Psychometric problems with the method of correlated vectors applied to item scores (including some nonsensical results)
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Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 60 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
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A Call for, and Beginner’s Guide to, Measurement Invariance Testing in Evolutionary Psychology
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Sex Differences in Intelligence: The Developmental Theory
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“, Wicherts, J.M., Zeiler, M. & Voracek, M. (2015). Meta-analysis of associations between human brain volume and intelligence differences: How strong are they and what do they mean? Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 57: 411-432.”
BackgroundAnglim, J., Morse, G., de Vries, R. E., MacCann, C., & Marty, A. (2017) · European Journal of Personality · doi:10.1002/per.2120 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
“This method has received substantial criticism (Wicherts, 2017; Wicherts & Johnson, 2009).”
MethodThe comparative analysis of intelligence.
Flaim, M. E., & Blaisdell, A. P. (2020) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/bul0000306 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“is the method of correlated vectors, and while some human researchers have advocated for its use (Jensen & Weng, 1994) other researchers have identified potential issues with its use (Ashton & Lee, 2005; Wicherts, 2017).”
MethodNijenhuis, J. T., Choi, Y. Y., van den Hoek, M., Valueva, E. А., & Lee, K. H. (2019) · Journal of Biosocial Science · doi:10.1017/s0021932019000026 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
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“This shortcoming arises because the method does not detect violations of statistical assumptions that must be met in order to justify such conclusions (Dolan & Hamaker, 2001; Lubke, Dolan, & Kelder-man, 2001; Wicherts, 2017).”
MethodThe ups and downs of intelligence: The co-occurrence model and its associated research program
Egeland, J. (2022) · Intelligence · doi:10.1016/j.intell.2022.101643 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
IGNORING PSYCHOMETRIC PROBLEMS IN THE STUDY OF GROUP DIFFERENCES IN COGNITIVE TEST PERFORMANCE
Wicherts, J. M. (2018) · Journal of Biosocial Science · doi:10.1017/s0021932018000172 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“After noting that te Nijenhuis and colleagues had ignored Wicherts and Johnson (2009) in earlier works using the method of correlated vectors, I wrote a more elaborate critique (Wicherts, 2017).”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSelf-citationMeasuring State and Trait Anxiety: An Application of Multidimensional Item Response Theory
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“It is notable here that Jensen’s method (method of correlated vectors), which has been criticized for nonsensical results (Wicherts, 2017; Wicherts & Johnson, 2009), was actually congruent with the item response theory-based results, even detecting the same highly biased knowledge item.”
MethodPredicting group differences from the correlation of vectors
Sorjonen, K., Aurell, J., & Melin, B. (2017) · Intelligence · doi:10.1016/j.intell.2017.07.008 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“It has been concluded before that a repeated demonstration of a strong correlation of vectors is necessary, but not sufficient, to infer a difference between population means on a latent variable and that the method lacks in specificity (Dolan &Hamaker, 2001, see also Wicherts, 2017).”
BackgroundDifferential Item Functioning on Raven’s SPM+ Amongst Two Convenience Samples of Yakuts and Russians
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“However, these approaches have been brought into question [11].”
BackgroundSex Differences in 32,347 Jordanian 4th Graders on the National Exam of Mathematics
Albursan, I. S., Kirkegaard, E. O. W., Fuerst, J. G. R., Bakhiet, S. F. A., Qudah, M. F. A., Hassan, E. M. A. H., & Abduljabbar, A. S. (2018) · Journal of Individual Differences · doi:10.1027/1614-0001/a000278 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“This allows for the calculation of item loadings that are on the same scale as regular test-level loadings andwhich are not affected by item pass rates, unlike with Pearson correlations (Wicherts, 2017; Wicherts & Johnson, 2009).”
Factors Related to Mean Score Group Differences on Cognitive Ability Tests: A Systematic Review
Cuppello, S., Zibarras, L. D., & Corr, P. J. (2025) · Trends in Psychology · doi:10.1007/s43076-025-00504-5
Bakhiet, S. F. A., Nijenhuis, J. T., van den Hoek, M., Al-Khadher, M. A., & Сергеевич, Ш. В. (2018) · International Journal of Educational & Psychological Studies · doi:10.31559/eps2018.3.3.8
“There have been multiple tests of Spearman’s hypothesis at the item level with contradictory results, ranging from no support to strong support of the hypothesis (see also Wicherts (2017) for a critique).”
ResultWicherts, J. M. (2018) · Journal of Biosocial Science · doi:10.1017/s0021932018000184
Self-citationSex differences in 32,347 Jordanian 4th graders on the national exam of mathematicsPreprint
Kirkegaard, E. O. W., & Fuerst, J. G. R. (2017) · doi:10.31219/osf.io/9knbe
- Authors
- Wicherts, J. M.
- Affiliations
- Tilburg University (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Wicherts, Jelte M.
- ORCID
- Wicherts, Jelte M.
- Venue
- Intelligence
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-01
- Volume
- 60
- Pages
- 26-38
- ISSN
- 0160-2896 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2554252355
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 5
- FWCI
- 3.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- Locations
- Intelligence (publishedVersion)
- Research portal (Tilburg University) (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Management Science and Operations Research › Psychometric Methodologies and Testing
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Keywords
- measurement invariance, differential item functioning, general intelligence, ethnic differences, Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, item-level analysis, psychometric validity, Big Five personality traits
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