The influence of educational attainment on intelligence

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Standard

The influence of educational attainment on intelligence. / Hegelund, Emilie Rune; Grønkjær, Marie Stjerne; Osler, Merete; Dammeyer, Jesper; Flensborg-Madsen, Trine; Mortensen, Erik Lykke.

In: Intelligence, Vol. 78, 101419, 2020.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Hegelund, ER, Grønkjær, MS, Osler, M, Dammeyer, J, Flensborg-Madsen, T & Mortensen, EL 2020, 'The influence of educational attainment on intelligence', Intelligence, vol. 78, 101419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2019.101419

APA

Hegelund, E. R., Grønkjær, M. S., Osler, M., Dammeyer, J., Flensborg-Madsen, T., & Mortensen, E. L. (2020). The influence of educational attainment on intelligence. Intelligence, 78, [101419]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2019.101419

Vancouver

Hegelund ER, Grønkjær MS, Osler M, Dammeyer J, Flensborg-Madsen T, Mortensen EL. The influence of educational attainment on intelligence. Intelligence. 2020;78. 101419. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2019.101419

Author

Hegelund, Emilie Rune ; Grønkjær, Marie Stjerne ; Osler, Merete ; Dammeyer, Jesper ; Flensborg-Madsen, Trine ; Mortensen, Erik Lykke. / The influence of educational attainment on intelligence. In: Intelligence. 2020 ; Vol. 78.

Bibtex

@article{8aca62d9042a4771b2afad688b044e5d,
title = "The influence of educational attainment on intelligence",
abstract = "Education has been found to have a positive influence on intelligence, but to be able to inform policy, it is important to analyse whether the observed association depends on the educational duration and intelligence prior to variations in educational attainment. Therefore, a longitudinal cohort study was conducted of all members of the Metropolit 1953 Danish Male Birth Cohort who were intelligence tested at age 12 and appeared before the Danish draft boards (N = 7389). A subpopulation also participated in the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (N = 1901). The associations of educational attainment with intelligence in young adulthood and midlife were estimated by use of general linear regression with adjustment for intelligence test score at age 12 and family socioeconomic position. Results showed a positive association of educational attainment with intelligence test scores in both young adulthood and midlife after prior intelligence had been taken into account. The marginal cognitive benefits depended on the educational duration but did not reach a plateau until 17 years. Further, intelligence test score at age 12 was found to modify the association, suggesting that individuals with low intelligence in childhood derive the largest benefit from education. Comparing the strength of the association observed among participants and non-participants in our midlife study, we showed that selection due to loss to follow-up might bias the investigated association towards the null. This might explain previous studies' findings of relatively small cognitive benefits. In conclusion, education seems to constitute a promising method for raising intelligence, especially among the least advantaged individuals.",
author = "Hegelund, {Emilie Rune} and Gr{\o}nkj{\ae}r, {Marie Stjerne} and Merete Osler and Jesper Dammeyer and Trine Flensborg-Madsen and Mortensen, {Erik Lykke}",
year = "2020",
doi = "10.1016/j.intell.2019.101419",
language = "English",
volume = "78",
journal = "Intelligence",
issn = "0160-2896",
publisher = "Elsevier",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - The influence of educational attainment on intelligence

AU - Hegelund, Emilie Rune

AU - Grønkjær, Marie Stjerne

AU - Osler, Merete

AU - Dammeyer, Jesper

AU - Flensborg-Madsen, Trine

AU - Mortensen, Erik Lykke

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Education has been found to have a positive influence on intelligence, but to be able to inform policy, it is important to analyse whether the observed association depends on the educational duration and intelligence prior to variations in educational attainment. Therefore, a longitudinal cohort study was conducted of all members of the Metropolit 1953 Danish Male Birth Cohort who were intelligence tested at age 12 and appeared before the Danish draft boards (N = 7389). A subpopulation also participated in the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (N = 1901). The associations of educational attainment with intelligence in young adulthood and midlife were estimated by use of general linear regression with adjustment for intelligence test score at age 12 and family socioeconomic position. Results showed a positive association of educational attainment with intelligence test scores in both young adulthood and midlife after prior intelligence had been taken into account. The marginal cognitive benefits depended on the educational duration but did not reach a plateau until 17 years. Further, intelligence test score at age 12 was found to modify the association, suggesting that individuals with low intelligence in childhood derive the largest benefit from education. Comparing the strength of the association observed among participants and non-participants in our midlife study, we showed that selection due to loss to follow-up might bias the investigated association towards the null. This might explain previous studies' findings of relatively small cognitive benefits. In conclusion, education seems to constitute a promising method for raising intelligence, especially among the least advantaged individuals.

AB - Education has been found to have a positive influence on intelligence, but to be able to inform policy, it is important to analyse whether the observed association depends on the educational duration and intelligence prior to variations in educational attainment. Therefore, a longitudinal cohort study was conducted of all members of the Metropolit 1953 Danish Male Birth Cohort who were intelligence tested at age 12 and appeared before the Danish draft boards (N = 7389). A subpopulation also participated in the Copenhagen Aging and Midlife Biobank (N = 1901). The associations of educational attainment with intelligence in young adulthood and midlife were estimated by use of general linear regression with adjustment for intelligence test score at age 12 and family socioeconomic position. Results showed a positive association of educational attainment with intelligence test scores in both young adulthood and midlife after prior intelligence had been taken into account. The marginal cognitive benefits depended on the educational duration but did not reach a plateau until 17 years. Further, intelligence test score at age 12 was found to modify the association, suggesting that individuals with low intelligence in childhood derive the largest benefit from education. Comparing the strength of the association observed among participants and non-participants in our midlife study, we showed that selection due to loss to follow-up might bias the investigated association towards the null. This might explain previous studies' findings of relatively small cognitive benefits. In conclusion, education seems to constitute a promising method for raising intelligence, especially among the least advantaged individuals.

U2 - 10.1016/j.intell.2019.101419

DO - 10.1016/j.intell.2019.101419

M3 - Journal article

VL - 78

JO - Intelligence

JF - Intelligence

SN - 0160-2896

M1 - 101419

ER -

ID: 231302241