Table 4 shows the correlations between cognitive measures. The numbers
above the diagonal are the sample sizes from which these correlations were computed
(the number of surveys that included both measures). For example,
152 respondents reported both SAT and ACT scores, and their correlation was 0.77.
As expected, all measures correlate positively and significantly with one another.
The moderate correlations suggest that all five tests likely reflect common factors,
but may also measure distinct characteristics, as they purport to. I have proposed
that the CRT measures “cognitive reflection”—the ability or disposition to resist
reporting the response that first comes to mind. The need for cognition scale
(NFC) is advanced as a measure of someone’s “tendency to engage in and enjoy
thinking” (Cacioppo and Petty, 1982), but relies on self-reports rather than observed
behavior. The Wonderlic Personnel Test (WPT) is intended to measure a
person’s general cognitive ability, and the ACT and SAT are described as measures
of academic “achievement.”