What question did this study set out to answer?

This research examines whether individuals tend to move into jobs that match their cognitive abilities over time.

February 1, 1995

Gravitation to jobs commensurate with ability: Longitudinal and cross-sectional tests.

SWSteffanie L. WilkFisher College LDLaura Burris DesmaraisIBM (United States)PSPaul R. SackettUniversity of Minnesota

Key Points

This research examines whether individuals tend to move into jobs that match their cognitive abilities over time.
Utilized two large data sets: one longitudinal with individuals as the unit of analysis, and one cross-sectional with jobs as the unit of analysis.
Analyzed the predictive relationship between cognitive ability and job movement in a longitudinal context over five years.
Compared the cognitive ability homogeneity of groups with varying levels of experience in a cross-sectional context.
Cognitive ability significantly predicted movement in job hierarchy over a 5-year period.
Less experienced job groups showed slightly greater variation in cognitive ability compared to more experienced groups.
Support for the gravitational hypothesis in job placement based on ability was confirmed.

Abstract

Two large data sets were used to test the premise that individuals will, over time, gravitate into jobs commensurate with their abilities. First, in a longitudinal data set with the individual as the unit of analysis, cognitive ability predicted movement in a job hierarchy over a 5-year period. Second, in a cross-sectional data set with the job as the unit of analysis, groups made up of less experienced incumbents were found to be slightly less homogeneous with respect to cognitive ability than groups made up of more experienced incumbents. Thus, support for the gravitational hypothesis was found

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