How much does schooling influence general intelligence and its cognitive components? A reassessment of the evidence.
Abstract
This is a review of the relationship between schooling, IQ, and the cognitive processes presumed to underpin IQ. The data suggest that much of the causal pathway between IQ and schooling points in the direction of the importance of the quantity of schooling one attains (highest grade successfully completed). Schooling fosters the development of cognitive processes that underpin performance on most IQ tests. In western nations, schooling conveys this influence on IQ and cognition through practices that appear unrelated to systematic variation in quality of schools. If correct, this could have implications for the meaning one attaches to IQ in screening and prediction as well as for efforts to influence the development of IQ through changes in schooling practices
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Ceci (1991) concluded that schooling is an extremely important source of variance in intelligence test scores.
“Ceci's conclusion was that “schooling emerges as an extremely important source of variance” in intelligence test scores (p.719).”
From How Much Does Education Improve Intelligence? A Meta-Analysis (2018) · cites this paper as Ceci, 1991
The literature search included searching Google Scholar for articles citing Ceci's (1991) review, searching references within those studies, and searching APA PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.
“We began by searching Google Scholar for articles that had cited Ceci's (1991) review on the effects of education on intelligence, and then searching through the references within each of those studies.Next, we ran searches of APA PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses online database, using search terms related to the three study design types in our inclusion criteria”
From How Much Does Education Improve Intelligence? A Meta-Analysis (2018) · cites this paper as Ceci, 1991
The positive influence of education on intelligence test scores may be due to mechanisms such as teaching information relevant to intelligence tests, teaching thinking styles, and inculcating concentration and self-control.
“Generally, the positive influence of education on intelligence test scores may be due to various mechanisms, such as the teaching of information directly relevant to intelligence tests, the teaching of thinking styles, and the inculcating of concentration and self-control that may improve test performance [30, 31].”
From The secular trend of intelligence test scores: The Danish experience for young men born between 1940 and 2000 (2021) · cites this paper as [30]
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References 135 · Cited by 837
- Authors
- Ceci, S. J.
- Affiliations
- Cornell University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ceci, Stephen J.
- ORCID
- Ceci, Stephen J.
- Venue
- Developmental Psychology
- Published
- 1991-09
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 703-722
- ISSN
- 0012-1649 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-0599
- OpenAlex
- W1987959969
- Cited by
- 837
- References
- 135
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 22 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 41 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 44 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 47 · 2014: 46 · 2013: 32 · 2012: 36
- FWCI
- 12.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Developmental Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies
- Social Sciences › Education › Educational Outcomes and Influences
- Keywords
- school education, general intelligence, IQ, cognitive processes, educational attainment, school quality, intelligence testing, IQ prediction, teaching practice, cognitive development
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