Are individual differences in performance on perceptual and cognitive optimization problems determined by general intelligence

Studies of human problem solving have traditionally used deterministic tasks that re-quire the execution of a systematic series of steps to reach a rational and optimal solution. Most real-world problems, however, are characterized by uncertainty, the need to con-sider an enormous number of variables and possible courses of action at each stage in solving the problem, and the need to optimize the solution subject to multiple interact-ing constraints. There are reliable individual differences in people’s abilities to solve such realistic problems. It also seems likely that people’s ability to solve these difficult prob-lems reflects, or depends on, their intelligence. We report on a study of N = 101 adults who completed a series of visual optimization problems (Traveling Salesperson, Mini-mum Spanning Tree, and Generalized Steiner Tree Problems), as well as a cognitive optimization problem (a version of the Secretary Problem). We also characterized these individuals along three relevant and important cognitive abilities dimensions—fluid ability, visuo-spatial ability, and cognitive processing speed. Modeling of covariance structures indicated that performance on both types of optimization problems relies o