Cognition Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Cognition, including details on psychology, neuroscience, memory, brain theory.

Cognitive ability predicts objectively measured counterproductive work behaviors.

Dilchert S, Ones DS, Davis RD, Rostow CD

Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0344, USA. dilc0002@umn.edu

Over the past 2 decades, increasing attention has been directed at the relationship between individual differences and counterproductive work behaviors (CWB). However, most of this research has focused on personality variables as potential predictors of CWB; surprisingly little research has investigated the link between counterproductivity and cognitive ability. This study presents the first focal investigation of the cognitive ability-CWB relationship. The authors measured organizational and interpersonal CWB using organizational records of formally recorded incidents (e.g., destruction of property, physical violence). In a predictive study, for a large sample of law enforcement job applicants, a standardized psychometric test of cognitive ability predicted CWB, whereas educational attainment did not.

Published 8 May 2007 in J Appl Psychol, 92(3): 616-27.
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