Group items tagged

In the new study, Donnellan and his colleagues analyzed information collected on more than 477,000 high-school seniors from 1976 to 2006, which were divided into four-year time periods. The data came from the federally funded Monitoring the Future survey, which tracks the behaviors, attitudes and values of U.S. students every year.

"Compared with others your age around the country, how do you rate yourself on school ability?" and "How intelligent do you think you are compared with others your age?" Participants rated the items from 1 (far below average) to 7 (far above average). All participants gave an average score of about 4.9, with the scores from 1976 to 1980 (baby boomers) averaging 4.9, compared with those from the 2001-2006 group (Millennials) rating the questions at about 4.94.

"Kids today are like they were 30 years ago – they're trying to find their place in the world, they're trying to carve out an identity, and it can be difficult," Donnellan said. "But lots of research shows that the stereotypes of all groups are much more overdrawn than the reality."