What does this research mean for the field?

The contemporary operational validity of general mental ability for predicting overall job performance is approximately .20, substantially lower than historical estimates, and its predictive power is not primarily driven by cognitive complexity alone. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.CHALLENGES_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

Determine the contemporary operational validity of general mental ability in predicting job performance by integrating modern meta-analytic datasets and evaluating potential job complexity moderators.

August 27, 2026Journal of Business and PsychologyOpen Access

Is general mental ability still the best predictor of job performance? Integrating contemporary meta-analytic evidence

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Authors

SDSaron DemekeUniversity of Minnesota PSPaul R. SackettUniversity of Minnesota CNChristopher D. NyeMichigan State University

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Implication

Meta-analysis finds modern general mental ability tests yield lower validity for job performance across workers, indicating cognitive tests may be less predictive than historically assumed.

Key Points

Determine the contemporary operational validity of general mental ability in predicting job performance by integrating modern meta-analytic datasets and evaluating potential job complexity moderators.
Integrated and reanalyzed three contemporary meta-analytic datasets published between 1990 and 2022 (total k = 212; N = 109,396).
Conducted moderator analyses across O*NET-derived job complexity dimensions categorized into Data, People, and Things.
Mean operational validity of general mental ability for overall job performance ranged from .18 to .22 across analyses, yielding an updated contemporary summary estimate of .20.
Job complexity dimensions for Data (cognitive) and People (interpersonal) showed minimal relationship with validity, whereas Things (manual complexity) and combinations of high Data and Things yielded higher validity.

Cite This Study

Demeke et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a8fe94110c91c1e92620d2d https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-026-10146-8

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Implication

Meta-analysis finds modern general mental ability tests yield lower validity for job performance across workers, indicating cognitive tests may be less predictive than historically assumed.

Is general mental ability still the best predictor of job performance? Integrating contemporary meta-analytic evidence

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Is general mental ability still the best predictor of job performance? Integrating contemporary meta-analytic evidence

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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