Cognitive and noncognitive predictors of success
Abstract
When predicting success, how important are personal attributes other than cognitive ability? To address this question, we capitalized on a full decade of prospective, longitudinal data from n = 11,258 cadets entering training at the US Military Academy at West Point. Prior to training, cognitive ability was negatively correlated with both physical ability and grit. Cognitive ability emerged as the strongest predictor of academic and military grades, but noncognitive attributes were more prognostic of other achievement outcomes, including successful completion of initiation training and 4-y graduation. We conclude that noncognitive aspects of human capital deserve greater attention from both scientists and practitioners interested in predicting real-world success.
Cite this
Angela Lee Duckworth, Abigail Quirk, Robert Gallop, Rick H. Hoyle, Dennis R. Kelly, Michael D. Matthews (2019). Cognitive and noncognitive predictors of success. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1910510116
@article{lee2019cognitive,
title = {Cognitive and noncognitive predictors of success},
author = {Duckworth, Angela Lee and Quirk, Abigail and Gallop, Robert and Hoyle, Rick H. and Kelly, Dennis R. and Matthews, Michael D.},
year = {2019},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.1910510116}
}Citations in this library
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