Could it be that racist people are dumb? Here is another question to ponder; are conservatives less intelligent than liberals? Brock University, in Ontario, has released an interesting new study that suggests the answer to both of those questions could be a resounding yes.
The study was published in ‘Psychological Science’ and it showed that those who score low on I.Q. tests during their childhood are more likely to develop prejudiced beliefs. They are also more likely to become socially conservative politics when they get older.
The Intelligence Quotient, or I.Q., is determined by issuing a group of standardized tests. Psychologists still argue over whether these tests truly show intelligence in people.
A professor of psychology at Brock University, Dr. Gordon Hodson, was the lead author of the study. He said that the data found by the study represents evidence of a vicious cycle. It shows that people of a lower intelligence tend to move towards conservative ideals. These ideals tend to stress resistance to change, which then creates prejudice.
Hodson said that some people are drawn to conservative ideologies because they feature “structure and order” that help to comprehend a difficult world. “Unfortunately, many of these features can also contribute to prejudice,” he said.
A University of Virginia psychologist, Dr. Brian Nosek, pretty much agreed with Hodson’s points.
“Reality is complicated and messy,” said. “Ideologies get rid of the messiness and impose a simpler solution. So, it may not be surprising that people with less cognitive capacity will be attracted to simplifying ideologies.”
Nosek also said that less intelligent people could be attracted to simpler ideologies from the liberal side just as much as conservative ones.
The debate has been raging since the data from the report was released, pitting conservatives and liberals against one another. Conservatives claim that the data from the study has been misinterpreted while liberals have said that the study validates their thoughts about conservatives.
