Prefrontal cognitive ability, intelligence, Big Five personality, and the prediction of advanced academic and workplace performance.
Studies 1 and 2 assessed performance on a battery of dorsolateral prefrontal cognitive ability (D-PFCA) tests, personality, psychometric intelligence, and academic performance (AP) in 2 undergraduate samples. In Studies 1 and 2, AP was correlated with D-PFCA (r=.37, p<.01, and r=.33, p<.01, respectively), IQ (r=.24, p<.05, and r=.38, p<.01, respectively), and Conscientiousness (r=.26, p<.05, and r=.37, p<.01, respectively). D-PFCA remained significant in regression analyses controlling for intelligence (or g) and personality. Studies 3 and 4 assessed D-PFCA, personality, and workplace performance among (a) managerial-administrative workers and (b) factory floor workers at a manufacturing company. Prefrontal cognitive ability correlated with supervisor ratings of manager performance at values of r ranging from .42 to .57 (ps<.001), depending on experience, and with factory floor performance at pr=.21 (p=.02), after controlling for experience, age, and education. Conscientiousness correlated with factory floor performance at r=.23.
Higgins
Daniel M
DM
Department of Psychology, Harvard University.
Peterson
Jordan B
JB
0000-0002-3015-6896
Department of Psychology, University of Toronto.
Pihl
Robert O
RO
Department of Psychology, McGill University.
Lee
Alice G M
AGM
Faculty of Medicine, University of Hawai'i at Manoa.
D000124:Achievement; D002322:Career Mobility; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D010551:Personality; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D011340:Problem Solving; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017132:Workplace