (IF) zugrunde, den das Institute for Scientific Information regelmäβ ig in den Journal Citation Reports JCR veröffentlicht.Fragestellungen1. Wie valide ist der IF bei der Zuordnung zu Zeitschriften, Artikeln, Wissenschaftlern und Forschungsgruppen? 2. Haben diese alle die gleiche Chance, bewertet zu werden? 3. Wie erreicht man faire Bewertungen? 4. Wie erhöht man die Validität bei der Bewertung wissenschaftlicher Leistungen?ErgebnisseDer IF bezieht sich auf die Beiträge der letzten zwei Kalenderjahre einer Zeitschrift. Der Wert entspricht der durchschnittlichen Anzahl an Zitationen, die ein Artikel von den in den JCR erfaβ ten Zeitschriften erhielt. Wie die Auswahl der zitierenden sowie mit dem IF versehenen Publikationsorgane erfolgt, ist nicht vollständig bekannt. Die Zitationen haben zwar keine gleichen Meβ einheiten, die empirischen Befunde rechtfertigen aber die Anwendung. Die IF der Zeitschriften und die Zitationsraten ihrer Beiträge sind rechtsseitig schief verteilt, und letztere streuen zudem stark. Deshalb entspricht der IF einer Zeitschrift selten der tatsächlichen Zitationsmenge ihrer Artikel. Er überschätzt meistens die Zitationshäufigkeit und Qualität. Die in seiner Anwendung auf Artikel vorherrschende Schwäche, Leistungen mit niedriger und hoher Qualität ungenügend zu erkennen, erhöht sich noch hinsichtlich Wissenschaftlern und kleinen Forschungsgruppen. Sie erniedrigt sich wieder bei umfangreicheren Forschungsgruppen, die in zwei Jahren wenigstens 100 Arbeiten veröffentlichen. Versteht man unter dem Ausmaβ einer wissenschaftlichen Leistung, wieviel Information eine Arbeit zum Stand der Wissenschaften hinzufügt, dann gelten Sprachigkeit, Aktualität usw. wegen der relativ hohen Zitationsraten von englischen, biomedizinischen, aktuellen Artikeln und Übersichtsarbeiten als Störvariablen.Schluβ folgerungenBewertungen durch den IF sollten sich auf Zeitschriften und groβ e Forschungsgruppen beschränken. Die Fairneβ gebietet Vergleiche zwischen homogenen Zeitschriften hinsichtlich der Störvariablen. Für alle Zeitschriften sollte die Bewertung durch den IF offen sein, wenn sie die Mindestkriterien für eine international kommunizierende Wissenschaft erfüllen. Dazu gehören Titel, Schlüsselwörter und Abstract auf Englisch und Erfüllung weiterer Standards wie Autorenadressen und Gutachtersystem. Zeitschriften bilden oft den Mittelpunkt von Wissenschaftskulturen, aus denen immer wieder Weltklasseforschung hervorgeht. Die Nutzer können in Mitverantwortung einiges dazu beitragen, den IF “ihrer” Zeitschrift zu erhöhen, andererseits aber auch darauf achten, daβ seine Anwendungsgrenzen eingehalten werden.AbstractBackgroundRegularly the Institute of Scientific Information publishes the impact factor (IF) that plays an increasing role when the scientific quality of scientific performances of journals, single publications, scientists, and research groups have to be evaluated in order to support them.QuestionsHow valid is the IF assigned to journals, single publications, scientists, and research groups? Have all these the same chance to be evaluated? How can fairness of evaluation be increased? Can its validity be improved?ResultsThe value of IF equals the average number of citations per article published in the preceding 2 calender years in a journal. The criteria for selection of citing journals and of those with an “official” IF are not fully explicated. Although the citations have no equal units of measurement, empirical findings confirm their pragmatic applicability. IF of journals and even the citation rates of its articles are skewedly distributed to right hand. Additionnally, the citation rates of the articles within a journal vary. Therefore, the IF of journals rarely equal the actual citation rates of their articles. Usually, IF overestimates the citation rate and quality of the articles. Its tendency not to recognize low and high quality even increases when IF is administered to individual scientists and small research groups, whereas it decreases in large research groups. Under the premise that the extent of scientific quality corresponds to the amount of information a paper adds to the state of science, language, actuality etc. are confounders because English, reviewing, biomedical, and actual articles have preferred citation rates.ConclusionsEvaluation of scientific performances by IF is to be restricted to journals and large research groups. Fairness demands comparisons to homogeneous journals with respect to confounders such as language. Principally, no journal should be excluded to obtain an IF if it fullfills the minimum criteria of an internationally communicating science. For this purpose they have to provide a title, key words, and an abstract in English, a peer review system etc. Often journals are the centre of science cultures that are able to generate research of highest levels. The users can contribute to increase the IF of “their” journal and to care for the valid application of this indicator.

Negative pressure wound therapy for seroma prevention and surgical incision treatment in spinal fracture care

To evaluate the clinical use and economic aspects of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) after dorsal stabilisation of spinal fractures. This study is a prospective randomised evaluation of NPWT in patients with large surgical wounds after surgical stabilisation of spinal fractures by internal fixation. Patients were randomised to either standard wound dressing treatment (group A) or NPWT (group B). The wound area was examined by ultrasound to measure seroma volumes in both groups on the 5th and 10th day after surgery. Furthermore, data on economic aspects such as nursing time for wound care and material used for wound dressing were evaluated. A total of 20 patients (10 in each group) were enrolled. Throughout the whole study, mean seroma volume was significantly higher in group A than that in group B (day 5: 1·9 ml versus 0 ml; P = 0·0007; day 10: 1·6 ml versus 0·5 ml; P <0·024). Furthermore, patients of group A required more wound care time (group A: 31 ± 10 minutes; group B 13·8 ± 6 minutes; P = 0·0005) and more number of compresses (total number; group A 35 ± 15; group B 11 ± 3; P = 0·0376). NPWT reduced the development of postoperative seroma, reduced nursing time and reduced material required for wound care.

What contribution can the Hachinski ischemic scale make to the differential diagnosis between multi-infarct dementia and primary degenerative dementia?

Five research studies in which clinical diagnoses using the Hachinski Ischemic Scale (HIS) underwent neuropathological verification were analysed. These studies reveal that the HIS differentiates between multi-infarct dementia (MID) and dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) with only limited accuracy. To some extent, there are considerable differences between the studies as regards the methodology and the patient population. However, there are indications that some items of the ischemic scale clearly distinguish between MID and DAT, whereas others hardly do so or some do not distinguish at all between these two conditions. If the HIS is revised according to the present findings, it can become a more valid differential diagnostic instrument. Such a diagnostic instrument which may be applied without any other technical equipment is required today, since epidemiological data and demographic prognoses show that the prevalence of dementing illnesses will markedly increase in the future.

Führen erworbene Hörverluste bei Erwachsenen zu Intelligenzminderungen

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Mean curves of the age course of intelligence drop shortly after early adulthood.This is particularly true of fluid intelligence, which corresponds to the immediate management of information. Less affected is crystallized intelligence, i.e. acquired knowledge.Overviews indicate that visual impairment such as cataracts explain a large portion of this intelligence loss, and that the restitution of visual capacity conspicuously increases fluid intelligence. The question also arises as to whether hearing loss acquired in adulthood can cause a similar loss in mental efficiency. METHODS This question was investigated by reviewing the relevant literature. RESULTS Several studies were found involving aspects of the relationship between acquired hearing loss and the impairment of intelligence. In general, the expected association was confirmed. CONCLUSIONS By and large,we can expect acquired hearing loss to lead to an impairment of fluid intelligence. In the long-term, such a loss can also reduce the crystallized intelligence. Such decreases are disadvantageous in many areas of an information based society.ZusammenfassungHintergrund und Fragestellung. Durchschnittskurven des Altersverlaufs von Intelligenzausprägungen fallen ab dem frühen bis mittleren Erwachsenenalter deutlich ab.Dies betrifft besonders die fluide Intelligenz, die Fähigkeit zum aktuellen Informationsmanagement, und weniger die kristallisierte Intelligenz, d. h. das erworbene Wissen.Wenn nach Überblicksstudien Sehminderungen wie der graue Star (Katarakt) bei Betroffenen einen großen Teil der Intelligenzminderungen erklären und wenn die Wiederherstellung der Sehtüchtigkeit die fluide Intelligenz innerhalb weniger Wochen beträchtlich erhöht, stellt sich die Frage, ob im Erwachsenenalter erworbene Hörverluste nicht ebenfalls zu geistigen Leistungseinbußen führen. Methodik. Durchführung von Literaturrecherchen. Ergebnisse. Es wurden viele Studien gefunden, die Aufschluss über Beziehungen zwischen erworbenen Hörverlusten und Intelligenzminderungen geben. Die Erwartungenwurden meistens bestätigt. Schlussfolgerungen. Im Großen und Ganzen ist zu erwarten, dass erworbene Hörverluste bei Erwachsenen kurzfristig zu fluiden und langfristig zusätzlich zu kristallisierten Intelligenzminderungen führen.Derartige Minderungen haben in einer Informationsgesellschaft auf vielen Gebieten nachteilige Folgen.AbstractBackground and objective. Mean curves of the age course of intelligence drop shortly after early adulthood.This is particularly true of fluid intelligence, which corresponds to the immediate management of information. Less affected is crystallized intelligence, i.e. acquired knowledge.Overviews indicate that visual impairment such as cataracts explain a large portion of this intelligence loss, and that the restitution of visual capacity conspicuously increases fluid intelligence. The question also arises as to whether hearing loss acquired in adulthood can cause a similar loss in mental efficiency. Methods. This question was investigated by reviewing the relevant literature. Results. Several studies were found involving aspects of the relationship between acquired hearing loss and the impairment of intelligence. In general, the expected association was confirmed. Conclusions. By and large,we can expect acquired hearing loss to lead to an impairment of fluid intelligence. In the long-term, such a loss can also reduce the crystallized intelligence. Such decreases are disadvantageous in many areas of an information based society.

Early recognition of high quality researchers of the German psychiatry by worldwide accessible bibliometric indicators

BackgroundPublication and citation rates mark the research activity and research quality of scientists.QuestionAre bibliometric indicators valid instruments for early recognition of high quality researchers?Subjects and methodsThe number of publications and citations of 26 assistant, associate and full professors of German psychiatry born after 1947 was analysed in their 30th and 31st year of age and between 1996 and 2000.Results58% of the selected 30 or 31 year old scientists had at least one publication in a journal with an impact factor, 93% of these as first or single author. 42% in this age group were at least cited once. Publication and citation rates in the early stage of a career provide hints on the later bibliometric data and the academic degree of scientists.ConclusionHigh quality researchers can be recognised early in their careers by means of worldwide accessible bibliometric indicators.