Psychophysiological peculiarities of the intellectual development in elder adolescents

The psychophysiological peculiarities in elder adolescents (14-15 yr, the ninth grade) are considered. They are the following: strength-weakness of nervous system (the slope of the curve of reaction time (RT) on the sounds from 40 db to 120 db): absolute auditory and vibro-tactile thresholds; first and second signal systems relation (M.N. Borisova's technique and B.R. Kadyrov's questionnaire); temperamental features of personality (questionnaire of V.M. Roussalov) in relation to the indices of academic achievement, level of intelligence (D. Wechsler psychometric test), differentiation of cognitive structures "speed classification" test with the objects of different types (sensory, perceptive, identity-distinction between two objects, semantic and field independence (H. Witkin's test). The significant correlations between the indices of academic achievement and general (GI) and verbal intelligence (VI), between CI, VI and the prevalence of the second signal system and academic achievement were found. On the contrary the significant correlations between the academic achievement and nonverbal intelligence as well as CI, VI and the indices of the first signal system were not reveled. The tendency was shown that the individuals with weak nervous system (WS) are characterized by the high level of the academic achievement and prevalence of significance of second signal system; but individuals with the strong of NS-by low academic progress and prevalence of the first signal system. The conclusion about the determination of the level of intellectual development by the degree of differentiation of the cognitive structures, the ability to analyze objects and their attributes was made. The group of Ss with strong NS and high absolute sensitivity as well the weak NS and low sensitivity were distinguished. The general tendencies and regularities revealed in Ss with strong-weak NS are true for Ss' groups.