Educational attainment and cognitive profile heterogeneity: age-stratified web-based analysis finds no detectable association

Gabrielle Wehr

Keywords: cognitive differentiation, educational attainment, individual differences, cognitive assessment, lifespan development

Abstract: Educational experiences are hypothesized to produce differentiated cognitive profiles via domain-specific specialization, yet evidence at the population level remains limited. We tested whether educational attainment predicts cognitive profile heterogeneity - the within-person variability of performance across cognitive domains - using age-stratified percentile rankings from 11 subtests spanning memory, reasoning, attention, and processing speed in a final sample of 1,083 adults. Heterogeneity was operationalized as percentile range and interquartile range, indices that demonstrated discriminant validity from general cognitive ability. Multiple regression analyses with correction for multiple testing did not detect associations between educational attainment and cognitive profile heterogeneity, and age-stratified analyses failed to support predictions that education-heterogeneity relationships would strengthen in older adults. Sensitivity analyses using an alternative heterogeneity metric, more stringent outlier handling, and collapsed education categories yielded convergent null patterns. Although the study was underpowered to detect very small effects due to a smaller-than-planned sample, the consistency of results across methods and specifications suggests that factors beyond formal educational attainment may be more informative for understanding individual differences in the configuration of cognitive strengths and weaknesses. These findings motivate future longitudinal and more granular investigations of educational content, timing, and person-level characteristics as determinants of cognitive profile heterogeneity.

Submission Number: 146