The relationship between performance in dynamic systems and intelligence

Abstract System dynamics is a field that emphasizes the complex demands on human decision‐makers and the cognitive processes that are either wired into the brain by nature or by education or that are stimulated by nurture. The world can be regarded as a complex system and it is a fascinating question how the human brain has adapted to its complexity and survived. Of considerable interest are the human dispositions or characteristics that are responsible for survival and adaptation. Are individual differences in human ability, aptitude, personality, or knowledge the origin of failures and successes in complex environments? These constructs are at the center of much research in psychology and cognitive sciences. Much controversy has revolved around whether dispositions like intelligence or situational constraints and characteristics of the environment are the most important predictive and explanatory constructs. The present work describes recent psychological research on working memory, intelligence, and performance on complex tasks. This research shows that intelligence, combined with personality and interests, are indeed constructs of impressive power in predicting performance. Implications of this research for selecting, educating, and training managers and decision‐makers in charge of handling such complex systems are proposed and elaborated. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.