Michelle van Diën – 413154md
PROBLEM 1: Smart, smarter, smartest?
Part 1 – You’re a genius
Deary, I. J., Strand, S., Smith, P., & Fernandes, C. (2007). Intelligence and educational achievement.
Intelligence, 35(1), 13-21. doi:10.1016/j.intell.2006.02.001
Introduction
Large, representative, 5-year prospective longitudinal study of 70,000+ English children. Examined the
association between psychometric intelligence at age 11 and educational achievement in national
examinations in 25 academic subjects at age 16.
(1) What is the association between general cognitive ability and overall educational attainment in 25
different courses? (2) What is the association between a latent cognitive ability trait (general
intelligence or g) and a latent educational outcome trait? (3) What is the effect of sex on examination
performance, and is it accounted for by general cognitive and/or verbal abilities? (4) In epidemiological
terms, what is the effect size of cognitive ability on educational attainment?
Methods
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT)
Test of verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning abilities.
National GCSE/GNVQ public examination results
Pupils in England sit national public examinations at age 15/16 years. General Certificate of Secondary
Education (GCSE) examinations. General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs).
The present study's datasets and the matching process
A dataset of matched autumn 1997 CAT results and May 2002 GCSE results. N=74,403.
Results
The association between intelligence and education
Correlations between the CAT's g factor and individual GCSE subject scores: all positive and medium to
large in effect size.; General intelligence contributed to success on all 25 subjects.
Correlation between a latent intelligence trait (Spearman's g from CAT2E) and a latent trait of
educational achievement (GCSE scores): 0.81.
Sex differences in educational attainment
Girls and boys did not differ in g, but girls performed significantly better on all subjects except Physics.
Girls' better verbal ability account for only a very small part of their better scores on GCSE examinations.
PROBLEM 1: Smart, smarter, smartest?
Part 1 – You’re a genius
Deary, I. J., Strand, S., Smith, P., & Fernandes, C. (2007). Intelligence and educational achievement.
Intelligence, 35(1), 13-21. doi:10.1016/j.intell.2006.02.001
Introduction
Large, representative, 5-year prospective longitudinal study of 70,000+ English children. Examined the
association between psychometric intelligence at age 11 and educational achievement in national
examinations in 25 academic subjects at age 16.
(1) What is the association between general cognitive ability and overall educational attainment in 25
different courses? (2) What is the association between a latent cognitive ability trait (general
intelligence or g) and a latent educational outcome trait? (3) What is the effect of sex on examination
performance, and is it accounted for by general cognitive and/or verbal abilities? (4) In epidemiological
terms, what is the effect size of cognitive ability on educational attainment?
Methods
The Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT)
Test of verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning abilities.
National GCSE/GNVQ public examination results
Pupils in England sit national public examinations at age 15/16 years. General Certificate of Secondary
Education (GCSE) examinations. General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs).
The present study's datasets and the matching process
A dataset of matched autumn 1997 CAT results and May 2002 GCSE results. N=74,403.
Results
The association between intelligence and education
Correlations between the CAT's g factor and individual GCSE subject scores: all positive and medium to
large in effect size.; General intelligence contributed to success on all 25 subjects.
Correlation between a latent intelligence trait (Spearman's g from CAT2E) and a latent trait of
educational achievement (GCSE scores): 0.81.
Sex differences in educational attainment
Girls and boys did not differ in g, but girls performed significantly better on all subjects except Physics.
Girls' better verbal ability account for only a very small part of their better scores on GCSE examinations.
