Statistics of behaviour scores

Introduction

Over the past twenty-eight years I have been collecting various kinds of data for thousands of test candidates. This report deals with the predictive validity of a number of variables with regard to certain types of objectively observable misbehaviour that, sadly, occur in a small fraction of the candidates. Insults, threats, and (re)tests under false names are common responses of these people when disappointed about their scores or otherwise dismayed.

For this purpose I added a data field that contains 0 in the case of misbehavers and 1 in the case of people with objectively observable markedly positive, constructive behaviour. I left it blank in all other cases. The following statistics result:

Scores on Observed behaviour as of 27 January 2023

Contents type: Observation.   

• n: 164
• Mean: 0.43
• Standard deviation: 0.50
• Range: 1.0
• Maximum possible: 1
• Male mean: 0.36 (n = 142)
• Female mean: 0.90 (n = 21)
• Unknown sex mean: 0.00 (n = 1)
• Proportion of males among candidates: 0.866

Notice that since the possible values are 0 and 1, a mean as given above can be directly interpreted as the proportion of candidates having a 1. For instance, the male mean of .36 means that 36 % of the 142 males have a 1.

Correlation of Observed behaviour with mental ability tests

Weighted average of correlations: 0.250 (N = 1355, weighted sum = 338.51)

Conservatively estimated minimum g loading: 0.50

Ranking in above table is based on the unrounded correlations. All available data is present in this table, no tests are left out except for those with less than 4 score pairs. All known pairs are used, including possible floor/ceiling scores or outliers.

So, observed positive behaviour does have a moderate loading on general intelligence, but lower than that of any actual I.Q. test that one would trust.

Correlation of Observed behaviour with other tests - for females

Weighted average of correlations: 0.595 (N = 25, weighted sum = 14.87)

Conservatively estimated minimum g loading among females: 0.77

Ranking in above table is based on the unrounded correlations. All available data is present in this table, no tests are left out except for those with less than 2 score pairs. All known pairs are used, including possible floor/ceiling scores or outliers.

Estimated loadings of Observed behaviour on particular item types

These are estimated g factor loadings, but against homogeneous tests (containing only particular item types) as opposed to non-compound heterogeneous tests. Although tending to surprise the lay person, it is not uncommon for tests to have high loadings on item types they do not actually contain themselves. Such loadings reflect the empirical fact that most tests for mental abilities measure primarily g, regardless of their contents; that the major part of test score variance is caused by g, and only a minor part by factors germane to particular item types. It is of key importance to understand that this is a fact of nature, a natural phenomenon, and not something that was built into the tests by the test constructors.

N = 910

Compound tests have been left out of this table to avoid overlap.

Balanced g loading = 0.51

The highest loadings of observed behaviour are on verbal and heterogeneous tests, which more or less concords with the long-term anecdotal observation that one-sided non-verbal tests let through misbehavers when used for society admission.

National means for Observed behaviour

For reasons of privacy, only countries with 2 or more candidates are included in this table. Ranking is based on the unrounded means, and then alphabetic.

Correlation with national I.Q.'s of Observed behaviour

Correlation of this test with national average I.Q.'s published by Lynn and Vanhanen:

• r = 0.09 (n = 160)

Correlation of Observed behaviour with personal details

The significant correlations are those with Observed associative horizon, PSIA Rational, Sex, Year of birth, and Education level.

Correlation with personal details of Observed behaviour - within females

Correlation with personal details of Observed behaviour - within males

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