- Titel
- Cognitive Capital and Culture
- Untertitel
- Cross-National Perspectives on Competence, Growth, and Crisis Resilience
- Zitierfähige Url:
- https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bsz:ch1-qucosa2-1058697
- Übersetzter Titel (DE)
- Kognitives Kapital und Kultur : Internationale Perspektiven auf Kompetenz, Wachstum und Krisenbewältigung
- Erstveröffentlichung
- 2026
- Datum der Einreichung
- 02.01.2026
- Datum der Verteidigung
- 19.06.2026
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.60687/2026-0140
- Abstract (EN)
- This dissertation explores the relationship between national culture, cognitive competence, and economic development in a cross-national perspective. Building on Human Capital Theory and Cognitive Capital Theory, it conceptualizes culture as a central but often overlooked factor in the interaction between education, ability and economy. Using PISA data from 2000 to 2022, combined with cultural and economic indicators, four studies are integrated into a coherent research program. The first study (Nmax = 86 countries) shows that national competence patterns ('ability tilts')—particularly the balance between mathematical and verbal skills—remain remarkably stable over two decades and are not randomly distributed geographically. Instead, systematic patterns emerge that correlate with cultural factors, especially religious affiliations. Countries with stronger mathematics tilts exhibit higher economic growth (β = .25 to .45), underscoring the economic relevance of STEM-related cognitive capital. The second study (Nmax = 86 countries) links several cultural models (religion, Hofstede, Basáñez) with performance and growth indicators, demonstrating that cultural values explain up to three-quarters (25 to 77%) of the variance in PISA means. Religious affiliation accounts for a substantial portion of this variance, while the less frequently applied Axiological Cube model outperforms more traditional frameworks, such as religious affiliation or Hofstede’s cultural model. Economic success is transmitted mainly indirectly through cognitive competences, with education and ability serving as the key mediator between culture and economy. The third study (N = 64 countries) examines the COVID-19 pandemic as a stress test for education systems. A decline in student performance from pre- to post-pandemic testing equivalent to about half a year of missed schooling was estimated. Among the cultural dimensions analyzed, only life satisfaction (B = .27 to .39) and Religiosity & Authority (B = .22 to .43) showed consistent positive associations with the extent of school closures. In contrast, uncertainty avoidance was linked to smaller declines in overall and general abilities (B = .30 to .32), suggesting that risk-averse societies mitigated learning losses more effectively. A strong emphasis on Long-Term Orientation & Restraint, however, correlated with weaker outcomes in specific skill domains (B = –.16 to –.21), possibly reflecting reduced flexibility and adaptability during the pandemic. The fourth study (N = 79 countries) statistically projects the future development of cognitive competence based on data from 24 international large-scale student assessments (TIMSS, PISA, PIRLS) conducted between 1995 and 2019. Student performance scores from large-scale assessments were converted to the IQ scale to allow for cross-national and longitudinal comparisons. Using trend analyses, linear, and non-linear regressions, an average global IQ increase of about 10 points by the year 2100 (from 91 to 101) was estimated. While the results suggest continued cognitive gains, particularly in developing countries, they also highlight large uncertainties depending on the model type and theoretical assumptions. The findings imply that the Flynn effect may persist globally but is likely to slow or reverse in highly developed nations, reducing international disparities in cognitive performance. Together, the first three studies demonstrate that culture shapes not only performance levels but also educational structures and resilience in times of crisis. Cognitive competences function as the immediate engines of economic development, while cultural orientations provide the deeper frameworks guiding education, innovation, and adaptability. The dissertation acknowledges key methodological limitations, including the reliance on aggregated national data and the limited explanatory power of cultural models for within-country variation. It therefore calls for future multilevel research that integrates cultural, institutional, and socioeconomic dimensions. Furthermore, the fourth study highlights the uncertainty inherent in forecasting based on student assessment data and, consequently, the limited temporal stability of the patterns identified in the other studies, as outcomes vary considerably with different statistical approaches and theoretical assumptions. In doing so, the dissertation contributes to incorporating cultural variables into human capital theory and to explaining international differences in education, prosperity, and societal stability.
- Verweis
- International differences in math and science tilts: The stability, geography, and predictive power of tilt for economic criteria
DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2022.101646 - Unraveling the nexus: Culture, cognitive competence, and economic performance across 86 nations (2000– 2018)
DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2024.101845 - The future of intelligence: A prediction of the Flynn effect based on past student assessment studies until the year 2100.
DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2023.112110 - Education during the COVID-19 pandemic: Does national culture predict school closures and changes in student performances?
DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2026.1734988 - Freie Schlagwörter (DE)
- Kognitive Kompetenzen, Wirtschaft, Bildung, Humankapital, nationale Kultur, Schulleistungsuntersuchung
- Freie Schlagwörter (EN)
- cognitive competences, economic development, education, human capital, national culture
- Klassifikation (DDC)
- 300
- 306
- 330
- 338.9
- 370
- 155
- Normschlagwörter (GND)
- Kognitive Kompetenz, Humankapital, Bildung, Wirtschaftswachstum, Kultur
- GutachterIn
- Prof. Dr. Heiner Rindermann
- Prof. Dr. Udo Rudolph
- BetreuerIn Hochschule / Universität
- Prof. Dr. Heiner Rindermann
- Den akademischen Grad verleihende / prüfende Institution
- Technische Universität Chemnitz, Chemnitz
- Version / Begutachtungsstatus
- angenommene Version / Postprint / Autorenversion
- URN Qucosa
- urn:nbn:de:bsz:ch1-qucosa2-1058697
- Veröffentlichungsdatum Qucosa
- 21.07.2026
- Dokumenttyp
- Dissertation
- Sprache des Dokumentes
- Englisch
- Lizenz / Rechtehinweis
