Why Psynet Group Invested in Developing a Cognitive Fluidity Measure
Many human resource and hiring managers do not assess cognitive fluidity when hiring for complex roles, including portfolio managers, design and product engineers, software developers and so on. As a result, they miss a key predictive data point.
Last month, I spoke with a portfolio manager, who complained that his senior analysts were brilliant but failed to manage the complexity of their financial models. This was the most recent of a decade of similar complaints. It was enough to inspire me to dive deeply into our data. I found that CARA, our abstract reasoning assessment, and PHACT, our critical thinking assessment, had a significant statistical correlation, but they were far from being perfect predictors of each other. In 2019, we validated a measure of cognitive fluidity that predicted capability by counting life events and factors based on others’ research. For example, if someone learned another language as an adult or changed a significant belief they learned as a child, they were more likely to be cognitively fluid. Our Cognitive Fluidity scale was also moderately accurate at predicting the group of effective critical thinkers but poor to average abstract reasoning.
Cognitive fluidity is simply defined as the ability to integrate and switch between different modes of thinking, such as logical, intuitive, and imaginative. Research confirms our experience that it plays a pivotal role in creative problem-solving. It refers to the mental agility needed to explore various perspectives, combine seemingly unrelated ideas, and adapt strategies as circumstances change. Creativity thrives in environments that require individuals to transcend rigid, linear thinking and consider novel approaches to complex problems. When cognitive fluidity is high, individuals are more likely to connect disparate information, leading to innovative solutions that otherwise would remain undiscovered.
Our studies have demonstrated that candidates with higher cognitive fluidity scores tend to receive higher performance appraisal and 360 multi-rater assessment scores on tasks requiring creative thinking. I think this concept is further validated by Csikszentmihalyi’s work on creativity, highlighting that fluid thinking allows individuals to navigate between structured knowledge and free-form ideation, fostering innovative outcomes. In other words, an individual’s understanding of the data, logic, and imagination work together.
Note: For neuronerds, check out Beaty et al., 2016 neuroscientific research showing increased activity in the brain’s default mode network (DMN) and executive control network associated with fluid thought.
My Personal Experience of Cognitive Fluidity
My PhD helped me understand myself better. One of those insights was related to my cognitive fluidity. Two distinct experiences helped me understand. The first was when my dissertation suggested that it seemed as if I was writing two proposals, with the first paragraph fitting with the third and the second with the fourth, and so on. The second insight came from my neuropsychology rotation at the Veteran’s Hospital. We studied neurological tests by using them on other students first. I was tested with the Poffenberger paradigm, a behavioral test in which participants perform a reaction-time task by pressing a button with one hand in response to a visual stimulus presented to either the same side as that hand (ipsilateral) or the opposite side (contralateral). My score was four standard deviations above the mean. These two data points suggested that I was integrating data and switching between different modes of thinking, such as logical (left hemisphere) and intuitive, and imaginative (right hemisphere), at a very high level.
The Downside of High Cognitive Fluidity
The downside of being highly cognitively fluid is confusion and leaky attention. I could tell that my dissertation chair was frustrated editing my proposals. She was so excited to understand what was happening that she called me at 11 p.m. to tell me. This phenomenon sometimes impairs organizing, prioritizing, and responding to information, which looks like ADHD to others. This issue required me to organize using technology and be very deliberate when communicating.
The Upside for Me
Looking around my house, the impact of my cognitive fluidity is everywhere. For example, we retrofitted an old table to serve as a desk and a counter extension and built a floating bed outside with a trampoline. More importantly, it is responsible for developing a next-generation psychometric. My language, math, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills are integrated with creativity, intuition, and holistic processing capabilities to create a statistically valid psychometric assessment that works in a way that others do not.
In Summary
Cognitive Fluidity has been shown to play a pivotal role in creative problem-solving, as it enables individuals to connect disparate ideas, adapt strategies, and navigate complex challenges. Psynet’s Cognitive Fluidity scale leverages life events and behavioral patterns as predictive indicators, offering a unique and statistically validated approach to identifying high-performing candidates. By developing this tool, Psynet Group empowers organizations to make more informed hiring decisions for roles that demand creativity and adaptability.