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J. Intell.
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Interplay of Intelligence and Non-cognitive Constructs in Predicting Achievement
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Interplay of Intelligence and Non-cognitive Constructs in Predicting Achievement

A special issue of Journal of Intelligence (ISSN 2079-3200).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 11148

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Anke Hufer-Thamm

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Psychology, Technical University Dortmund, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
Interests: educational achievement; interplay of intelligence, personality, and motivation; subjective wellbeing; political psychology; behavior genetics
Prof. Dr. Ricarda Steinmayr

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Psychology, Technical University Dortmund, 44227 Dortmund, Germany
Interests: determinants of academic achievement; determinants of subjective well-being; giftedness; motivation; educational diagnostics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Intelligence is a key determinant of academic and occupational achievement, along with personality, motivation, and a variety of socioeconomic and environmental variables. In addition to their well-researched main effects, it has been shown that cognitive abilities interact with other variables in the prediction of achievement. Despite the growing interest in this field, longitudinal examinations and more in-depth analyses of interaction effects are still scarce.

The aim of this Special Issue is to enhance our understanding of this dynamic interplay, covering interactions between intelligence and other predictors of achievement, such as personality and motivational variables. The roles of socioeconomic factors and environmental conditions, such as school climate, are of equal interest. Since we are eager to depict the full range of achievement, suitable articles may include all forms of achievement outcomes, such as school grades, standardized achievement tests, educational attainment, career choices, or job performance.

Longitudinal studies will most likely advance our knowledge regarding the pathways to achievement and will thus be favored, but the question of what makes individuals succeed in both education and occupation requires a multifaceted perspective. Hence, we encourage diverse and innovative methodological approaches to model interaction effects and welcome contributions from various disciplines. Although we are mostly interested in original empirical studies, submissions of theoretical contributions and thorough literature reviews are also welcome.

Dr. Anke Hufer-Thamm
Prof. Dr. Ricarda Steinmayr
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Intelligence is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cognitive abilities
  • achievement
  • personality
  • motivation
  • interaction
  • job performance

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 2400 KB  
Article
Emotional Intelligence and the Big Five as Predictors of Students’ Performance in Collaborative Problem Solving
by Ana Altaras, Zorana Jolić Marjanović, Kristina Mojović Zdravković, Ksenija Krstić and Tijana Nikitović
J. Intell. 2025, 13(9), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13090109 - 29 Aug 2025
Viewed by 824
Abstract
We examined the effects of emotional intelligence (EI) and the Big Five on students’ performance in collaborative problem solving (CPS). 162 secondary-school students completed the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test and the Big Five Inventory. Divided into 54 triads (64.8% female), they then collaboratively [...] Read more.
We examined the effects of emotional intelligence (EI) and the Big Five on students’ performance in collaborative problem solving (CPS). 162 secondary-school students completed the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test and the Big Five Inventory. Divided into 54 triads (64.8% female), they then collaboratively solved a complex social problem. Based on video-recordings of the CPS sessions, we assessed four CPS processes: the team’s socio-cognitive exchange, socio-emotional interaction, task management, and relationship management. The CPS product (solution) of each team was judged by two independent raters. Using structural equation modelling (1) with team-level EI abilities as predictors, we found a small indirect effect (via CPS processes) of both understanding and managing emotions on the CPS product, and a medium-size direct effect of understanding emotions on the same criterion; (2) with team-level traits as predictors, a medium-size positive effect of neuroticism on task management, a small negative effect of extraversion on relationship management, and a small positive effect of openness on the CPS product. A model including both EI and personality confirmed their independent contributions to CPS performance, with EI abilities contributing both directly and indirectly to the CPS product, and the contribution of personality narrowed down to neuroticism positively affecting task management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interplay of Intelligence and Non-cognitive Constructs in Predicting Achievement)
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14 pages, 998 KB  
Article
Understanding How Intelligence and Academic Underachievement Relate to Life Satisfaction Among Adolescents with and Without a Migration Background
by Alicia Neumann, Ricarda Steinmayr, Marcus Roth and Tobias Altmann
J. Intell. 2025, 13(9), 105; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13090105 - 22 Aug 2025
Viewed by 891
Abstract
Intelligence, academic achievement and an unfavorable discrepancy between them (i.e., underachievement) have been proposed to influence students’ subjective well-being. However, previous research on these effects remains scarce and inconsistent. The present study examined the associations between said variables in a sample of 695 [...] Read more.
Intelligence, academic achievement and an unfavorable discrepancy between them (i.e., underachievement) have been proposed to influence students’ subjective well-being. However, previous research on these effects remains scarce and inconsistent. The present study examined the associations between said variables in a sample of 695 fifteen-year-old students in Germany, differentiating between those with and without a migration background. Our findings unexpectedly revealed that students with a migration background reported higher life satisfaction than those without a migration background. Intelligence was unrelated to life satisfaction, regardless of migration background. Academic achievement, measured by the grade point average, was positively associated with life satisfaction among students without a migration background but showed no such relationship in students with a migration background. Segmented regression analyses further indicated that an unfavorable discrepancy between IQ and grade point average, reflecting underachievement, was associated with lower life satisfaction among students with a migration background but not among those without. These findings partially challenge previous research and theoretical assumptions. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings for educational policy and emphasize the importance of targeted interventions to address underachievement in students with a migration background. Our findings suggest that poor academic performance can have a particular impact on well-being in this group. Accordingly, interventions aimed at reducing the achievement gap of those students should not only target cognitive and academic skills but also promote emotional support, cultural inclusion and social integration in the school environment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interplay of Intelligence and Non-cognitive Constructs in Predicting Achievement)
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22 pages, 780 KB  
Article
Cognitive Ability and Non-Ability Trait Predictors of Academic Achievement: A Four-Year Longitudinal Study
by Phillip L. Ackerman and Ruth Kanfer
J. Intell. 2025, 13(7), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13070079 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1171
Abstract
Prediction of individual differences in academic achievement is one of the most prominent longstanding goals of differential psychology. Historically, the main source of prediction has been measures of intelligence and related cognitive abilities. Researchers have suggested that non-ability traits, such as personality, may [...] Read more.
Prediction of individual differences in academic achievement is one of the most prominent longstanding goals of differential psychology. Historically, the main source of prediction has been measures of intelligence and related cognitive abilities. Researchers have suggested that non-ability traits, such as personality, may also provide useful information in predicting academic achievement. Meta-analyses have indicated that there are significant correlations between such variables, but most of the existing studies have been conducted with cross-sectional designs, or with a limited inclusion of intelligence/cognitive ability variables, making it difficult to determine whether the non-ability measures provide incremental predictive validity for academic achievement. In this longitudinal study, both extensive cognitive ability and non-ability trait measures (personality, interests, self-concept/self-estimates of abilities, and motivational traits) were administered at the beginning of secondary school, and criterion measures of ability and academic achievement were obtained after four years of secondary school. The results indicate that although non-ability trait measures have significant and meaningful correlations with the criterion measures, their incremental predictive validity over cognitive abilities alone is somewhat diminished. Nonetheless, there is potential utility for including assessments of non-ability traits for predicting future academic performance and elective course enrollments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interplay of Intelligence and Non-cognitive Constructs in Predicting Achievement)
32 pages, 2592 KB  
Article
Occupational Success Across the Lifespan: On the Differential Importance of Childhood Intelligence, Social Background, and Education Across Occupational Development
by Georg Karl Deutschmann, Michael Becker and Yi-Jhen Wu
J. Intell. 2025, 13(3), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence13030032 - 6 Mar 2025
Viewed by 2571
Abstract
What shapes (occupational) success in later life? This study examines the differential importance of intelligence in late childhood, socioeconomic background, and education across later occupations. The quantity and quality of educational success are thought to mediate the other dimensions. We analyzed data from [...] Read more.
What shapes (occupational) success in later life? This study examines the differential importance of intelligence in late childhood, socioeconomic background, and education across later occupations. The quantity and quality of educational success are thought to mediate the other dimensions. We analyzed data from N = 4387 participants in a German longitudinal large-scale study in multiple regression and mediation models to examine how childhood intelligence and socioeconomic background predict income and occupational status at different career stages. Both childhood intelligence and socioeconomic background predict status and income in adulthood, with childhood intelligence being the stronger predictor. However, education is an even stronger predictor and—once included in the model—mediates virtually all effects of childhood intelligence and socioeconomic background. This pattern remains stable across career stages, and education has unique effects on income and occupational status in later work life, even when controlling for work experience. Our results emphasize the pivotal role of education in transitioning to the labor market and further development at work, even at later career stages. Given the stronger link between childhood intelligence and educational success in Germany than in other countries, we find that Germany is one of the more intelligence-driven systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interplay of Intelligence and Non-cognitive Constructs in Predicting Achievement)
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21 pages, 1259 KB  
Article
Major Choices: Students’ Personal Intelligence, Considerations When Choosing a Major, and Academic Success
by Kateryna Sylaska and John D. Mayer
J. Intell. 2024, 12(11), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence12110115 - 13 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4619
Abstract
A student’s choice of major is influenced by their parents and peers, as well as by the quality of the college department that offers the major and by broader cultural and economic issues. The student’s own personality, including their ability to reason about [...] Read more.
A student’s choice of major is influenced by their parents and peers, as well as by the quality of the college department that offers the major and by broader cultural and economic issues. The student’s own personality, including their ability to reason about themselves and their interests, also contributes to the choice and its outcomes. In a preliminary study, we developed a Choice of Major Scale that depicts key aspects of students’ consideration of their major. Then, across three studies (Ns = 304, 466, and 492), we examined the students’ personal intelligence, defined as their capacity to reason about their own and other people’s personalities, as well as a Choice of Major Scale, and the relation of those variables to important academic outcomes. The results depicted a pattern that the students who better understood personality and were more engaged in choosing a major, compared to others, considered more majors initially, chose a major more quickly, and exhibited better academic outcomes subsequently. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Interplay of Intelligence and Non-cognitive Constructs in Predicting Achievement)
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