The acuity of reasoning on Raven’s Progressive Matrices is strongly influenced by strategic determinants. Building on metamemory studies that highlight the influence of study-time allocation on memory development, we investigated children’s allocation of study time while solving these matrices. A total of 170 children aged 6–12 years completed a computerized short-form version of the standard matrices featuring items selected to represent a broad range of difficulties. Beyond analyzing changes in mean latencies and performances with age, we used generalized additive mixed models to explore within-participant variability in response times as a function of both item complexity and overall individual efficiency. Results revealed that individual differences in performances were significantly associated with children’s adaptive modulation of response times. Mediation analysis further indicated that response-time modulation contributed to age-related changes in performance. Taking account of study-time allocation in reasoning tasks may open up new avenues for the study of reasoning development and the assessment of intellectual functioning.

Intelligence can be defined as the broad ability for comprehending our surroundings in order to adapt. It involves the ability to learn from experience, to reason and to solve problems. Cognitive education refers to the mediated learning experiences carried out by adults in order to enhance children’s cognitive development. This article focuses on three main issues that influence intervention strategies: 1. What are the central components of intelligence that may constitute priority targets for interventions? 2. What kind of adult mediational style might help children adopt a more favorable cognitive attitude in learning and problem solving situations? 3. What are the conative variables that should be taken into account during interventions in order to promote transfer beyond the mediated learning experience itself? These issues are examined from several theoretical perspectives in developmental psychology.

Both cognitive and developmental literatures report strong relationships between working memory and fluid intelligence. However, few authors integrate these data in a theoretical model of intelligence development in children. The Relational Complexity Theory provides a theoretical framework: (a) to understand how the working memory capacity could influence relational induction, which in turn constitutes a central mechanism of intelligence and (b) to create experimental tasks dedicated to the assessment of relational integration capacity. In the present study, children aged 9 to12 years were administered three tasks: a task assessing fluid intelligence, a classical working memory task, and a new task specifically designed to assess relational integration capacity. Results indicate that age-related changes in fluid intelligence are mediated by the growth of relational integration capacity, beyond the contribution of concurrent storage and processing. The discussion reexamines the respective roles of working memory functions in reasoning as well as methodological issues in their study.

Les chercheurs en psychologie cognitive ont longtemps étudié des processus cognitifs de hauts niveaux en négligeant la question de leurs liens avec l’intelligence. Ils envisagent maintenant les capacités de la mémoire de travail, et notamment l’intégration des relations, comme l’un des principaux facteurs qui sous-tendent les différences individuelles d’intelligence générale (Conway, Kane, & Engle, 2003 ; Hornung, Brunner, Reuter & Martin, 2011). Cependant, la mesure qu’ils proposent de la capacité en mémoire de travail n’est pas univoque et peu d’auteurs, mis à part Cowan (1999), intègrent ces données dans un modèle théorique du développement de l’intelligence comme les développementalistes ont pu le proposer. De Ribaupierre et Lecerf (2006) rappellent ainsi que les néo-piagétiens font de l’augmentation des capacités en mémoire de travail une condition nécessaire, bien que non suffisante, au développement de l’efficience intellectuelle et ce, depuis maintenant près de q...