The relationship between intelligence and academic achievement is a long-standing topic in psychology and education research. Traditionally, intelligence has been seen as an important factor in school success, but the exact nature of this relationship remains the subject of debate. The study by Watkins and Styck (2017) contributes to this debate by providing evidence that general intelligence can be a precursor to performance in reading and mathematics.
The authors used a sophisticated statistical model, cross-panel analysis, to examine the relationship between intelligence and academic performance in a group of 337 students evaluated at two different times. The results revealed that the general intelligence measured at the first moment was a significant predictor of reading and mathematics performance in the second moment, even after controlling for factors such as previous academic performance.
This finding suggests that general intelligence is not only a reflection of academic achievement, but may, in fact, influence the development of skills in reading and math over time. In other words, intelligence seems to have a causal role in academic achievement, not just an association relationship.
Importantly, the study does not exclude the possibility of a bidirectional relationship between intelligence and academic achievement, especially in the case of mathematics. However, the results suggest that the influence of intelligence on academic performance is stronger than the reverse, which reinforces the importance of intelligence as a key factor for school success.
In addition, the study highlights the importance of considering intelligence as a multifaceted construct, composed of different cognitive abilities. While general intelligence has been shown to be an important predictor of academic achievement, other specific skills, such as working memory and quantitative knowledge, may also play a role.
In short, the study by Watkins and Styck (2017) offers robust evidence that general intelligence is a crucial factor for academic achievement in reading and mathematics. This finding has important implications for educational practice, suggesting that interventions aimed at developing general intelligence may have a positive impact on student academic performance. However, more research is needed to fully understand the complex relationship between intelligence and academic achievement, and to identify the best strategies to promote the development of both areas.
Reference:
WATKINS, M. W.; STYCK, K. M. The Cross – Lagged Panel Analysis of Psychometric Intelligence and Achievement in Reading and Math. Intelligence, v. 5, no. 3, pp. 31, 2017.
