Self-estimated intelligence - Gender differences, relationship to psychometric intelligence and moderating effects of level of education

A total of 121 male and 107 female students from various German universities and vocational colleges estimated their own intelligence scores and were tested by psychometric intelligence tests on each of Thurstone's (1938) seven primary mental abilities. The correlations between self-estimated and tested intelligence differed largely among the various intelligence domains. In accordance with former studies, gender differences in self-estimated mathematical and spatial intelligence, perceptual speed, and reasoning were found. When controlling for psychometric intelligence, only gender-related differences in self-estimated mathematical abilities could be markedly reduced. Besides gender level of education was identifted as another variable that significantly moderates self-estimates of specific aspects of intelligence. The theoretical implications of the results are discussed.