-The effects of sex and personality traits on self-estimates of intelligence were examined in a sample of 302 Austrian adults (143 men, 159 women). Confirming previous research, men had higher self-estimates of logical and spatial abilities than did women, and these differences were partly explained in terms of women's higher Neuroticism scores. Neuroticism (negatively) and openness (positively) accounted significantly for variances in self-estimates of spatial and logical intelligence. However, sex had stronger direct and indirect effects on self-estimates of intelligence. Sex and personality effects appear to be largely independent. thus, being male, emotionally stable, and open to new experiences is likely to result in higher self-estimates of spatial and logical abilities.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AckermanP. L. (2000) Domain-specific knowledge as the “dark matter” of adult intelligence: gf/gc, personality, and interest correlates. Journal of Gerontology: Series B, Psychological Sciences, 55, 69–84.
2.
AckermanP. L., & HeggestadE. D. (1997) Intelligence, personality, and interests: evidence for overlapping traits. Psychological Bulletin, 121, 219–245.
3.
AckermanP. L., & RolfhusE. L. (1999) The locus of adult intelligence: knowledge, abilities, and non-ability traits. Psychology and Aging, 14, 314–330.
4.
AckermanP. L., & WolmanS. D. (2007) Determinants and validity of self-estimates of abilities and self-concept measures. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 13, 57–78.
5.
BeloffH. (1992) Mother, father and me: our IQ. The Psychologist, 5, 309–311.
6.
Chamorro-PremuzicT., & ArtecheA. (2008) Intellectual competence and academic performance: preliminary validation of a model. Intelligence, 36, 564–573.
7.
Chamorro-PremuzicT.MoutafiJ., & FurnhamA. (2005) The relationship between personality traits, subjectively-assessed and fluid intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 38, 1517–1528.
8.
CostaP. T.Jr., & McCraeR. R. (1992) Normal personality assessment in clinical practice: the NEO Personality Inventory. Psychological Assessment, 4, 5–13.
9.
CostaP. T.Jr.TerraccianoA., & McCraeR. R. (2001) Gender differences in personality traits across cultures: robust and surprising findings. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81, 322–331.
10.
FeingoldA. (1994) Sex differences in personality: a meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 116, 429–456.
11.
FurnhamA. (2000) Parents' estimates of their own and their children's multiple intelligences. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 18, 583–594.
12.
FurnhamA. (2001) Self-estimates of intelligence: culture and sex difference in self and other estimates of both general (g) and multiple intelligences. Personality and Individual Differences, 31, 1381–1405.
13.
FurnhamA., & BuchananT. (2005) Personality, gender, and self-perceived intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 39, 543–555.
14.
FurnhamA., & Chamorro-PremuzicT. (2004) Estimating one's own personality and intelligence scores. British Journal of Psychology, 95, 149–160.
15.
FurnhamA., & GassonL. (1998) Sex differences in parental estimates of their children's intelligence. Sex Roles, 38, 151–162.
16.
FurnhamA.KidwaiA., & ThomasC. (2001) Personality, psychometric intelligence, and self-estimated intelligence. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 16, 97–114.
17.
FurnhamA.MoutafiJ., & Chamorro-PremuzicT. (2005) Personality and intelligence: sex, the Big Five, self-estimated and psychometric intelligence. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 13, 11–24.
18.
FurnhamA., & RawlesR. (1999) Correlations between self-estimated and psychometrically measured IQ. Journal of Social Psychology, 139, 405–410.
19.
FurnhamA., & TomasC. (2004) Parents' gender and personality and estimates of their own and their children's intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 37, 887–903.
20.
FurnhamA.von StummS.MakendrayogamA., & Chamorro-PremuzicT. (2009) A taxonomy of self-estimated human performance: the general factor í. Journal of Individual Differences, 30, 188–193.
21.
HalpernD. F. (2004) A cognitive-process taxonomy for sex differences in cognitive abilities. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13, 135–139.
22.
HoganH. (1978) IQ self-estimates of males and females. Journal of Social Psychology, 106, 137–138.
23.
HuL., & BentlerP. M. (1999) Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modelling, 6, 1–55.
24.
IrwingP., & LynnR. (2005) Sex differences in means and variability on the progressive matrices in university students: a meta-analysis. British Journal of Psychology, 96, 505–524.
25.
JoreskogK. G. (1969) A general approach to confirmatory maximum likelihood factor analysis. Psychometrika, 34, 183–202.
26.
LawrenceP. A. (2006) Men, women, and ghosts in science. PLoS Biology, 4, e19.
27.
MabeP. A., & WestS. (1982) Validity of self-evaluation of ability: a review and meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 69, 280–296.
28.
McManusI. C., & FurnhamA. (2006) Aesthetic activities and aesthetic attitudes: influences of education, background and personality on interest and involvement in the arts. British Journal of Psychology, 97, 555–587.
29.
NetoF.FurnhamA., & PintoM. D. (2009) Estimating one's own and others' multiple intelligence: a cross-cultural study from Guinea Bissau and Portugal. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 19, 143–151.
30.
NetoF.RuizF., & FurnhamA. (2008) Sex differences in self-estimation of multiple intelligences among Portuguese adolescents. High Ability Studies, 19, 189–204.
31.
NyborgH. (2005) Sex-related differences in general intelligence g, brain size, and social status. Personality and Individual Differences, 39, 497–509.
32.
PetridesK. V.FurnhamA., & MartinG. N. (2004) Estimates of emotional and psychometric intelligence: evidence for gender-based stereotypes. Journal of Social Psychology, 144, 149–162.
33.
RammstedtB., & RammsayerT. (2000) Sex differences in self-estimates of different aspects of intelligence. Personality and Individual Differences, 29, 56–63.
34.
SchmittD. P.RealoA.VoracekM., & AllikJ. (2008) Why can't a man be more like a woman? Sex differences in Big Five personality traits across 55 cultures. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 168–182.
