Take your time: Slow brain rhythms predict fluid intelligence

Evidence is mixed whether fluid intelligence (Gf) is associated with increased or decreased alpha and beta band activity (7–30 Hz). Moreover, the Gf relationship with the delta and theta band activity (1–7 Hz) is unknown. We recorded electroencephalographic (EEG) data in 160 healthy adults solving Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices with a randomized item order to control for item difficulty unaffected by sequential effects. The participants studied each matrix for 30 s before the response bank onset, so we could track the time course of neural activity during problem solving. We measured Gf using six tests. Gf positively correlated with the delta band power, while there was no correlation with the theta band power. For almost all of the participants, we identified the specific slow rhythm frequency, which varied in power as a function of item difficulty. We observed that the lower this frequency, the higher Gf, but only in men. Finally, the alpha and low-beta activity correlated negatively with Gf after we had filtered out the activity during idle intervals (the latter reflecting waiting for the response bank). Overall, the brain activity in the delta, alpha, and beta bands explained 22.6% of Gf variance. •The delta band power positively correlated with fluid intelligence.•The brain activity in the delta, alpha, and beta bands explained 26% of fluid intelligence variance.•Frequency of slow rhythm activation negatively correlate with intelligence.•The slow rhythm frequency mattered for males, but not for females.