A Meta-Analysis of Information Processing Measures of Intelligence, Performance, and Group Score Differences
type: CreativeWork
description: Intelligence is one of the most studied constructs in industrial-organizational (I-O) and educational psychology. Findings from numerous studies and meta-analyses have consistently demonstrated the power of intelligence measures to predict performance across a wide range of domains. This research has been fruitful and provides strong evidence for the utility of intelligence measures in organizations and schools. However, while intelligence measures have been developed and applied for over a century, most research in I-O psychology has relied on operationalizations of intelligence that focus on a person’s knowledge. Meta-theories of intelligence propose that intelligence can simultaneously be conceptualized as a person’s ability to process information. From this perspective, intelligence is not just what a person knows but also a person’s ability to maintain, learn, and use information to reason. Approaching intelligence as information processing offers unique opportunities for assessing intelligence that may explain additional variance in workplace outcomes in conjunction with commonly used intelligence measures. Furthermore, theory and early data suggests information processing measures may reduce group score differences typically reported with other types of intelligence measures. For these reasons, it is important to understand the existing literature on information processing measures. The current study offers insight into the utility of information processing measures in applied settings through a meta-analytic design. Samples examining information processing measures were collected and examined to evaluate if they predict job performance, job-oriented training performance, and academic performance. Several variables, including the theoretical approach used to develop the measure, the diversity of task types in the measure, and the language knowledge requirement needed to respond to items on the measure, were tested as moderators of these relationships. In addi…
abstract: Intelligence is one of the most studied constructs in industrial-organizational (I-O) and educational psychology. Findings from numerous studies and meta-analyses have consistently demonstrated the power of intelligence measures to predict performance across a wide range of domains. This research has been fruitful and provides strong evidence for the utility of intelligence measures in organizations and schools. However, while intelligence measures have been developed and applied for over a century, most research in I-O psychology has relied on operationalizations of intelligence that focus on a person’s knowledge. Meta-theories of intelligence propose that intelligence can simultaneously be conceptualized as a person’s ability to process information. From this perspective, intelligence is not just what a person knows but also a person’s ability to maintain, learn, and use information to reason. Approaching intelligence as information processing offers unique opportunities for assessing intelligence that may explain additional variance in workplace outcomes in conjunction with commonly used intelligence measures. Furthermore, theory and early data suggests information processing measures may reduce group score differences typically reported with other types of intelligence measures. For these reasons, it is important to understand the existing literature on information processing measures. The current study offers insight into the utility of information processing measures in applied settings through a meta-analytic design. Samples examining information processing measures were collected and examined to evaluate if they predict job performance, job-oriented training performance, and academic performance. Several variables, including the theoretical approach used to develop the measure, the diversity of task types in the measure, and the language knowledge requirement needed to respond to items on the measure, were tested as moderators of these relationships. In addi…
author: Larson, Elliott C
keywords: Industrial and Organizational Psychology, intelligence, information processing, performance, group score differences, meta-analysis
date published: 2019-02-01T08:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:59:05Z
provider: City University of New York - Graduate Center
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York