ABILITY 

What is the cognitive approach to problem solving?

• Ability refers to the relatively stable capabilities people have to perform a particular  range of different but related activities.

– Ability is relatively stable.

– Abilities are a function of both genes and the environment.

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• Cognitive abilities are capabilities related to the acquisition and application of  knowledge in problem solving.

– Verbal ability refers to various capabilities associated with understanding and  expressing oral and written communication.  

• Oral comprehension is the ability to understand spoken words and  sentences.

What is deductive method of problem solving?

• Written comprehension is the ability to understand written words and  sentences.

• Oral expression refers to the ability to communicate ideas by  

speaking

• Written expression refers to the ability to communicate ideas in  writing

• Quantitative ability refers to two types of mathematical capabilities.  – Number facility is the capability to do simple math operations (adding,  subtracting, multiplying, and dividing).  

– Mathematical reasoning refers to the ability to choose and apply formulas to  solve problems that involve numbers.

• Reasoning ability is actually a diverse set of abilities associated with sensing and  solving problems using insight, rules, and logic.

What does it mean to have good spatial awareness?

– Problem sensitivity is the ability to sense that there’s a problem or likely will  be one.

• Ex: Radiologist who can read and understand x-rays

– Deductive reasoning refers to the use of general rules to solve problems. • Judge who can determine who is guilty based on rules We also discuss several other topics like What is the thinnest layer of the meninges?

– Inductive reasoning refers to the ability to consider several specific pieces of  information and then reach a more general conclusion regarding how those  pieces are related.  

• Like CSI; gather data and make conclusion based on that

– Originality refers to the ability to develop clever and novel ways to solve  problems.

• Creativity

• Spatial ability

– Spatial orientation refers to having a good understanding of where one is  relative to other things in the environment. Don't forget about the age old question of What should parents do to their child with special needs?

– Visualization is the ability to imagine how separate things will look if they  were put together in a particular way.

• Perceptual abilities generally refer to being able to perceive, understand, and recall  patterns of information.

– Speed and flexibility of closure refers to being able to pick out a pattern of  information quickly in the presence of distracting information, even without  all the information present.

– Perceptual speed refers to being able to examine and compare numbers,  letters, and objects quickly.

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• People who are high on verbal abilities also tend to be high on reasoning,  quantitative, spatial, and perceptual abilities.

• The most popular explanation for the similarity in the levels of different cognitive abilities within people is that there is a general mental ability —sometimes called  g or the g factor —that underlies or causes all of the more specific cognitive  abilities discussed so far.

• The “g-factor”

**Emotional Ability 

• Emotional intelligence is a human ability that affects social functioning. – Self-awareness is the appraisal and expression of emotions in oneself. • Ability of an individual to understand the types of emotions he or she  is experiencing, the willingness to acknowledge them, and the If you want to learn more check out Where is the thyroid gland located anatomically?

capability to express them naturally.

– Other awareness is the appraisal and recognition of emotion in others. • Person’s ability to recognize and understand the emotions that other  

people are feeling.

• Emotional intelligence, continued

– Emotion regulation refers to being able to recover quickly from emotional  experiences.

– Use of emotions reflects the degree to which people can harness emotions and  employ them to improve their chances of being successful in whatever they  are seeking to do. If you want to learn more check out What are the four stages of resocialization?

• Ex: When you are giving a speech, use your emotions positively to  

give you excitement rather than for anxiety

• It is a more important determinant of job performance for people with lower levels of  cognitive intelligence.

• It is the foundation for cultural intelligence.

Physical Abilities 

How Important is Ability 

• Cognitive ability is a strong predictor of job performance — in particular, the task  performance aspect.

• People who have higher general cognitive ability tend to be better at learning and  decision-making.

The Wonderlic Personnel Test 

• Given the strong relationship between general cognitive ability and job  performance, many organizations are using ability tests to hire new employees. • Wonderlic Personnel Test is a 12-minute test of general cognitive ability that  consists of 50 questions.

– Offers recommendations for minimum passing scores for different job  families.

Takeaways 

• Ability refers to the relatively stable capabilities of people to perform a particular  range of different but related activities. Differences in ability are a function of  both genes and the environment.

• Cognitive abilities include verbal ability, quantitative ability, reasoning ability,  spatial ability, and perceptual ability. General mental ability, or g, underlies all of  these more specific cognitive abilities.

• Emotional intelligence includes four specific kinds of emotional skills: self awareness, other awareness, emotion regulation, and use of emotions. • Physical abilities include strength, stamina, flexibility and coordination,  psychomotor abilities, and sensory abilities.

• General cognitive ability has a strong positive relationship with job performance,  due primarily to its effects on task performance. In contrast, general cognitive  ability is not related to organizational commitment.

• Many organizations use cognitive ability tests to hire applicants with high levels  of general mental ability. One of the most commonly used tests is the Wonderlic  Personnel Test.

❖ Your IQ peaks at 18 years old and slowly goes down over time b/c of your speed  and hand-eye coordination