The Predictive Validity of Four Intelligence Tests for School Grades: A Small Sample Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Intelligence is considered the strongest single predictor of scholastic achievement. However, little is known regarding the predictive validity of well-established intelligence tests for school grades. We analyzed the predictive validity of four widely used intelligence tests in German-speaking countries: The Intelligence and Development Scales (IDS), the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales (RIAS), the Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test (SON-R 6-40), and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), which were individually administered to 103 children (Mage = 9.17 years) enrolled in regular school. School grades were collected longitudinally after 3 years (averaged school grades, mathematics, and language) and were available for 54 children (Mage = 11.77 years). All four tests significantly predicted averaged school grades. Furthermore, the IDS and the RIAS predicted both mathematics and language, while the SON-R 6-40 predicted mathematics. The WISC-IV showed no significant association with longitudinal scholastic achievement when mathematics and language were analyzed separately. The results revealed the predictive validity of currently used intelligence tests for longitudinal scholastic achievement in German-speaking countries and support their use in psychological practice, in particular for predicting averaged school grades. However, this conclusion has to be considered as preliminary due to the small sample of children observed.

Operationalism and realism in psychometrics

“…For example, the developers of the earliest measures of intelligence thought it was important that intelligence tests predict scholastic achievement (Binet & Simon, ). To this day, the validation of intelligence tests consists of checks of correlations between the test and school grades or standardized achievement tests (Gygi, Hagmann‐von Arx, Schweizer, & Grob, )…”

Early Detection of Academic Performance During Primary Education Using the Spanish Primary School Aptitude Test (AEI) Battery

“…A further notable result, that coincides with various investigations in the body of literature, is that General Intelligence is not a determining variable in predicting school success ( Edel, 2003 ; Laidra et al, 2006 ; Deary et al, 2007 ; Watkins et al, 2007 ; Miñano and Castejón, 2008 ). While it is true that this statement is controversial and has many defenders as well as detractors, it is not difficult to find a diversity of research which determines that General Intelligence can be considered as one of the best predictors of academic success ( Deary et al, 2007 ; Kaufman et al, 2012 ; Roth et al, 2015 ; Schult and Sparfeldt, 2016 ; Gygi et al, 2017 ). However, for our sample and with the aptitude being measured using the AEI tool, the fact of having higher scores in this particular index has not been associated with greater possibilities of non-repetition of school years.…”

Early detection of learning difficulties using the BADyG-E2r Battery during primary education

“…Another noteworthy result, which confirms our hypothesis (H d ) and coincides with different investigations, is that General Intelligence is not the most relevant variable in terms of predicting school success at a general level or in specific academic areas such as Mathematics or Language (Deary, Strand, Smith, & Fernandes, 2007;Edel, 2003;Laidra, & Pullman, H.,& Allik, J., 2006;Watkins, Lei, & Canivez, 2007). On the other hand, one must account for the fact that the above statement is controversial since in like manner, it is not difficult to compare it with other investigations with General Intelligence among their results, and General Intelligence is presented as a cognitive aptitude with a greater correlation with respect to academic success (Deary et al, 2007;Gygi, Schweizer, & Grob, 2017;Kaufman, Reynolds, Liu, Kaufman, & McGrew, 2012;Roth et al, 2015;Schult & Sparfeldt, 2016). Notwithstanding, for the sample in the present study, the highest score in this index, as measured by the BADyG E2r psychometric test, has not been associated with a greater probability of repeating a course.…”