15 Sep “Intelligent People Tend To Be More Skilled in Chess”

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Chess (Wikipedia image)

Mr. Alexander Burgoyne
Department of Psychology
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Within the field of psychology, the question of whether intelligence has a role in chess expertise has been debated since at least 1927 with the publication of
“Psychologie des schachspiels” by Djakow, Petrowski, and Rudik.

More recently, the titles of popular press books such as Talent is Overrated speak to the belief that individual differences in abilities, such as intelligence, do not matter, or can be circumvented by training.

We analyzed a half-century worth of research on intelligence and chess skill and found that cognitive ability contributes meaningfully to individual differences in chess skill, particularly in younger and/or less skill players.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Simply put, intelligent people tend to be more skilled in chess.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: Returning to the hypothesis that the role of intelligence in chess could be circumvented by training, our results indicate that the relationship between cognitive ability and chess skill may decrease as people become more skilled. However, there was still a relationship between cognitive ability and chess skill in skilled players. Future research should investigate whether intelligence continues to play a role at the very highest levels of skill.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Response: I would like to thank my co-authors, Zach Hambrick, Giovanni Sala, Fernand Gobet, Guillermo Campitelli, and Brooke Macnamara; their help on this project was indispensable.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:

The relationship between cognitive ability and chess skill: A comprehensive meta-analysis
Alexander P. Burgoynea,  Giovanni Salab,Fernand Gobetb,Brooke N. Macnamarac,Guillermo CampitellidDavid Z. Hambricka
Intelligence
Available online 20 August 2016

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

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Last Updated on September 15, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD