Spearman's hypothesis tested on European Jews vs non-Jewish Whites and vs Oriental Jews: Two meta-analyses

Spearman's hypothesis states that differences between groups on the subtests of an IQ battery are a function of the cognitive complexity of these subtests: large differences between groups on high-complex subtests and small differences between groups on low-complex subtests, and it is virtually always confirmed. We test Spearman's hypothesis comparing European Jews with gentile Whites in the US, and European Jews and Oriental Jews in Israel. We carried out two meta-analyses based on, respectively, 4 data points and a total N = 302; 4 data points and a total N = 870. In both meta-analyses Spearman's hypothesis was strongly confirmed with mean rs with values of, respectively, .80 and .87. We conclude that Spearman's hypothesis is not only confirmed when Whites are compared with groups with lower mean IQ scores, but also when Whites are compared with groups with higher mean IQ scores; Spearman's hypothesis appears to be a more robust phenomenon than previously thought.