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Intelligence Study Links Low I.Q. To Prejudice, Racism, Conservatism

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I thought this would make for a lively discussion. What are your thoughts? Do you think this could explain why it is so profoundly difficult for Liberals and Conservatives to communicate effectively with one another? Do you think the study is bunk?


Despite their important implications for interpersonal behaviors and relations, cognitive abilities have been largely ignored as explanations of prejudice. We proposed and tested mediation models in which lower cognitive ability predicts greater prejudice, an effect mediated through the endorsement of right-wing ideologies (social conservatism, right-wing authoritarianism) and low levels of contact with out-groups. In an analysis of two large-scale, nationally representative United Kingdom data sets (N = 15,874), we found that lower general intelligence (g) in childhood predicts greater racism in adulthood, and this effect was largely mediated via conservative ideology. A secondary analysis of a U.S. data set confirmed a predictive effect of poor abstract-reasoning skills on antihomosexual prejudice, a relation partially mediated by both authoritarianism and low levels of intergroup contact. All analyses controlled for education and socioeconomic status. Our results suggest that cognitive abilities play a critical, albeit underappreciated, role in prejudice. Consequently, we recommend a heightened focus on cognitive ability in research on prejudice and a better integration of cognitive ability into prejudice models.

Bright Minds and Dark Attitudes


Essentially, the study examines the impact of cognitive ability on social attitudes like prejudice and conservatism. The authors predicted that a lower cognitive ability, as measured by the subject’s intelligence quotient or I.Q., would lead to greater social prejudice in adulthood. The authors also hypothesized beforehand that the social prejudice would lead the subjects to endorse “right-wing ideologies”, namely “social conservatism” and “right-wing authoritarianism.”

Turns out, the authors were right on all counts...

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/11/19/are-liberals-smarter-study-indicates-the-answer-is-yes/
 
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I thought this would make for a lively discussion. What are your thoughts? Do you think this could explain why it is so profoundly difficult for Liberals and Conservatives to communicate effectively with one another? Do you think the study is bunk?


Despite their important implications for interpersonal behaviors and relations, cognitive abilities have been largely ignored as explanations of prejudice. We proposed and tested mediation models in which lower cognitive ability predicts greater prejudice, an effect mediated through the endorsement of right-wing ideologies (social conservatism, right-wing authoritarianism) and low levels of contact with out-groups. In an analysis of two large-scale, nationally representative United Kingdom data sets (N = 15,874), we found that lower general intelligence (g) in childhood predicts greater racism in adulthood, and this effect was largely mediated via conservative ideology. A secondary analysis of a U.S. data set confirmed a predictive effect of poor abstract-reasoning skills on antihomosexual prejudice, a relation partially mediated by both authoritarianism and low levels of intergroup contact. All analyses controlled for education and socioeconomic status. Our results suggest that cognitive abilities play a critical, albeit underappreciated, role in prejudice. Consequently, we recommend a heightened focus on cognitive ability in research on prejudice and a better integration of cognitive ability into prejudice models.

Bright Minds and Dark Attitudes


Essentially, the study examines the impact of cognitive ability on social attitudes like prejudice and conservatism. The authors predicted that a lower cognitive ability, as measured by the subject’s intelligence quotient or I.Q., would lead to greater social prejudice in adulthood. The authors also hypothesized beforehand that the social prejudice would lead the subjects to endorse “right-wing ideologies”, namely “social conservatism” and “right-wing authoritarianism.”

Turns out, the authors were right on all counts...

Are Liberals Smarter? Study Indicates The Answer Is Yes -
You're going to catch a lot of flak for this. I don't agree with the study, but it does remind me of conservs saying people should address the stats on black crime. I think it's time for them to acknowledge the stats point to smarter people mostly being Liberal.
 
You're going to catch a lot of flak for this. I don't agree with the study, but it does remind me of conservs saying people should address the stats on black crime. I think it's time for them to acknowledge the stats point to smarter people mostly being Liberal.

A study concludes this (though I doubt their definition of 'right-wing' has much relevance in the American political sphere in the first place), while other studies have found moderates to be the most intelligent, others found extremists (right or left) more intelligent, and I recall one which concluded that libertarians (social liberalism, fiscal conservatism) scored the highest. I'm generally going to take a study like this one with a grain a salt (especially when I can't actually view the study myself).
 
Lord, how many more times?

As if to suggest that there's no cut-off between the reactionary drivel of a witling, and a genius with an agenda. Neither Libs nor Cons seem to me particularly cerebral. To the contrary, their respective political stances reek of limitation and unresolved conflict.

An unfortunate thread. Juvenile and silly.
 
Every now and then someone comes with a report that being part of some ideology makes you dumber/smarter/more attractive/etc or that being dumber/smarter/etc makes you more prone towards some ideology or another. Some nonsense of such.

And it's wrong. Besides, this study is made by people who have an agenda. They aren't unimpeachable, unbiased individuals, they are just a pair of losers who want to make themselves feel good and enforce their own view of the world as being the right one... the superior one with preferential data.

Let's look at mr. Busseri, one of the authors.

Scientific Paper: Conservatives Are Stoopid So There! - Forbes

This is what an analyst a forbes has to say about that study you made.

Oh, OK, cynic that I am, of course I’m not puzzled, only amused. The joy of getting a dig in at political opponents almost always overwhelms the requirement to be consistent. It does puzzle me that anyone calls it science though.

Here's something else.

George Monbiot's worst-ever Guardian column

The first thing to be said about this supposedly definitive piece of research – Moonbat calls it "embarrassingly robust" – is that the authors, Gordon Hodson and Michael A Busseri, rely to a great extent on a measure of intelligence that has been discredited. The bulk of their data is drawn from two British longitudinal studies,

These people are just hacks. It's funny how many people will gubble up their idiocy as validation of their own belief system. Pathetic really.
 
In this so called study how did they define a liberal?

There are two basic types. One would be a Classic Liberal and the other a Welfare Liberal.

Some may find it hard to accept but Conservatism in general is more in align with Classic Liberalism than those on the left side of the aisle that call themselves liberals. Both Conservatism and Classic Liberalism share the views of less government, support individualism, strongly believe in personal responsibility. Where those on the left side of the aisle, the Welfare liberals, are the exact opposite supporting big federal government, support collectivism, and personal responsibility is not in their vocabulary. It has been replaced with victim-hood which allows them a free pass on paying their own way.
 
Not going to get into the idea of libs having higher IQs, or whatever. What I will address if the relation between inteligence and racism/prejudice. And I believe there is a link, just not like proposed. Is it because they are less intelligent that racists are racist? I don't think so. I simply think that it so happens that, on average, racists are less intelligent. Plenty of dumb people who AREN'T racist, so in this case, I would find some other clue. And I have. Culture. The cultures that produce the most racism (ghettos and redneck paradises alike) also place little value on education, perpetuating the cycle, preserving the culture. Add to that parents who raise their kids to be racist, usually in the form blaming one race or another for the ills of society, and voila. Racist kids.
 
This brought forth peals of laughter from several people I shared it with.... from both sides of the political spectrum....
 
How intelligent do you have to be to be selfish and self destructive?
 
You're going to catch a lot of flak for this. I don't agree with the study, but it does remind me of conservs saying people should address the stats on black crime. I think it's time for them to acknowledge the stats point to smarter people mostly being Liberal.

This brought forth peals of laughter from several people I shared it with.... from both sides of the political spectrum....

Believe it or not.....that was the whole point.
 
Coming soon to this thread: "Colleges are controlled by commie teachers brainwashing students."
 
Just like the so called "study" that came out a couple years ago which claimed that Internet Explorer users had lower IQs than people who used Google Chrome or Firefox? :roll:

A new one of these gimmicky "my ideology / lifestyle / way of doing things is better than yours, nananana" stories comes out every month, it seems like. Just about the only thing any of them prove with regards to average intelligence is that some people are dumb enough to accept everything they read online at face value.
 
I thought this would make for a lively discussion. What are your thoughts? Do you think this could explain why it is so profoundly difficult for Liberals and Conservatives to communicate effectively with one another? Do you think the study is bunk?


Despite their important implications for interpersonal behaviors and relations, cognitive abilities have been largely ignored as explanations of prejudice. We proposed and tested mediation models in which lower cognitive ability predicts greater prejudice, an effect mediated through the endorsement of right-wing ideologies (social conservatism, right-wing authoritarianism) and low levels of contact with out-groups. In an analysis of two large-scale, nationally representative United Kingdom data sets (N = 15,874), we found that lower general intelligence (g) in childhood predicts greater racism in adulthood, and this effect was largely mediated via conservative ideology. A secondary analysis of a U.S. data set confirmed a predictive effect of poor abstract-reasoning skills on antihomosexual prejudice, a relation partially mediated by both authoritarianism and low levels of intergroup contact. All analyses controlled for education and socioeconomic status. Our results suggest that cognitive abilities play a critical, albeit underappreciated, role in prejudice. Consequently, we recommend a heightened focus on cognitive ability in research on prejudice and a better integration of cognitive ability into prejudice models.

Bright Minds and Dark Attitudes


Essentially, the study examines the impact of cognitive ability on social attitudes like prejudice and conservatism. The authors predicted that a lower cognitive ability, as measured by the subject’s intelligence quotient or I.Q., would lead to greater social prejudice in adulthood. The authors also hypothesized beforehand that the social prejudice would lead the subjects to endorse “right-wing ideologies”, namely “social conservatism” and “right-wing authoritarianism.”

Turns out, the authors were right on all counts...

Are Liberals Smarter? Study Indicates The Answer Is Yes -

Ridiculous. Articles that try to link conservatism to lack of intelligence are boneheaded.
 
I thought this would make for a lively discussion. What are your thoughts? Do you think this could explain why it is so profoundly difficult for Liberals and Conservatives to communicate effectively with one another? Do you think the study is bunk?


Despite their important implications for interpersonal behaviors and relations, cognitive abilities have been largely ignored as explanations of prejudice. We proposed and tested mediation models in which lower cognitive ability predicts greater prejudice, an effect mediated through the endorsement of right-wing ideologies (social conservatism, right-wing authoritarianism) and low levels of contact with out-groups. In an analysis of two large-scale, nationally representative United Kingdom data sets (N = 15,874), we found that lower general intelligence (g) in childhood predicts greater racism in adulthood, and this effect was largely mediated via conservative ideology. A secondary analysis of a U.S. data set confirmed a predictive effect of poor abstract-reasoning skills on antihomosexual prejudice, a relation partially mediated by both authoritarianism and low levels of intergroup contact. All analyses controlled for education and socioeconomic status. Our results suggest that cognitive abilities play a critical, albeit underappreciated, role in prejudice. Consequently, we recommend a heightened focus on cognitive ability in research on prejudice and a better integration of cognitive ability into prejudice models.

Bright Minds and Dark Attitudes


Essentially, the study examines the impact of cognitive ability on social attitudes like prejudice and conservatism. The authors predicted that a lower cognitive ability, as measured by the subject’s intelligence quotient or I.Q., would lead to greater social prejudice in adulthood. The authors also hypothesized beforehand that the social prejudice would lead the subjects to endorse “right-wing ideologies”, namely “social conservatism” and “right-wing authoritarianism.”

Turns out, the authors were right on all counts...

Are Liberals Smarter? Study Indicates The Answer Is Yes -

Chris+Matthews+2011+Summer+TCA+Tour+Day+7+l2Y5-l_Fw19l.jpg


Study debunked.
 
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