Why g matters: The complexity of everyday life
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide evidence that intelligence has pervasive utility in work settings because it is essentially the ability to deal with cognitive complexity, in particular, with complex information processing, and the more complex a work task, the greater the advantages that higher g confers in performing it well.
About: This article is published in Intelligence.The article was published on 1997-01-01 and is currently open access. It has received 1300 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Everyday life & Cognitive complexity.
Summary (1 min read)
Jump to: [Why g Matters: The Complexity of Everyday Life] – [WHAT DOES “IMPORTANT” MEAN?] – [INFLUENCE OF INTELLIGENCE ON OVERALL LIFE OUTCOMES] and [THE FUTURE]
Why g Matters: The Complexity of Everyday Life
- This article provides evidence that g has pervasive utility in work settings because it is essentially the ability to deal with cognitive complexity, in particular, with complex information processing.
- Few claims in the social sciences are backed by such massive evidence but remain so hotly contested in public discourse.
- Besides demonstrating that g is important in practical affairs, I seek to demonstrate why intelligence has such surprisingly pervasive importance in the lives of individuals.
- I then use both the employment and literacy data to sketch a portrait of life’s challenges and opportunities at different levels of intelligence.
WHAT DOES “IMPORTANT” MEAN?
- The nature of the job and its context seem to determine whether g has any direct effect on task proficiency, net of job knowlege.
- As is well known in psychometrics (see also Gordon, 1997), the fact that an individual passes or fails any single test item says little about that person’s general intelligence level.
INFLUENCE OF INTELLIGENCE ON OVERALL LIFE OUTCOMES
- The effects of intelligence-like other psychological traits-are probabilistic, not deterministic.
- White adults in this range marry, work, and have children (Hermstein & Murray, 1994), but, as Table 10 shows, they are nonetheless at great risk of living in poverty (30%), bearing children out of wedlock (32%), and becoming chronic welfare dependents (31%).
- At this IQ level, fewer than half the high school graduates and none of the dropouts meet the military’s minimum AFQT enlistment standards.
- Most occupations are within reach cognitively, because these individuals learn complex material fairly easily and independently.
- Such as divorce, illness, and occasional unemployment, they rarely become trapped in poverty or social pathology.
THE FUTURE
- Complexity enriches social and cultural life, but it also risks leaving some individuals behind.
- Society has become more complex-and g loaded-as the authors have entered the information age and postindustrial economy.
- Accordingly, organizations are “flatter” (have fewer hierarchical levels), and increasing numbers of jobs require high-level cognitive and interpersonal skills (Camevale, 1991; Cascio, 1995; Hunt, 1995; Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, 1991).
- There is evidence that increasing proportions of individuals with below-average IQs are having trouble adapting to their increasingly complex modern life (Granat & Granat, 1978) and that social inequality along IQ lines is increasing (Herrnstein & Murray, 1994).
- As the military experience also illustrates, however, what is good pedagogy for the low-aptitude learner may be inappropriate for the high-aptitude person.
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TL;DR: The authors used the construct of grit, as measured by the persistence a person has to complete his or her goals, even when barriers are present (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007).
Abstract: This study uses the construct of grit, as measured by the persistence a person has to complete his or her goals, even when barriers are present (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007). The population in this particular study was American Sign Language/English Interpreters, (current and inactive), and those who work in any type of setting (education and/or community). Participants were sent a demographic survey, as well as the 12-item Grit Scale developed by Duckworth et al. (2007). The author scored the Grit Scales based on the scoring guide by Duckworth et al. and measured the respondents’ grit scores to see if they had remained in the interpreting profession because they were high in grit. Competing factors that would have forced the person to remain in the profession were also analysed. Tests measuring the analysis of variance were run for variables such as gender, hearing and marital status, the presence of Deaf [1] family members, ethnicity, educational level, and past and present certifications. Additional variables included whether or not the respondent was still a current practitioner, years of experience, why they got out of the profession, if they were satisfied with the profession, if they had another vocation in which they were currently working, if they were the sole income provider for their family, and percentage of their total family income came from the respondents’ interpreting work. Respondents were asked if they had ever failed a test for sign language interpreters (American Sign Language/ English interpreters) in the United States. Those tests could be tests of knowledge (computer-based test used to test interpreting knowledge offered by the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf to candidates for certification), or a performance-based test (like the one formerly offered by the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) certification, or current tests such as the Educational Interpreter Performance Assessments (EIPA), Sign Language Proficiency Interview (SLPI), or the American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (ASLPI)). Finally, qualitative analyses were assessed for the reasons respondents gave for initially choosing interpreting as a profession, as well as what motivated them to continue working as an interpreter. There were two significant findings that were predictive of grit. The first finding occurred when education was grouped in three-tiers: 1) an Associate’s Degree; 2) a Bachelor’s Degree; 3) a Master’s Degree/ terminal degree as the highest achieved level of education. The second significant finding that was predictive of grit occurred with respondents who had NAD III certification. When qualitative responses were analysed for reasons the respondent gave for initially choosing interpreting as a profession, as well as their motivation to remain in the profession, there was a significant change in each of the following categories: intellectual, societal, and monetary.
3 citations
Cites background from "Why g matters: The complexity of ev..."
...Although occupational success had largely been predicated on intelligence in previous studies (Dweck, 2009; Firkowska-Mankiewicz, & Słomczyńska, 2002; Gottfredson, 1997; Hartigan & Wigdor, 1989; Howe, 1999; Terman & Oden, 1947), measures of intelligence alone cannot singly account for the existing variance between the most and least successful people in various occupations (Duckworth et al....
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...Although occupational success had largely been predicated on intelligence in previous studies (Dweck, 2009; Firkowska-Mankiewicz, & Słomczyńska, 2002; Gottfredson, 1997; Hartigan & Wigdor, 1989; Howe, 1999; Terman & Oden, 1947), measures of intelligence alone cannot singly account for the existing…...
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...From another perspective however, these scenarios can be interpreted favourably for persistence: for an individual who is single and has to work, it takes grit to do so day in and day out in order to support him or herself and/ or a family; similarly, if a respondent was interested in the profession, learned to sign, had taken a certification test and failed, but was still current in the profession, then that would also speak to his or her true level of grit. In this study, entry level and advanced interpreters had higher grit scores than those in the mid-years, such as 21-30. Although not statistically significant, grit scores were highest in interpreters who had many years of experience. The findings seem to suggest that the longer an interpreter is in the profession, the higher grit score they have. The majority of participants did not have Deaf family members. This is to be expected since as Zannirato (2008) contends that spoken language interpreting students now are more likely to be those who have taken a foreign language class and gotten into the profession that way, as opposed to those who are second language learners, rather than native users of the target language....
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TL;DR: This paper assessed the role of cognitive abilities on the performance of three aviation-related jobs: flying, navigation, and air battle management (ABM) and found that the importance of particular cognitive abilities tends to vary across the three occupations, and each occupation has different sets of essential abilities.
Abstract: Cognitive abilities are related to job performance. However, there is less agreement about the relative contribution of general versus specific cognitive abilities to job performance. Similarly, it is not clear how cognitive abilities operate in the context of complex occupations. This study assessed the role of cognitive abilities on the performance of three aviation-related jobs: flying, navigation, and air battle management (ABM). Correlated-factor and bifactor models were used to draw a conclusion about the predictive relations between cognitive abilities and job performance. Overall, the importance of particular cognitive abilities tends to vary across the three occupations, and each occupation has different sets of essential abilities. Importantly, the interplay of general versus specific abilities is different across occupations, and some specific abilities also show substantial predictive power.
3 citations
TL;DR: Golsteyn, Heckman, and Humphries as discussed by the authors discussed the appropriateness of these measures, reviewed the sources of the disagreement, and emphasized that Ganzach and Zisman's conclusion that intelligence is more important than personality in predicting life outcomes does not depend on this disagreement.
3 citations
12 Aug 2019
TL;DR: There is a substantial body of work, dating back nearly a century, exploring individual differences in the ability to accurately judge the personality traits and characteristics of other people as discussed by the authors, and there are five characteristics that have been investigated as correlates of this ability: cognitive functioning, personality, motivation, gender, and behavior.
Abstract: There exists a substantial body of work, dating back nearly a century, exploring individual differences in the ability to accurately judge the personality traits and characteristics of other people. While the picture of the good judge of others’ personality remains somewhat abstract, there are some characteristics that consistently bear out as important, such as intelligence and emotional stability. Overall, there are five characteristics that have been investigated as correlates of this ability: (1) cognitive functioning, (2) personality, (3) motivation, (4) gender, and (5) behavior. This chapter opens with an introduction to this area of scholarship, a brief coverage of the conceptual framework, and the definitions and measurement of accuracy. A description of the research within each of the five areas is then provided. Next, some theoretical considerations for ongoing research on the good judge are illuminated. Finally, this chapter concludes with some worthy directions for future research related to the good judge of personality.
3 citations
Cites background from "Why g matters: The complexity of ev..."
...GMA denotes the ability to reason, use logic, and forecast behaviors and outcomes from complex and sometimes abstract information, and has been shown to predict a wide array of life outcomes (Gottfredson, 1997; Kuncel, Hezlett, & Ones, 2004)....
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TL;DR: In this paper, a regression analysis was employed to examine the predictors of venture performance and found that entrepreneurs with higher intelligence had higher GMA and obtained more education, which had an indirect, positive influence on venture performance through this additional educational attainment.
Abstract: Intelligence or general mental ability (GMA) is a strong predictor of job performance across most occupations, and educational attainment has been shown to be a predictor of entrepreneurial outcomes. However, there has been little research examining the simultaneous effects of entrepreneurs’ GMA and educational attainment on their venture outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of these human capital resources on venture performance and survival.,Using a sample of 234 self-employed entrepreneurs from a longitudinal database, regression analysis was employed to examine the predictors of venture performance. A hazard model was utilized to assess venture survival.,Entrepreneurs’ intelligence influenced venture performance directly and indirectly via educational attainment. Entrepreneurs with higher GMA were subsequently able to obtain more education, and GMA had an indirect, positive influence on venture performance through this additional educational attainment. Findings also demonstrated an inverted-U, curvilinear effect on venture survival for GMA and educational attainment. This indicates that both intelligence and educational attainment should be considered when examining how likely entrepreneurs are to persist or survive in their ventures.,Entrepreneurs with higher GMA had ventures that performed better and obtained more education, which influenced venture survival. These findings suggest that entrepreneurs’ intelligence is likely to be an important predictor of venture outcomes, as well as a source of entrepreneurs’ human capital acquisition. Therefore, GMA should have a more central role in the human capital discussion within the entrepreneurship literature.
3 citations
References
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