Journal article

Publication year: 2006

Pages: 47-62

Journal: Intelligence

Volume number: 34

Issue number: 1

ISSN: 0160-2896

eISSN: 1873-7935

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2005.06.002

Publisher: Elsevier

Abstract: 

Spearman's "Law of Diminishing Returns" with regard to ability is tested in a dataset from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth. The dataset consisted of a sample of 6980 children aged 12-16 from the 1997 cohort. The subjects were tested with a computer administrated adaptive format of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery consisting of 12 subtests.

Spearman's "Law of Diminishing Returns" was tested by two methods both dividing the sample into Low/High ability based either on the total score on the test or on the score one of the 12 subtests. Subsequently the ability groups were factor analysed separately. The eigenvalue of the first principal component and the first principal axis factor, and the average inter-correlation of the subtests were used as estimates of the g saturation and compared across groups.

The study could not confirm Spearman's "Law of Diminishing Returns" for any of the methods applied and did not find any relevant differences across methods applied. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Harvard Citation style: Hartmann, P. and Reuter, M. (2006) Spearman's "Law of Diminishing Returns" tested with two methods, Intelligence, 34(1), pp. 47-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2005.06.002

APA Citation style: Hartmann, P., & Reuter, M. (2006). Spearman's "Law of Diminishing Returns" tested with two methods. Intelligence. 34(1), 47-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intell.2005.06.002