ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences2011
Adolescent IQ and survival in the Wisconsin longitudinal study.
Article in The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed.
- Early-life influences on the risk for later-life Alzheimer's and non-Alzheimer's dementia: A nearly full life course prospective cohort study.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026Article
- Adolescent IQ and performance-based measures of physical function in old age: a 54-year longitudinal study.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025Article
- Lessons in adjusting for genetic confounding in population research on education and health.SSM - population health · 2025Article
- Perceived spousal similarity in outlook on life: implications for later-life well-being.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025Article
- Article
- Cognitive Capacity Genome-Wide Polygenic Scores Identify Individuals with Slower Cognitive Decline in Aging.Genes · 2022Article
- School performance and mortality: The mediating role of educational attainment and work and family trajectories across the life course.Advances in life course research · 2020Article
- Early-life socioeconomic status, adolescent cognitive ability, and cognition in late midlife: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2020Article
- Today's decisions, Tomorrow's outcomes: Does self-control explain the educational smoking gradient?Social science research · 2018Article
- Psychological and cognitive determinants of mortality: Evidence from a nationally representative sample followed over thirty-five years.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2015Article
- Can personality traits and intelligence compensate for background disadvantage? Predicting status attainment in adulthood.Journal of personality and social psychology · 2015Article
- Association Between Low IQ Scores and Early Mortality in Men and Women: Evidence From a Population-Based Cohort Study.American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilities · 2015Article
- Widowhood, age heterogamy, and health: the role of selection, marital quality, and health behaviors.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2014Article
- Which Aspects of Education Matter for Early Adult Mortality? Evidence from the High School and Beyond Cohort.Socius : sociological research for a dynamic worldArticle
- IQ in Adolescence and Cognition over 50 years later: The Mediating Role of Adult Personality.IntelligenceArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThis study attempts to explain the ubiquitous positive correlation between cognitive ability (IQ) and survival.
methodsA sample of 10,317 Wisconsin high school graduates of 1957 was followed until 2009, from ages 18 to 68 years. Mortality was analyzed using a Weibull survival model that includes gender, social background, Henmon-Nelson IQ, and rank in high school class.
resultsRank in high school class, a cumulative measure of responsible performance during high school, entirely mediates the relationship between adolescent IQ and survival. Its effect on survival is 3 times greater than that of IQ, and it accounts for about 10% of the female advantage in survival. DISCUSSION: Cognitive functioning may improve survival by promoting responsible and timely patterns of behavior that are firmly in place by late adolescence. Prior research suggests that conscientiousness, one of the "Big Five" personality characteristics, plays a key role in this relationship.
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