Scientific data of the Munich Longitudinal Study on the Genesis of Individual Competencies (LOGIC): Development of intelligence and thinking

Weinert, Franz; Schneider, Wolfgang; Stefanek, Jan

Scientific data of the Munich Longitudinal Study on the Genesis of Individual Competencies (LOGIC): Development of intelligence and thinking

Developmental Psychology

Authors(s) / Creator(s)

Weinert, Franz
Schneider, Wolfgang
Stefanek, Jan

Abstract

The Munich “Longitudinal Study of the Genesis of Individual Competencies” (LOGIC) is a comprehensive examination of the differential description of developmental trajectories of cognitive skills and personality characteristics. It also describes individual differences in development due to the influence of varying school and classroom conditions. The changing state of the development of intelligence, psychomotor behavior, thinking, memory, school knowledge, motivation, personal characteristics, social skills and preferences, and moral reasoning and action were regularly reported. Beginning in 1984, 9 annual survey waves were carried out encompassing 3 points of measurement each. 205 children (aged 4 years and older) from 20 different kindergartens in Munich and from the Fürstenfeldbruck area were examined. In 1997-1998, a follow-up study (wave 10) was conducted with the now 18-year-old subjects. The most recent survey (wave 11) took place in 2003-2005. For this wave, 153 subjects (74.6%) of the initial sample could be obtained. The entire study thus extends over an age range from preschool age to young adulthood (Schneider & Bullock, 2009, Weinert & Schneider, 1999).

Verbal and non-verbal intelligence were assessed using intelligence tests at various points of measurement. In addition, logical thinking skills status was assessed using experimental methods. Insights pertaining to the following aspects were gained: (1) developmental changes pertaining to the different intellectual skills, (2) associations between psychometric intelligence measures and measures of thinking skills, (3) stability of individual differences, (4) importance of educational environment for the development of intelligence, (5) relevance of intelligence for the prognosis of school-related / academic success. Among other findings, it could be shown that in the early (pre-school) developmental phase, area-specific courses of development were mainly dominant, while at school age and later, general psychometric intelligence and logical thinking skills are much more strongly associated. For psychometric intelligence as well as for logical thinking skills, the differences in individual competency detected starting at school age remained roughly stable during the further course of development (Schneider, 2008). Subgroup analyses for children with initially high, medium or low IQs showed that stabilities were higher for children with low IQs when compared to children with high IQs (Schneider, Niklas & Schmiedeler, 2014). For most people, increase in skills took place during similar time spans and at a comparable rate. Educational influences only seemed to slightly affect differences in intellectual competencies registered early on. IQ plays a role in predicting the acquisition of written language and the development of mathematical competencies, but not to the degree often assumed (Schneider, 2008).

Persistent Identifier

https://doi.org/10.5160/psychdata.wtfz05lo22

Year of Publication

2015

Funding

Max Planck Society; Volkswagen Foundation; Jacobs Foundation

Citation

Weinert, F., Schneider, W. & Stefanek, J. (2015). Scientific data of the Munich Longitudinal Study on the Genesis of Individual Competencies (LOGIC): Development of intelligence and thinking (Version 1.0.0) [Data and Documentation]. Trier: Research Data Center at ZPID. https://doi.org/10.5160/psychdata.wtfz05lo22

Study Description

Research Questions/Hypotheses:

Research Design:

Questionnaire Data: Fully Standardized Survey Instrument; Experimental Data: Repeated measures design, Laboratory Experiment; repeated measurement

Measurement Instruments/Apparatus:

Both verbal and non-verbal intelligence were assessed a total of 7 times over an age range of 4-23 years:
Verbal IQ
The Hannover-Wechsler Intelligence Test for preschool children (HAWIVA, Schuck & Eggert, 1975) was used at the ages of 4 and 5, whereby only the verbal section was used for the four-year-olds.
The Hamburg-Wechsler Intelligence Test (HAWIK-R, Tewes, 1985) was used from the first school year onwards, at the ages of 7, 9 and 12. For the seven- and twelve-year-olds, only the verbal section was used.
At the ages of 18 and 23, only the ‘vocabulary’ subtest of the Hamburg-Wechsler Intelligence Test for Adults (HAWIE-R, Tewes, 1991), which correlates highly with verbal IQ overall (Schneider, 2008), was administered due to time constraints.

Non-verbal IQ
A German version of the ‘Columbia Mental Maturity Scale’ was used at the ages of 4, 6 and 8. Children are asked to judge the similarity of pictures that vary in their degree of difficulty (both concrete and abstract pictures): From a series of 3 to 5 given pictures, the one that differs from the others is to be identified.
As test norms for the CMMS were only available up to the age of 9, the ‘Culture Fair Intelligence Test’ was used at the ages of 10, 12, 18 and 23. The subtests include, for example, the identification and logical continuation of figural patterns, recognising similarities, completing figural patterns and understanding topological relationships in given geometric symbols.

To assess logical thinking skills in the sense of Piaget, number invariance tasks were carried out with the children aged 4 and 6. The children were given tasks in which they had to distinguish between number-relevant and number-relevant changes, such as pushing a row of buttons together or apart (number-relevant).
The ‘Arlin Test of Formal Reasoning’ (Arlin, 1984) was used at the ages of 11, 12 and 18. The version translated into German consisted of a total of 24 items with the 6 subtests ‘Coordination of Reference Systems’, ‘Correlations’, ‘Combinatorial Reasoning’, ‘Multiple Compensation’, ‘Probability’ and ‘Proportional Reasoning’.

In addition, a self-regulation test was carried out to record action control at the ages of 6, 8 and 9. While an experiment on action control was carried out with the six-year-olds, the self-regulation and concentration test for children (SRKT-K, Kuhl & Kraska, 1992) was used with the older children. In the experiment, the children had to perform a concentration task (draw as many circles as possible in a grid within 180 seconds), with a film being shown as a distractor. The SRKT-K is carried out as a computer game, with the children winning pennies for correct reactions (keystrokes). As a distraction, there is a temporary ‘climbing competition’ between two monkeys at the edge of the playing field. Depending on which monkey wins, the child receives or loses two or three coins.

At the ages of 11 and 18, the ‘Spatial Thinking’ subtest of the PSB test system for school and educational counselling (Horn, 1969) was used.

Data Collection Method:

Data collection in the presence of an experimenter

Individual Administration
Paper and Pencil
Reaction time
Computer-supported

Population:

Children (followed up into young adulthood)

Survey Time Period:

1st wave: 1984 – 1985
2nd wave: 1985 – 1986
3rd wave: 1986 – 1987
4th wave: 1987 – 1988
5th wave: 1988 – 1989
6th wave: 1989 – 1990
7th wave: 1990 – 1991
8th wave: 1991 – 1992
9th wave: 1992 – 1993
10th wave: 1997 – 1998
11th wave: 2003 – 2005

Sample:

Selection of 20 kindergartens in Greater Munich and in the Fürstenfeldbruck area (near Munich), that corresponded to socio-economic criteria of (West) Germany’s general population in the year 1984. After information sessions at each of the facilities, 205 children were recruited. After the first assessment year (wave 1) approx. another 20 children were recruited.

Gender Distribution: 1st wave:

49% female subjects (n=100); 51% male subjects (n=105)
2nd wave: 48% female subjects (n=104); 52% male subjects (n=113)
3rd wave: 48% female subjects (n=102); 52% male subjects (n=111)
4th wave: 49% female subjects (n=98); 51% male subjects (n=105)
5th wave: 48% female subjects (n=96); 52% male subjects (n=104)
6th wave: 48% female subjects (n=93); 52% male subjects (n=100)
7th wave: 48% female subjects (n=93); 52% male subjects (n=101)
8th wave: 47% female subjects (n=89); 53% male subjects (n=100)
9th wave: 47% female subjects (n=87); 53% male subjects (n=99)
10th wave: 47% female subjects (n=81); 53% male subjects (n=93)

Age Distribution: 4 – 12 years (wave 1 – 9); 18 years (wave 10); 23 years (wave 11)

Spatial Coverage (Country/Region/City): Germany/Bavaria/Munich

Subject Recruitment:

Personal contact to parents and subjects through psychological-technical assistants over the course of 20 years. Small gifts on special occasions. Yearly Christmas and birthday greetings with individually selected post cards. Individual aptitude tests for schooling and career paths as well as general counselling offered and performed by academic staff. Publication of a newsletter for the sample in the early assessment waves. Festive completion event in 1993 with gifts. Copy of the book “Development in Childhood” sent free of charge. During waves 10 and 11, subject compensation and offer of comparative performance evaluation.

Sample Size:

205 individuals (wave 1)

Return/Drop Out:

After a drop out of 13 children in wave 2, a further 25 children were recruited, resulting in the following sample sizes for the further waves: 217 in wave 2; 213 in wave 3; 204 in wave 4; 200 in wave 5; 195 in wave 6; 194 in wave 7; 189 in wave 8; 186 in wave 9; 176 in wave 10 and still 153 subjects in wave 11.
The response rate was 74.6% in wave 11. The data on sample sizes refer to the entire LOGIC study. The number of subjects may vary between each of the single assessments.

wtfz05lo22_readme.txt

Text file - 12 KB