Teaching the underlying rules of figural matrices in a short video increases test scores

in Intelligence (2020), 82

Scores of commonly administered intelligence tests such as figural matrices are important correlates of external criteria. However, evidence of improving intelligence test scores through practice or ... [more ▼]

Scores of commonly administered intelligence tests such as figural matrices are important correlates of external criteria. However, evidence of improving intelligence test scores through practice or coaching has been reported. Moreover, information about intelligence tests is widely and easily accessible (e.g., online tutorial videos). An open research question is whether watching such a video increases figural matrices test scores and affects the correlation with other intelligence tests. In two experiments (experiment 1: N = 112 psychology students; experiment 2: N = 229 teacher-education students), students were randomly assigned to either an experimental group that watched a short video (< 14 min) explaining a set of rules underlying figural matrices or a control group that watched a task irrelevant video of comparable duration. Afterwards, both groups worked on figural matrices. Prior to watching the video, all students completed an intelligence test. Results showed (1) substantially higher figural matrices mean test scores in the experimental groups compared to the control groups (d ≥ 1.19) and (2) substantial correlations between figural matrix test scores and intelligence test scores in both the experimental and the control groups. These correlations were of comparable magnitude and did not differ between the groups (experiment 1: r ≈ .55; experiment 2: r ≈ .40). Implications of these findings are discussed. [less ▲]

Big-Five personality and political orientation: Results from four panel studies with representative German samples

in Journal of Research in Personality (2019)

The aim of this brief report was to replicate the meta-analytic findings concerning the relationship between Big-Five personality and political orientation reported in Sibley, Osborne, and Duckitt (2012 ... [more ▼]

The aim of this brief report was to replicate the meta-analytic findings concerning the relationship between Big-Five personality and political orientation reported in Sibley, Osborne, and Duckitt (2012) in a sample of N = 29,015 participants from four panels involving representative German samples. We replicated the expected significant correlations for Openness to Experience (r = ?0.07; 95% CI [?0.10, ?0.05]) and Conscientiousness (r = 0.06, 95% CI [0.05, 0.08]), but the effect sizes were smaller than in Sibley et al. (2012). We also found significant correlations for Agreeableness (r = ?0.04; 95% CI [?0.05, ?0.03]) and Neuroticism (r = ?0.04; 95% CI [?0.06, ?0.02]), indicating small but significant relations of additional Big-Five dimensions on political orientation. [less ▲]

Selektives Enkodieren in figuralen Matrizen.

Scientific Conference (2017, September)

Is the Correlation between Storage Capacity and Matrix Reasoning Driven by the Storage of Partial Solutions? A Pilot Study of an Experimental Approach

in Journal of Intelligence (2017), 5(2), 21

Working memory capacity (WMC) and reasoning abilities—as assessed by figural matrices tests—are substantially correlated. It is controversially discussed whether this correlation is only caused by ... [more ▼]

Working memory capacity (WMC) and reasoning abilities—as assessed by figural matrices tests—are substantially correlated. It is controversially discussed whether this correlation is only caused by controlled attention or also by storage capacity. This study aims at investigating storage of partial solutions as a possible mechanism by which storage capacity may contribute to solving figural matrices tests. For this purpose, we analyzed how an experimental manipulation of storage demands changes the pattern of correlations between WMC and performance in a matrix task. We manipulated the storage demands by applying two test formats: one providing the externalization of partial solutions and one without the possibility of externalization. Storage capacity was assessed by different types of change detection tasks. We found substantial correlations between storage capacity and matrices test performance, but they were of comparable size for both test formats. We take this as evidence that the necessity to store partial solutions is not the limiting factor which causes the association between storage capacity and matrices test. It is discussed how this approach can be used to investigate alternative mechanisms by that storage may influence performance in matrices tests. [less ▲]

Working memory capacity, filter efficiency and matrix reasoning.

Poster (2016, July)

The choice between what you want now and what you want most. Self-control explains academic achievement beyond cognitive ability

in Personality and Individual Differences (2016), 94

Achieving a university degree is a demanding long-term goal, and students often show varying levels of academic achievement despite similar intellectual abilities. In order to help students, researchers ... [more ▼]

Achieving a university degree is a demanding long-term goal, and students often show varying levels of academic achievement despite similar intellectual abilities. In order to help students, researchers thereby need to understand the origins of these individual differences. However, it remains unclear whether self-control is important for students' academic achievement beyond their general cognitive ability. To answer this question,N= 150 German university students completed a measure of general cognitive ability as well as a German translation of the Brief Self-Control Scale. Grade point average (GPA) served as an objective indicator of academic achievement, complemented by personal ratings as a measure of subjective academic achievement (SAA). Both cognitive ability and self-control explained substantial amounts of variance in GPA; however, only self-control accounted for variance in SAA. The study's keyfinding was that self-control indeed contributed to explaining GPA and SAA, even when cognitive ability was controlled for. On the basis of these results, we argue that self-control holds important explanatory value for both objective and subjective academic achievement, and we discuss the results' practical relevance with regard to student success at university. [less ▲]

Intelligence and school grades: A meta-analysis

in Intelligence (2015), 53

Intelligence is considered as the strongest predictor of scholastic achievement. Research as well as educational policy and the society as a whole are deeply interested in its role as a prerequisite for ... [more ▼]

Intelligence is considered as the strongest predictor of scholastic achievement. Research as well as educational policy and the society as a whole are deeply interested in its role as a prerequisite for scholastic success. The present study investigated the population correlation between standardized intelligence tests and school grades employing psychometric meta-analysis (Hunter & Schmidt, 2004). The analyses involved 240 independent samples with 105,185 participants overall. After correcting for sampling error, error of measurement, and range restriction in the independent variable, we found a population correlation of ρ = .54. Moderator analyses pointed to a variation of the relationship between g and school grades depending on different school subject domains, grade levels, the type of intelligence test used in the primary study, as well as the year of publication, whereas gender had no effect on the magnitude of the relationship. [less ▲]

Effizienz gleich Leistung? Analyse des Antwortverhaltens bei einem distraktorfreien Matrizentest.

Poster (2013, September)

Anwendung effizienter Bearbeitungsstrategien abhängt. Bisherige Studien zeigen, dass strukturiertes und sequentielles Bearbeiten der Gestaltungsregeln nach aufsteigender Schwierigkeit zu einer besseren ... [more ▼]

Anwendung effizienter Bearbeitungsstrategien abhängt. Bisherige Studien zeigen, dass strukturiertes und sequentielles Bearbeiten der Gestaltungsregeln nach aufsteigender Schwierigkeit zu einer besseren Leistung führt. Während Bearbeitungsstrategien bislang durch Blickbewegungsstudien, Computersimulationen und die Methode des lauten Denkens ermittelt wurden, wurde in dieser Studie die Matrizenkonstruktionsaufgabe verwendet, bei der die Lösung in einer computerisierten Testumgebung generiert wird. Dies ermöglicht eine zeitgenaue und objektive Aufzeichnung des Prozesses der Antwortgenerierung. In Antwortprotokollen von 480 Probanden konnte mittels verschiedener Prozessindikatoren (Regelsprünge, Abweichung von erwarteter Bearbeitungsreihenfolge, Zurücksetzen generierter Lösungen, Ausmaß der Verwendung relevanter Gestaltungselemente) in einer multiplen Regression bis zu 28.8 % der Varianz der Testleistung aufgeklärt werden. Insbesondere strukturiertes und sequentielles Bearbeiten von Gestaltungsregeln sowie der Ausschluss irrelevanter Gestaltungselemente sind entscheidend für eine bessere Leistung. Entgegen bisheriger Befunde zeigt sich jedoch, dass die Bearbeitungsreihenfolge der Gestaltungsregeln nicht auf einer allgemeingültigen Schwierigkeit der Gestaltungsregeln beruht. [less ▲]