Journal of Intelligence | Interview with Dr. Jakob Pietschnig, Session Chair of the 1st International Online Conference on Human Intelligence (IOCHI2026)
We recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Jakob Pietschnig, who is serving as one of the Session Chairs for the upcoming 1st International Online Conference on Human Intelligence. Dr. Pietschnig is chairing the session on “Cross-temporal within- and between-individuals intelligence changes”, where he brings valuable insight and expertise in the human intelligence field.
The following is our interview with Dr. Jakob Pietschnig:
1. Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello all, I am Assoc. Prof. PD Mag. Dr. Jakob Pietschnig, FHEA. I am from the Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria, and currently the Head of the Individual Differences and Psychological Assessment Unit.
2. Could you introduce your current research direction and provide an update on your progress?
In my research, I mainly focus on generational intelligence test score changes, their shape, causes, and meaning. Although I have been conducting research in this field for more than 15 years now, we continue to make exciting new discoveries. The current research findings call for much of what we think we know about test score changes into question.
3. What do you believe will be the hot topics in the field of human intelligence or changes in intelligence research in the next few years? Please share the topics and the reasons for them.
AI, how it compares to human intelligence, what it does to our cognitive abilities, and how it complements our capabilities, is one of the looming questions of our time.
4. As the Session Chair of IOCHI2026, what would you hope this conference will be for all the scholars out there?
I hope that this inaugural IOCHI conference will contribute to connecting researchers in the field of intelligence and will foster scientific exchange of novel ideas as well as facilitate exciting new collaborations.
5. From your perspective, what are the benefits of joining an academic conference?
Participating in a conference is always a good idea if one wants to expand one’s research network. It is particularly specialist conferences like this one, where all participants share more or less the same interests, that lead to the most promising collaborations.
6. What are your thoughts on the current trends and developments of open access publishing?
Open access publishing—if managed appropriately—paves a way to top-notch research for academics from diverse countries and backgrounds who may otherwise be locked out through a paywall from current findings.