General mental ability and satisfaction with school and work : A longitudinal study from ages 13 to 48

Although it has been proposed that general mental ability (GMA) may affect the adjustment process, few studies have examined the relation of mental ability to individuals' sense of satisfaction with school and work. The present study investigated the importance of mental ability for school and job satisfaction, using a Swedish sample of 298 men and 399 women, followed longitudinally from the age of 13 to middle age (43 years for women, and 48 years for men). Mental ability had a weak positive correlation with school satisfaction at age 13 but not at age 16, whereas a tendency was found for a negative relation to job satisfaction at the age of 26. Adolescent levels of mental ability were associated with greater intrinsic job satisfaction in middle age for both sexes, and greater extrinsic job satisfaction for men. Longitudinal structural equation modeling indicated that the effects of general mental ability on school and job satisfaction were mediated by school and work achievement, respectively. The same model fit both sexes.
This study was made possible through the use of data from the longitudinal research program Individual Development and Adaptation (IDA). The scientific leader is Lars R. Bergman. David Magnusson was responsible for the planning, implementation, and financing of the data collection up to age 26. The data collection was supported by grants from the Swedish National Board of Education, the Swedish Committee for the Planning and Coordination of Research, The Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation, the Swedish Social Research Council, and the Örebro County Council.
Individual Development and Adaptation