General Ability Level Moderates Cognitive–Achievement Relations for Mathematics
Spearman’s Law of Diminishing Returns (SLODR) suggests general intelligence would be a stronger predictor of academic skills at lower general ability levels, and broad cognitive abilities would be stronger predictors of academic skills at higher general ability levels. Few studies have examined how...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Intelligence |
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| author | Christopher R. Niileksela Jacob Robbins Daniel B. Hajovsky |
| author_facet | Christopher R. Niileksela Jacob Robbins Daniel B. Hajovsky |
| author_sort | Christopher R. Niileksela |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spearman’s Law of Diminishing Returns (SLODR) suggests general intelligence would be a stronger predictor of academic skills at lower general ability levels, and broad cognitive abilities would be stronger predictors of academic skills at higher general ability levels. Few studies have examined how cognitive–mathematics relations may vary for people with different levels of general cognitive ability. Multi-group structural equation modeling tested whether cognitive–mathematics relations differed by general ability levels for school-aged children (grades 1–5 and grades 6–12) using the <i>Woodcock-Johnson Third Edition</i> (<i>n</i> = 4470) and <i>Fourth Edition</i> (<i>n</i> = 3891) standardization samples. Results suggested that relationships between cognitive abilities and mathematics varied across general ability groups. General intelligence showed a stronger relative effect on mathematics for those with lower general ability compared to those with average or high general ability, and broad cognitive abilities showed a stronger relative effect on mathematics for those with average or high general ability compared to those with lower general ability. These findings provide a more nuanced understanding of cognitive–mathematics relations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-df9f22ef3a2549638a5814be5d4d9623 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2079-3200 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Journal of Intelligence |
| spelling | doaj-art-df9f22ef3a2549638a5814be5d4d96232025-06-25T14:00:31ZengMDPI AGJournal of Intelligence2079-32002025-06-011366510.3390/jintelligence13060065General Ability Level Moderates Cognitive–Achievement Relations for MathematicsChristopher R. Niileksela0Jacob Robbins1Daniel B. Hajovsky2Department of Educational Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USADepartment of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USADepartment of Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77845, USASpearman’s Law of Diminishing Returns (SLODR) suggests general intelligence would be a stronger predictor of academic skills at lower general ability levels, and broad cognitive abilities would be stronger predictors of academic skills at higher general ability levels. Few studies have examined how cognitive–mathematics relations may vary for people with different levels of general cognitive ability. Multi-group structural equation modeling tested whether cognitive–mathematics relations differed by general ability levels for school-aged children (grades 1–5 and grades 6–12) using the <i>Woodcock-Johnson Third Edition</i> (<i>n</i> = 4470) and <i>Fourth Edition</i> (<i>n</i> = 3891) standardization samples. Results suggested that relationships between cognitive abilities and mathematics varied across general ability groups. General intelligence showed a stronger relative effect on mathematics for those with lower general ability compared to those with average or high general ability, and broad cognitive abilities showed a stronger relative effect on mathematics for those with average or high general ability compared to those with lower general ability. These findings provide a more nuanced understanding of cognitive–mathematics relations.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/13/6/65cognitive abilityacademic skillscognitive–achievement relationsSpearman’s Law of Diminishing Returns |
| spellingShingle | Christopher R. Niileksela Jacob Robbins Daniel B. Hajovsky General Ability Level Moderates Cognitive–Achievement Relations for Mathematics Journal of Intelligence cognitive ability academic skills cognitive–achievement relations Spearman’s Law of Diminishing Returns |
| title | General Ability Level Moderates Cognitive–Achievement Relations for Mathematics |
| title_full | General Ability Level Moderates Cognitive–Achievement Relations for Mathematics |
| title_fullStr | General Ability Level Moderates Cognitive–Achievement Relations for Mathematics |
| title_full_unstemmed | General Ability Level Moderates Cognitive–Achievement Relations for Mathematics |
| title_short | General Ability Level Moderates Cognitive–Achievement Relations for Mathematics |
| title_sort | general ability level moderates cognitive achievement relations for mathematics |
| topic | cognitive ability academic skills cognitive–achievement relations Spearman’s Law of Diminishing Returns |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-3200/13/6/65 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT christopherrniileksela generalabilitylevelmoderatescognitiveachievementrelationsformathematics AT jacobrobbins generalabilitylevelmoderatescognitiveachievementrelationsformathematics AT danielbhajovsky generalabilitylevelmoderatescognitiveachievementrelationsformathematics |