title: What can individual differences tell us about the specialization of function?
abstract: Can the study of individual differences inform debates about modularity and the specialization of function? In this article, we consider the implications of a highly replicated, robust finding known as positive manifold: Individual differences in different cognitive domains tend to be positively intercorrelated. Prima facie, this fact, which has generally been interpreted as reflecting the influence of a domain-general cognitive factor, might be seen as posing a serious challenge to a strong view of modularity. Drawing on a mixture of meta-analysis and computer simulation, we show that positive manifold derives instead largely from between-task neural overlap, suggesting a potential way of reconciling individual differences with some form of modularity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA. rabaglia@nyu.edu
authors.forename: Cristina D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Rabaglia
authors.forename: Gary F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Marcus
authors.forename: Sean P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Lane
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests