Abstract
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers are considered essential for economic development and, on average, are better paying and more prestigious than non-STEM careers. Because more prestigious careers tend to be held by individuals with high scores on measures of general intelligence, general intelligence alone could be sufficient for predicting whether individuals pursue STEM or non-STEM careers. However, prior research has demonstrated that specific cognitive aptitudes sometimes better predict STEM pursuits, raising the possibility that STEM and non-STEM groups possess distinct cognitive strengths. To characterize the cognitive profiles of STEM versus non-STEM professionals and college majors, the present study recruited a large (N = 32,721), demographically diverse international sample to complete cognitive tasks requiring fluid cognition (matrix reasoning), crystallized cognition (vocabulary), spatial attention (multiple object tracking), and memory for faces (Cambridge Face Memory Test). STEM individuals performed better on the fluid cognition and spatial attention tests, whereas non-STEM individuals performed better on the crystallized cognition and face memory tests. These results, which were consistent across age and gender, demonstrate that STEM and non-STEM groups are characterized by distinct cognitive strengths, rather than simply differing in general intellectual ability.