Are g factor loadings associated with

test variance?
Evidence from WISC and WAIS
standardization samples

Jan Groth
University of Bonn
 The Link between g
Loadings and Test Variance
- a Plausible Scenario?
Arthur Jensen (1998):
«Because the size of the correlations between tests is
affected (positively) by the range of ability (hence the
variance) in the population tested, the size of the g
extracted from the intercorrelations among the tests is
correspondingly affected.»

Test Size of Size of g

Variance Correlation Loading
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 The Link between g
Loadings and Test Variance
- a Plausible Scenario?
James R. Flynn (2010):
«The ranking of Wechsler subtests in terms of their g
loadings is equivalent to ranking them in terms of the
cognitive complexity of the tasks measured.»

Test Test Size of Size of g

Complexity Variance Correlation Loading

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 Data: Testing the Link between
g Loadings and Test Variance

• Standardisation Samples of Wechsler IQ Tests

• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

• WISC – WISC V (1949 – 2014)
• Total N = 9 400

• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

• WAIS – WAIS IV (1955 – 2008)
• Total N = 7 330

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 Subtest Test Variance (SD) g Loading

Information 2.9 .70

Similarities 3.3 .59
Arithmetic 2.9 .70
Method of Vocabulary 3.0 .69

correlated Comprehension
Digit Span
2.9
3.1
.62
.57

vectors Picture Completion

Picture Arrangement
3.1
3.2
.60
.71
Block Design 3.1 .72
Object Assembly 3.2 .67
Coding A 3.1 .40
Mazes 3.1 .58

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Two Ways of Obtaining Vector Correlations
(a) Correlation Across Subtests (b) Subtest Held Constant (Information)
Age Held Constant (6) Correlation Across Age Bands

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Method of Aggregating Sub Samples

• Bare-bones Meta-Analysis
• Correcting for sampling error only

• Software for the Hunter-Schmidt meta-analysis methods

• Hunter & Le (2014)

• Subtest reliabilities partialed out prior to meta-analyzing to ensure that

• (a) Possible correlations are not artifacts
• (b) Possible correlations are not masked

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 Results (I)
d

a Correlations (Between Test Variance and g Loadings) Across Subtests - Age Held Constant

Sample K N Mean r SDr %VE

WISC 47 9 400 -.09 0.30 5.32

WAIS 38 7 330 .02 0.35 4.26
WISC+WAIS 85 16 730 -.04 0.33 4.68

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 Results (II)
f

Subtest Held Constant - Correlations (Between SD and g loadings) Across Age Bands

Sample K Nh Mean r SDr %VE

WISC 56 123 200 .17 0.36 5.32

WAIS 40 79 779 .20 0.33 4.26
WISC+WAIS 96 202 979 .18 0.33 4.68

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 Discussion (I)
Jensen‘s Assumption: FALSE and TRUE (partly true, partly false)

Test Size of Size of g

-
Variance Correlation Loading

Flynn‘s Assumption: FALSE (at least on the basis of this data)

Test Test Size of Size of g

Complexity Variance Correlation Loading
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 Discussion (II) – Two Possible Fallacies
!!!
Flynn: Test Complexity
--------------------------------------------------
Test Size of Size of g
Jensen: — Variance Correlation Loading

Fallacy I
(A) Variance is a fundamental condition of correlation
(B) There is a link between the degree of variance and the degree of correlation

Fallacy II
(A) A decrease in variance («range restriction») leads to reduced correlations
(B) Reverse Conclusion: Higher degrees of variance lead to higher degrees of correlation

(B) cannot logically be inferred from (A)!

However, a link between variance and correlation may be empirically true and/or a plausible scenario to be tested

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 Addendum: What is the Origin of
Flynn‘s Assumption?
Race & IQ Debate (IQ Gap between Blacks/Whites in the USA)
Arthur Jensen James Flynn
IQ gap is genetic in origin: (A) g loadings are equivalent to the
cognitive complexity of a subtest
(A) Positive correlation between
black/white score differences and g (B) The more complex the test, the more a
lower performing group (blacks) falls
loadings («Spearman’s hypothesis») behind a higher performing group (whites)
(B) g loadings are correlated with (C) The positive correlation between
heritability estimates black/white score differences and g
loadings («Spearman’s hypothesis») cannot
(C) IQ gap between blacks and whites is tell us, whether the cause of the lower
likely to be genetic in origin performance is genetic or environmental in
origin
Test Test Size of Size of g
Complexity Variance Correlation Loading

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Thank you

Jan Groth
University of Bonn