Is working memory a better predictor of academic success than IQ?

[Mogarrr]

Here's an interesting article I found today: http://sharpbrains.com/blog/2010/01...better-predictor-of-academic-success-than-iq/

It seems that working memory is a better predictor of academic success than IQ.

 

[Borek]

If memory serves me well, marshmallow test (AKA delayed gratification test) predicts better than IQ as well.

 

[Choppy]

Such tests should come with a warning along the lines of "please use responsibly."

I sometimes worry that someone (particularly on a school board or with some kind of political power) is going to read such research and, based on the scores students get on a test taken when they are 5 years old,
introduce initiatives that:
- segregate students
- limit opportunities for students
- design a curriculum to enhance performace on these tests at the expense of far more practical aspects of the curriculum.

Other concerns are that some students who otherwise enjoyed something that's generally considered intellectually demanding like any of the sciences or engineering disciplines will now turn away from them because they get a below average score on some internet test.

This isn't to knock the validity or the importance of such research.

 

[WWGD]

I think there is also something to be said for being able to keep one's attention focused on a single topic for long periods of time. I remember reading that Newton would spend many days focused on a single issue.