General and non-general intelligence factors simultaneously influence SAT, SAT-V, and SAT-M performance

Abstract

This study compared two views that differ about the composition of the SAT: one view that proposes both general intelligence and non-general intelligence factors predict SAT, SAT-V, and SAT-M performance and a second view that proposes that just a general intelligence factor or “g” predicts SAT, SAT-V, and SAT-M performance. The results suggested that structural equation models (i.e., SEMs) that included multiple factors (i.e., general intelligence, metacognitive awareness, and performance avoidance-test anxiety) as predictors were significantly better at explaining the SAT and SAT-M data than were SEMs that included: (i) just a general intelligence factor as a predictor or (ii) just metacognitive+social-personality factors as predictors (i.e., metacognitive awareness, performance avoidance-test anxiety). Moreover, this multiple factor SEM was also suitable for explaining the SAT-V data. However for the SAT-V, the results also suggested that a SEM that included just a general intelligence factor as a predictor was better at explaining the SAT-V data than was a SEM that included multiple factors as predictors (i.e., general intelligence, metacognitive awareness, and performance avoidance-test anxiety) or a SEM that included just metacognitive and social-personality factors as predictors (i.e., metacognitive awareness, performance avoidance-test anxiety).