FLUID ABILITY, CRYSTALLIZED ABILITY, AND PERFORMANCE ACROSS MULTIPLE DOMAINS PDF
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FLUID ABILITY, CRYSTALLIZED ABILITY, AND PERFORMANCE ACROSS MULTIPLE DOMAINS: A META-ANALYSIS by Bennett Eugene Postlethwaite An Abstract Of a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Business Administration in the Graduate College of The University of Iowa 1 July 2011 Thesis Supervisor: Professor Frank L. Schmidt 1 Cognitive ability is one of the most frequently investigated individual differences in management and psychology. Countless studies have demonstrated that tests measuring cognitive ability or intelligence predict a number of important real-world outcomes such as academic performance, vocational training performance, and job performance. Although the relationship between intelligence and real-world performance is well established, there is a lack of consensus among scholars with regard to how intelligence should be conceptualized and measured. Of the more traditional theories of intelligence, two perspectives are particularly dominant: the Cattell-Horn model of fluid and crystallized intelligence and the theory of General Cognitive Ability (GCA or g). Fluid ability (Gf) represents novel or abstract problem solving capability and is believed to have a physiological basis. In contrast, crystallized ability (Gc) is associated with learned or acculturated knowledge. Drawing on recent research in neuroscience, as well as research on past performance, the nature of work, and expert performance, I argue that compared to measures of fluid ability, crystallized ability measures should more strongly predict real-world criteria in the classroom as well as the workplace. This idea was meta-analytically examined using a large, diverse set of over 400 primary studies spanning the past 100 years. With regard to academic performance, 1 measures of fluid ability were found to positively predict learning (as measured by grades). However, as hypothesized, crystallized ability measures were found to be superior predictors of academic performance compared to their fluid ability counterparts. This finding was true for both high school and college students. Likewise, similar patterns of results were observed with regard to both training performance and job performance. Again, crystallized ability measures were found to be 2 better predictors of performance than fluid measures. This finding was consistent at the overall level of analysis as well as for medium complexity jobs. These findings have important implications for both intelligence theory and selection practice. Contemporary intelligence theory has placed great emphasis on the role of fluid ability, and some researchers have argued that Gf and g are essentially the same construct. However, the results of this study, which are based on criterion-related validities rather than factor-analytic evidence, demonstrate that Gc measures are superior predictors in comparison to Gf measures. This is contrary to what one would expect if Gf and g were indeed the same construct. Rather, the findings of this study are more consistent with General Cognitive Ability theory, which predicts that Gc indicators will be the best predictors of future learning and performance. Given that Gc measures demonstrate higher criterion-related validities than Gf measures, Gc measures are likely to be preferred for selection purposes. Further, Gf scores are known to decline with age while Gc scores remain relatively stable over the lifespan. Thus, when used for selection purposes, Gf tests may underpredict the performance of older workers. In contrast, research has shown that Gc measures are predictively unbiased. Additional implications for theory and practice are discussed, 2 along with study limitations and opportunities for future research. Abstract Approved: ____________________________________ Thesis Supervisor ____________________________________ Title and Department ____________________________________ Date FLUID ABILITY, CRYSTALLIZED ABILITY, AND PERFORMANCE ACROSS MULTIPLE DOMAINS: A META-ANALYSIS by Bennett Eugene Postlethwaite A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Business Administration in the Graduate College of The University of Iowa 1 July 2011 Thesis Supervisor: Professor Frank L. Schmidt Copyright by BENNETT EUGENE POSTLETHWAITE 2011 All Rights Reserved 2 Graduate College The University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL _______________________ PH.D. THESIS _______________ This is to certify that the Ph.D. thesis of Bennett Eugene Postlethwaite has been approved by the Examining Committee for the thesis requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Business Administration at the July 2011 graduation. Thesis Committee: ___________________________________ Frank L. Schmidt, Thesis Supervisor ___________________________________ Kenneth G. Brown ___________________________________ Maria L. Kraimer ___________________________________ Michael K. Mount ___________________________________ Steven B. Robbins For Sandra Jane White (1943 – 2011) 2 ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I could not have completed a project of this magnitude on my own. A number of individuals have provided valuable assistance throughout the dissertation process. I am extremely grateful for their help and encouragement. I want to thank my committee members for their feedback, questions, and time. My study has been greatly improved as a result of their ideas. In particular, I want to thank my advisor and committee chair, Frank Schmidt. Frank has won mentoring awards at the University and national level. My experience during this dissertation has proven that these awards are very well deserved. Frank identified the need to examine the criterion-related validities of Gf and Gc in 2005, and the current study is an evolution of his original idea. Tamara Giluk’s involvement with this project predates my own. Throughout the entire study, Tamara’s assistance has been invaluable. Tamara played a key role during the literature search phase, and she spent many long days coding data. I look forward to our continued collaboration in the future. The staff of the Interlibrary Loan Department at the University of Iowa Libraries was extremely helpful in accessing many difficult to obtain studies. In addition, I am grateful to Michael Aamodt for sharing the most recent version of his Law Enforcement Selection: Research Summaries. These detailed summaries were very useful in 3 identifying additional primary studies from the law enforcement domain. I am also indebted to In-Sue Oh for his continual willingness to share his expertise on the technical aspects of meta-analysis. Finally, I want to thank my family for their love and support. They have continually encouraged me to succeed in each endeavor that I have chosen to embark upon. This dissertation was no exception. iii ABSTRACT Cognitive ability is one of the most frequently investigated individual differences in management and psychology. Countless studies have demonstrated that tests measuring cognitive ability or intelligence predict a number of important real-world outcomes such as academic performance, vocational training performance, and job performance. Although the relationship between intelligence and real-world performance is well established, there is a lack of consensus among scholars with regard to how intelligence should be conceptualized and measured. Of the more traditional theories of intelligence, two perspectives are particularly dominant: the Cattell-Horn model of fluid and crystallized intelligence and the theory of General Cognitive Ability (GCA or g). Fluid ability (Gf) represents novel or abstract problem solving capability and is believed to have a physiological basis. In contrast, crystallized ability (Gc) is associated with learned or acculturated knowledge. Drawing on recent research in neuroscience, as well as research on past performance, the nature of work, and expert performance, I argue that compared to measures of fluid ability, crystallized ability measures should more strongly predict real-world criteria in the classroom as well as the workplace. 4 This idea was meta-analytically examined using a large, diverse set of over 400 primary studies spanning the past 100 years. With regard to academic performance, measures of fluid ability were found to positively predict learning (as measured by grades). However, as hypothesized, crystallized ability measures were found to be superior predictors of academic performance compared to their fluid ability counterparts. This finding was true for both high school and college students. iv Likewise, similar patterns of results were observed with regard to both training performance and job performance. Again, crystallized ability measures were found to be better predictors of performance than fluid measures. This finding was consistent at the overall level of analysis as well as for medium complexity jobs. These findings have important implications for both intelligence theory and selection practice. Contemporary intelligence theory has placed great emphasis on the role of fluid ability, and some researchers have argued that Gf and g are essentially the same construct. However, the results of this study, which are based on criterion-related validities rather than factor-analytic evidence, demonstrate that Gc measures are superior predictors in comparison to Gf measures. This is contrary to what one would expect if Gf and g were indeed the same construct. Rather, the findings of this study are more consistent with General Cognitive Ability theory, which predicts that Gc indicators will be the best predictors of future learning and performance. Given that Gc measures demonstrate higher criterion-related validities than Gf measures, Gc measures are likely to be preferred for selection purposes. Further, Gf scores are known to decline with age while Gc scores remain relatively stable over the lifespan. Thus, when used for selection purposes, Gf tests may underpredict the 5 performance of older workers. In contrast, research has shown that Gc measures are predictively unbiased. Additional implications for theory and practice are discussed, along with study limitations and opportunities for future research. v
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