New insights into human intelligence

Research at the University's Psychology Department is peeling back the layers to gain an insight into that most elusive concept, human intelligence.

Professor Graeme Halford and his colleagues have been studying factors likely to limit the amount of information a person can process in any one step.

This cognitive research has focused on problem solving, decision making and the effect on human performance caused by information processing overload
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While it might all sound very theoretical, the research has some sharp practical edges, for example in the field of education where it could affect curriculum design and teaching methods.

The findings could also apply to areas of command and control such as ambulance dispatch, air traffic control and fire fighting.

'It touches on fundamental questions about the capacity of people to process information. We are defining in strict scientific terms how much they can handle,' Professor Halford said.

'Human operators and decision makers often experience overload in the amount of information that needs to be attended to at one time.

'Typically the person has all the requisite knowledge and skills for the task but difficulties arise due to the sheer amount of information that must be integrated in a single decision.'

Professor Halford said research had shown the limiting factor was the complexity of relations that people could process at any one time.

'Humans are generally limited to recognising relations between four variables in parallel,' he said.

He said all too often information overload could be recognised only after the event by which time correction could be costly and failure to correct disastrous.

'Efficiency could be improved by recognising such problems in advance or by remedial action before an existing work situation causes trouble,' Professor Halford said.

For more information contact Professor Graeme Halford telephone 3365 6401