Motivational and personality-related determinants of intellectual development in elementary school age

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Ricarda Steinmayr, since 4/2023
• Subject Area: Developmental and Educational Psychology
• Term: from 2019 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 437644631

One of the most important questions in intelligence research has always been what drives intellectual development. However, individual determinants of the development of fluid and crystallized intelligence have scarcely been investigated. Therefore, in this project, these determinants will be examined. Findings will deepen our understanding of intellectual development and also lay the foundations for an indirect promotion of intellectual growth.The relevant individual determinants (investment traits) are the main facets of the validated Intellect model by Mussel (2013). These are the achievement motive, need for cognition, and two types of epistemic curiosity. The achievement motive and deprivation type curiosity are primarily decisive for how thoroughly and persistently an individual works on an intellectual challenge in order to achieve a certain goal. Need for cognition and interest type curiosity are rather decisive for how often individuals engage in intellectual challenges. These behavioral dispositions should decide upon learning progress due to cognitively stimulating tasks and, therefore, upon development of fluid and crystallized intelligence in the long run. At the same time, it is also plausible to hypothesize intelligence to impact the development of the investment traits. Drawing on both theoretical considerations and some early empirical findings, the current project aims at investigating the relation over time between those investment traits and fluid and crystallized intelligence, respectively, in elementary school age, using a longitudinal study design. The study is planned to start in second grade. Two measurement occasions will be implemented, with an interval of one year in between them. Overall, N ≈ 475 students will be followed for this time period. Fluid intelligence will be assessed with the revised German version of the Culture Fair Intelligence Test 2 and with the Number-Symbol-Test of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children V. Crystallized intelligence will be measured with standardized academic achievement tests targeting reading comprehension and mathematical skills. The investment traits will be assessed with established questionnaires. Data analysis will be performed by means of latent change score models, while controlling for relevant covariates and accounting for the nested data structure.On the one hand, the project aims at deepening our understanding of intellectual development. On the other hand, it also has practical implications: A direct promotion of intellectual growth is tedious and cost-intensive. If the investment traits would predict intellectual development, intervention programs for modifying them could be used in order to achieve an indirect promotion of intellectual growth, which would use less time and costs but would be effective in the long run.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Dr. Sebastian Bergold, until 4/2023