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IQ in adolescence and cognition over 50 years later: The mediating role of adult personality

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  • Stephan, Yannick
  • Sutin, Angelina R.
  • Luchetti, Martina
  • Aschwanden, Damaris
  • Terracciano, Antonio

Abstract

There is substantial evidence for the association between higher early life IQ and better cognition in late life. To advance knowledge on potential pathways, the present study tested whether Five-Factor Model personality traits in adulthood mediate the association between adolescent IQ and later-life cognition. Participants were from the Graduate sample of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study on Aging (WLS; N = 3585). IQ was assessed in 1957 (about age 17), personality was assessed in 2003–2005 (age = 64), and cognition was assessed in 2011 (age = 71). Controlling for demographic factors, higher IQ in adolescence was related to higher openness, lower neuroticism, lower extraversion, lower agreeableness and lower conscientiousness in adulthood. Higher openness partially mediated the association between higher IQ and better cognition. Additional analyses indicated that the pattern of associations between IQ, personality and cognition was similar when the polygenic score for cognition was included as an additional covariate. Although effect size were small, this study provides new evidence that openness in adulthood is on the pathway between early life IQ and later-life cognition.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephan, Yannick & Sutin, Angelina R. & Luchetti, Martina & Aschwanden, Damaris & Terracciano, Antonio, 2022. "IQ in adolescence and cognition over 50 years later: The mediating role of adult personality," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:intell:v:94:y:2022:i:c:s0160289622000630
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2022.101682
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Amanda A Sesker & Páraic S O’Súilleabháin & Ji Hyun Lee & Damaris Aschwanden & Martina Luchetti & Yannick Stephan & Antonio Terracciano & Angelina R Sutin, 2022. "Pathways From Early-Life SES to Dementia Risk in Old Age: The Role of Personality," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 77(5), pages 850-859.
    2. Wraw, Christina & Der, Geoff & Gale, Catharine R. & Deary, Ian J., 2018. "Intelligence in youth and health behaviours in middle age," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 71-86.
    3. Zhang, Zhenmei & Liu, Hui & Choi, Seung-won, 2020. "Early-life socioeconomic status, adolescent cognitive ability, and cognition in late midlife: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    4. Martina Luchetti & Antonio Terracciano & Yannick Stephan & Angelina R. Sutin, 2016. "Editor's choice Personality and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults: Data From a Longitudinal Sample and Meta-Analysis," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 71(4), pages 591-601.
    5. Čukić, Iva & Brett, Caroline E. & Calvin, Catherine M. & Batty, G. David & Deary, Ian J., 2017. "Childhood IQ and survival to 79: Follow-up of 94% of the Scottish Mental Survey 1947," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 45-50.
    6. Robert M. Hauser & Alberto Palloni, 2011. "Adolescent IQ and Survival in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 66(suppl_1), pages 91-101.
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