Beyond IQ
Systemic Resources in STEM Achievement
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22431399 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Albert Ziegler (0000-0002-2122-0673, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg), Sonja Bayer (0009-0002-2810-3282, University of Regensburg), Heidrun Stoeger (0000-0002-0426-2804, University of Regensburg) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 45 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-11 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Intelligence (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2079-3200 • E-ISSN: 2079-3200 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/jintelligence14030045 |
| PMID | 41892887 |
| OpenAlex | W7134917172 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 29 |
There is a growing consensus that we must look beyond IQ to understand the mechanisms of talent development. Grounded in the Actiotope Model of Giftedness, this study adopts a resource-based approach and examines the incremental and interactive contributions of educational and learning capital to STEM achievement beyond IQ. Data were collected from 318 German secondary school students (grades 6–10; Mage = 12.08; 50.3% male) using domain-specific measures of educational and learning capital, a nonverbal matrix intelligence test, and STEM grades. Robust regression and mediation analyses showed that learning capital significantly predicted STEM achievement beyond general intelligence, whereas educational capital exerted no direct effect. Instead, the relationship between educational capital and achievement was fully mediated by learning capital. Moreover, the interaction term of educational and learning capital predicted achievement. A further interaction indicated that the positive effect of learning capital on STEM achievement was stronger for students with higher intelligence, consistent with an intelligence utilization (Matthew) effect. These findings support a systemic interpretation of achievement in which intelligence reflects prior resource utilization and functions as a catalyst, while current learning resources constitute the proximal determinants of STEM performance.
Academic achievement · Educational resources · Human capital · Mediation · Social capital · Career Development and Diversity · Cognitive Abilities and Testing · Education, Achievement, and Giftedness
Conceptions of Giftedness and Talent
Thought and language.
Conceptions of Giftedness
What one intelligence test measures
Statistical tests, P values, confidence intervals, and power
MissForest—non-parametric missing value imputation for mixed-type data
SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models
Rethinking what we mean by intelligence
Who shines most among the brightest
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |