The Other Relationships of Self-Assessed Intelligence: A Meta-Analysis

Title: Registered Report: The Other Relationships of Self-Assessed Intelligence

Authors and Affiliations

• Matt C. Howard, 1⇑, Joshua E. Cogswell, 2,3
  1 The University of South Alabama, Mitchell College of Business, United States
  2 (University of South Alabama)
  3 email addresses: MHoward@SouthAlabama.edu (M.C. Howard), jec1424@jagmail.southalabama.edu (J.E. Cogswell)

Article Information

• Received: 14 January 2018

• Revised: 14 August 2018

• Accepted: 18 September 2018

• Available Online: 19 September 2018

• Keywords: Self-assessed intelligence, Meta-analysis, Well-being, Individual differences

Abstract

• The current article aims to group the relationships of self-assessed intelligence (SAI) into four categories:

  1. Constructs associated with intelligence (e.g., openness, emotional intelligence)

  2. Tendencies and opportunities to develop intelligence (e.g., conscientiousness, education, age, SES, prior IQ test experience)

  3. Constructs associated with biased self-assessments (e.g., extraversion, neuroticism, narcissism, honesty-humility, race)

  4. Positive states and life achievements (e.g., positive self-regard, psychological well-being, academic achievement)

• The meta-analytic results indicate that almost all variables from these categories significantly relate to SAI, except for prior IQ test experience. These relationships remained consistent when controlling for psychometric intelligence, and no moderator variables significantly influenced the relationships.

1. Introduction

• SAI is often treated as an indicator of perceptual bias. Recent meta-analyses demonstrate the complexity of the SAI-psychometric intelligence relationship:

  • Freund & Kasten (2012) showed a moderate correlation ($r = 0.33$) between SAI and psychometric intelligence, influenced by measurement methods and socialization variances.

  • Syzmanowicz & Furnham (2011) reported that men generally assess their intelligence higher than women ($d = 0.37$).

• The authors argue that SAI is more central to self-identity than previously suggested and associated with a broader set of personality characteristics and demographic metrics.

2. Background

• Research timeline: Traditionally focused on the SAI-psychometric intelligence link.

  • Early studies indicated a moderate relationship.

  • Later studies examined gender and cultural differences in SAI assessments.

• Emerging Interests: Expansion to include personality traits and outcomes influenced by SAI, highlighting the importance of considering variables beyond psychometric measures.

2.1 Theoretical Frameworks

• The current study uses Social Cognitive Theory to explain the relationships of SAI:

  • Learning occurs through interaction between environment, person, and behavior.

  • Self-efficacy (belief in one's capabilities) impacts motivation, influencing SAI assessments.

2.1.1 Constructs Associated with Intelligence

• Openness to Experience: Linked to SAI; embraces new ideas and abstract thinking.

• Emotional Intelligence: Assumed to moderate the relationship with psychometric intelligence; linked to better self-assessment accuracy.

Hypothesis 1:

• SAI is positively related to (a) openness to experience and (b) emotional intelligence.

2.1.2 Tendencies and Opportunities to Develop Intelligence

• Constructs predictive of SAI related to efforts in developing intelligence, addressed by social cognitive theory.

  • Conscientiousness: Hardworking individuals building knowledge, expected to have higher SAI.

  • Education: More education linked to increased SAI due to mastery experiences.

  • Age and Socioeconomic Status (SES): Older individuals and those with higher SES have better access to educational opportunities, expected to correlate with higher SAI.

  • Prior IQ Test Experience: Should provide a mastery experience, potentially leading to higher SAI.

Hypothesis 2:

• SAI is positively related to (a) conscientiousness, (b) education, (c) age, (d) SES, and (e) prior IQ test experience.

2.1.3 Constructs Associated with Biased Self-Assessments

• SAI is influenced by narcissism, honesty-humility, extraversion, and neuroticism.

  • Narcissism: Linked to inflated self-assessments of intelligence.

  • Honesty-Humility: Associated negatively; modest individuals rate their SAI lower.

Hypothesis 3:

• SAI is positively related to (a) narcissism and (b) extraversion.

• SAI is negatively related to (c) honesty-humility and (d) neuroticism.

2.1.4 Positive States and Life Achievements

• Highlighting the reciprocation of SAI and well-being-

  • Positive Self-Regard: High SAI tends to enhance self-regard.

  • Academic Achievement: SAI influences motivation towards academic goals.

Hypothesis 4:

• SAI is positively related to (a) positive self-regard, (b) psychological well-being, and (c) academic achievement.

2.2 Discriminant Validity

• Examination of the relationship of SAI with Agreeableness, with research question: Is SAI significantly related to agreeableness?

2.3 Moderators

• Measurement methods for SAI are often bell-curve presentations of intelligences. Differences in intelligence conceptualizations (traditional vs. Gardner’s multiple intelligence) may impact relationships.

Research Question 2:

• Do (a) gender, (b) age, and (c) publication year moderate SAI relationships?

3. Methods

3.1 Identifying Sources

• Searches through databases yielded 1,944 entries, with 324 sources ultimately included for analysis based on inclusion criteria.

3.2 Analyses

• Random effects model applied to calculate correct meta-analytic effects.

4. Results

• Evaluation of publication bias, with statistical indicators and tests detailed.

• Primary Analysis:

  • Significant relationships between SAI and various constructs revealed (

  • (a) Openness: $r = 0.20$

  • (b) Emotional Intelligence: $r = 0.34$

  • (c) Conscientiousness: $r = 0.06$, etc.

• No significant relation between SAI and agreeableness.

5. Discussion

5.1 Implications

• Emphasizes the complexity and multifaceted nature of SAI. SAI could influence self-worth, prompting biases towards self-assessments.

5.2 Future Research

• Suggested to refine understanding of the racial comparisons and the links SAI has with constructs currently unexplored.

5.3 Limitations

• Researchers should consider limitations related to the sample context and theoretical nuances of emotional intelligence.

6. Conclusion

• Acknowledges SAI's role within various relationships, underlining the need for nuanced future investigations to understand the true nature of self-assessed intelligence in relation to psychometric measures.