The reliability paradox: Why robust cognitive tasks do not produce reliable individual differences

• Published in: Behavior research methods Vol. 50; no. 3; pp. 1166 - 1186
• Main Authors: Hedge, Craig, Powell, Georgina, Sumner, Petroc
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2018
• Subjects: Behavioral Science and Psychology; Brain - physiology; Cognition - physiology; Cognitive Psychology; Cues; Female; Humans; Individuality; Male; Neuropsychology; Psychology; Reaction Time - physiology; Reproducibility of Results; Task Performance and Analysis; Reaction time; Difference scores; Response control; Reliability; Individual differences

Individual differences in cognitive paradigms are increasingly employed to relate cognition to brain structure, chemistry, and function. However, such efforts are often unfruitful, even with the most well established tasks. Here we offer an explanation for failures in the application of robust cogni...