Paper Summary
Title: Correlation between cognitive ability and educational attainment weakens over birth cohorts
Source: Scientific Reports
Authors: Arno Van Hootegem et al.
Published Date: 2023-01-01
Podcast Transcript
Hello, and welcome to paper-to-podcast.
In today's episode, we're exploring a fascinating study that might just flip the script on what we've always thought about brains and books. You know, the old belief that the brainier you are, the further you'll go in school? Well, hold onto your hats, folks, because we're about to take a wild ride through time with some Norwegian data that's as hearty as a Viking feast!
The study, published in Scientific Reports by Arno Van Hootegem and colleagues, takes a peek at Norwegian lads born from 1950 to 1991. It's like a time capsule, except instead of finding old toys and newspapers, we're digging up the juicy details of how cognitive ability and educational attainment have been playing tag over the years. And guess what? It's no longer a game where only the sharpest knives in the drawer win.
Once upon a time, if you had the brainpower of Einstein, it was almost a given you'd be in school longer than a sloth takes to cross the road. The correlation was a hefty 0.63! But fast-forward to the post-1980 babies, and that number shrank faster than a cotton t-shirt in hot water, dropping below 0.50. And don't even get me started on the earnings – those numbers took a nosedive from over 0.60 to about 0.35. That's like going from a cannonball splash to a timid toe-dip in one generation!
It's not all doom and gloom for the brainy bunch, though. Their scores and school achievements were still in a relationship – just think more "It's complicated" than "Married with children." The academic world went from being an exclusive club with a "Geniuses Only" sign to a "Come one, come all" carnival. So, while having a turbo-charged noggin is still cool, it's not the be-all and end-all.
Now, how did our researchers uncover this chest of intellectual treasures? They weren't just spinning a globe and pointing. Oh no, they had access to a massive pile of data, thanks to Norway's love for record-keeping. They looked at brainpower tests from military conscription – yup, every dude had to take it – and lined it up with their educational journey and how much coin they raked in later in life.
This wasn't some backyard experiment, either. They had more measurements than a tailor at a suit convention and controlled for all sorts of statistical shenanigans. They even accounted for things like mommy and daddy's status to make sure they weren't just seeing a rich kid effect.
And the data? It's as solid as a Viking shield wall! We're talking about a comprehensive set of numbers that covers the entire male population of Norway over forty years. The cognitive tests provide a standard measure that's the same whether you're talking about Elvis fans or Backstreet Boys groupies. The researchers even double, triple, and quadruple-checked everything to make sure the results weren't just a fluke.
Of course, no study is perfect – it's more like a Norwegian sweater, cozy but with a few loose threads. The cognitive test they used is as old as the hills, or at least the 1950s, so it might not be as sharp as it used to be. And the study focused on guys, leaving the ladies out of the picture, which means we're only getting half the story.
So, what can we do with all this brainy business? Well, for starters:
- Educational policy wonks can chew over how to keep schools fair and fun for everyone.
- Job market gurus might rethink the whole "degrees equal dollars" equation.
- Sociologists and economists can dig into what really makes someone climb the social ladder.
- Schools could mix up their lessons to make sure kids get a full brain and heart workout.
- And career counselors might start telling students to buff up their soft skills alongside their book smarts.
It's clear that the brainy book club is changing its membership rules, and this research is opening the doors to a whole new way of thinking about smarts and schooling.
And that's a wrap on today's brain-bending episode. If you've enjoyed this scholarly journey from the land of the midnight sun, remember: the world of education and intelligence is as dynamic as a game of chess on a trampoline.
You can find this paper and more on the paper2podcast.com website.
Supporting Analysis
Once upon a time in Norway, smart cookies were expected to soar academically like eagles. But plot twist! As the years rolled by from 1950 to 1991, the smarty-pants weren't the only ones acing school. It turns out, the link between brainpower, measured by cognitive ability tests at military conscription, and school success got a bit fuzzy. In the good ol' days (well, if you were a brainiac, that is), the correlation between how much you could stuff into your brain and how many years you spent in school was a whopping 0.63. Fast forward to those born post-1980, and it dipped below 0.50. Even when it came to making more dough based on your degree, the correlation took a dive from over 0.60 to about 0.35. Talk about a sharp drop over just one generation! And get this – the brainy bunch's scores kept a solid relationship with educational attainment, but it was like watching a balloon slowly deflate over time. The academic world was becoming less of an exclusive club for the high-IQ crowd and more like a party that everyone was invited to. So, while smarts still matter, they're not the only ticket to the top of the educational ladder anymore.
Alright, let's dive into the nitty-gritty without getting too academic! The researchers were like detectives, looking for clues about how smarty-pants abilities (you know, the kind that help you ace tests) and school achievements are best pals across different generations of guys in Norway. And guess what? They didn't just ask a few people or peek into some dusty old books; they got their hands on a huge pile of data that covered lads born between 1950 and 1991. These guys were all tested for their brainpower when they were about 18 or 19 years old, thanks to a military conscription test. Think of it like a brain check-up that everyone gets. And because Norway is pretty chill about keeping records, they could match these brainy scores with how far each dude went in school and how much moolah they made later on. But here's where it gets science-y: they didn't just count the years of school or look at diplomas. They had a bunch of fancy ways to measure schooling, like seeing how education linked up with earnings and using this brainy concept called 'latent educational liability' – it's like the hidden potential for hitting the books hard. And to make sure they weren't mixing apples with oranges, they crunched the numbers in a way that smoothed out any funky business in the data over time. So, they really rolled up their sleeves to make sure they got the full picture of how being brainy and getting an education have been dance partners over the years in Norway.
One of the most compelling aspects of this research is its use of a large, comprehensive dataset. The study leverages administrative register data from Norway, which provides full population coverage and allows for a robust longitudinal analysis covering more than four decades of male birth cohorts. The utilization of cognitive ability test scores from military conscription adds a unique, standardized measure of cognitive ability that enables comparison across a vast temporal span. Additionally, by employing multiple measures of educational attainment and incorporating various robustness checks and controls, the study ensures that the results are not artifacts of specific measurement choices or external factors. This thoroughness enhances the credibility of the findings. The researchers also followed best practices by considering potential confounders, such as reverse causality and the influence of parental socioeconomic status (SES), when interpreting their results. By adjusting for these factors, they provided a clearer picture of the relationship between cognitive ability and educational attainment. Furthermore, the transparency in acknowledging the limitations of their study, such as the potential outdatedness of test items and the absence of female participants in the data, reflects a responsible and conscientious approach to social science research.
One of the possible limitations mentioned in the research is that the cognitive ability test used during military conscription has remained essentially unchanged since the 1950s. This means that the test items may have become outdated and might not function the same way due to changes in the social context over time. For example, the introduction of calculators in schools could mean that students have less practice with the type of pen-and-paper calculations required for the test, potentially affecting their performance and the relevance of the test to current populations. Another limitation is that the study only looked at cognitive ability scores for men, which does not allow for any assertions about the correlation between cognitive ability and educational attainment for women. Although previous research suggests that intelligence relates similarly to school success for both boys and girls, it would be necessary to conduct explicit research on women to confirm if the observed patterns hold true across genders.
The research offers several potential applications that are quite intriguing: 1. **Educational Policy and Reform**: Understanding the diminishing correlation between cognitive ability and educational attainment could inform educational reforms aimed at ensuring that schools continue to be meritocratic and effectively serve their role as equalizers in society. 2. **Labor Market Analysis**: For employers and job market analysts, the findings suggest a need to reassess the weight given to educational credentials when evaluating job candidates. There might be a push towards considering a broader set of skills, including non-cognitive traits like perseverance and emotional intelligence. 3. **Sociological Insights**: The study provides valuable data for sociologists and economists interested in social mobility, equality, and the factors that influence socioeconomic success beyond just intelligence and education. 4. **Curriculum Development**: Educational institutions might use these findings to tailor curriculums that balance cognitive and non-cognitive skills development, reflecting the changing demands of the labor market. 5. **Career Counseling**: Career advisors could benefit from these insights by helping students understand the importance of a diverse skill set, not solely focusing on cognitive abilities or academic achievements. By shedding light on the evolving relationship between intelligence and education, the research opens up discussions on how to maintain meritocracy in a world where education is becoming more accessible and diverse in its offerings.