The purpose of this article is to examine the nature and magnitude of the relationship between
cognitive abilities and vocational interests — two important measures of individual differences.
Our meta-analysis of 27 studies with 29 independent samples and an overall sample size of 55,297
participants demonstrated meaningful relations between cognitive abilities and vocational
interests. Meta-analytic coefficients ranged from −0.29 to 0.47; their strength and direction
were comparable for females and males. Furthermore, we established both age and birth
cohort as moderators of the relation between interests and cognitive abilities. Limitations
and implications for future research are discussed.
