The relationship between socioeconomic status and analytical, practical, and creative intelligence

This study investigates the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and three dimensions of intelligence – analytical, practical, and creative – based on data from 372 gifted students assessed using the Aurora-a Battery. It explores how SES factors, including parental education, occupational prestige, and school type, as well as gender differences, influence cognitive functioning through verbal, figural, and numerical task modalities. Results show a weak but statistically significant positive correlation of SES with analytical and verbal intelligence. When parental education and occupation were analyzed separately for mothers and fathers, mother’s education showed consistent positive correlations with several dimensions of intelligence, whereas father’s occupation had a stronger positive correlation, particularly with analytical, practical, and creative intelligence. Parental occupation and creative intelligence were moderated by gender: mother’s occupation had a stronger influence on boys, while father’s occupation had a stronger influence on girls. These findings highlight the role of SES in the intellectual ability of gifted students, with implications that education and occupation of parents contribute differently to cognitive development. Insights into these dynamics may help policymakers plan educational policies and interventions for gifted students from diverse SES backgrounds. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.