Verbal and spatial abilities are uncorrelated when g is controlled

Abstract

Vernon's ( Intelligence, 7, 53–70, 1983) data were re-analyzed in an attempt to determine the relation between spatial and verbal abilities when g is statistically controlled. Partial correlations were calculated among and between scores on tests of spatial ability (WAIS Block Design and Object Assembly) and of verbal ability (WAIS Vocabulary and Information), with scores on highly g-loaded tests (Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices and WAIS Arithmetic) removed. Results show that partial correlations among spatial tests and among verbal tests remain positive, but that partial correlations between spatial and verbal tests fall almost exactly to zero. These results disconfirm Lynn's ( Personality and Individual Differences, 8, 813–844, 1987) hypothesis of a negative correlation between spatial and verbal abilities, when g is controlled.