Is it worth it?

Posted by Stephen R. Diamond
Sep 9, 2007 at 07:01 PM

Cassius wrote:

>
>What is “fluid ‘g”?

Essentially, general analytic ability, in currently reigning U.S. theories of the factor structure of intelligence. (The British have a more strictly hierarchical theory.)

Of course, I am not yet persuaded I am wrong about the relationship between the usefulness of mind mapping and the _lack_ of visualization ability. There are other possible explanations I want to explore, by using conventional outliners in a slightly different way than usual.

Mind mapping software always requires that you reduce each topic to a short phrase at most. (However, some programs, e.g. FreeMind, seem to encourage lengthy headings.) Traditional outliners permit more verbosity, which, as someone pointed out, is consistent with their use at a later stage of a writing project. It is _possible_ that the special benefits I atribute (particularly as to myself) for mind mapping actually derive from the consistent practice of reducing headings to their minimum amount of verbiage. Certainly this practice could account for my perception that mindmapping is a particularly good chunking tool.