The Sounds and Sights of Intelligence: A Lens Model Channel Analysis

Abstract

The links between 13 auditory and visual behavioral cues, measured intelligence, and observer judgments of intelligence in a zero-acquaintance context were examined in a lens model study. Auditory-plus-visual, auditory-only, and visual-only information conditions, in addition to a transcript-only control condition, were employed to determine whether auditory or visual cues encode measured intelligence more strongly and which are used more in judgments of intelligence. Five cues (of both types) accounted for nearly half the variance in measured intelligence, but it was much more strongly associated with auditory than visual cues. Observers’ judgments of intelligence were also much more strongly related to auditory than visual cues. Visual cues may even depress accuracy; accuracy was higher in an auditory-only condition than in an auditory-plus-visual condition.