Iq and political orientation
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The Relationship Between IQ and Political Orientation
Intelligence and Political Centrality
Research indicates a significant relationship between intelligence and political orientation. A study conducted in Brazil found that individuals with higher IQs tend to have political opinions that are more centrist or center-right. This relationship persisted even after accounting for variables such as gender, age, education, and income. Interestingly, while intelligence promoted political centrality, education was found to push individuals towards more extreme political orientations.
Openness to Experience and Leftism
The relationship between IQ and political orientation is complex and multifaceted. One study tested the Cultural Mediation Hypothesis (CMH) and found that Openness to Experience largely mediates the relationship between IQ and leftist political views. However, the study also noted that personality traits and life history strategies might play a significant role in determining whether an individual's political orientation is extreme or moderate. This suggests that while intelligence can influence political orientation, other factors such as personality and cultural norms are also important.
Regional Variations in Political Attitudes
In Britain, data analysis revealed that average IQ is positively associated with right-wing economic attitudes and trust in experts at both regional and local authority levels. However, the association between IQ and liberal social attitudes or the intention to vote Remain in the EU referendum was weaker. This indicates that while intelligence may influence certain political attitudes, its impact can vary depending on the specific political context and issues at hand.
Intelligence and Political Party Identification
A study involving German twins and their families found that supporters of certain political parties, such as the Pirate Party and the Green Party, had higher levels of intelligence compared to other party identifiers. Additionally, there was a modest negative correlation between intelligence and political conservatism, suggesting that more intelligent individuals might be less likely to hold conservative views. The study also indicated that genetic factors could partly explain the relationship between intelligence and political orientation.
Verbal Intelligence and Ideology
Research has shown that low verbal intelligence is predictive of right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) and social dominance orientation (SDO). This suggests that individuals with lower verbal abilities may be more inclined towards conservative ideologies. The findings support the idea that high-IQ individuals, who possess more flexible and adaptable personalities, are better able to process and endorse political and social attitudes that align with culturally constructed norms .
Rationality of Political Preferences
Intelligence also appears to be associated with the rationality of political preferences. Studies in the United States found that higher intelligence is linked to greater consistency between political attitudes and political preferences, particularly for global and social attitudes. This suggests that more intelligent individuals are better able to align their political preferences with their underlying attitudes, leading to more coherent and rational political choices.
Conclusion
The relationship between IQ and political orientation is influenced by a variety of factors, including personality traits, cultural norms, and genetic predispositions. While higher intelligence tends to be associated with more centrist or left-leaning political views, the specific nature of this relationship can vary depending on the context and the particular political attitudes being examined. Understanding this complex interplay can provide valuable insights into the cognitive and social underpinnings of political behavior.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic
Political orientations, intelligence and education
Beyond the Cultural Mediation Hypothesis: A reply to Dutton (2013)
Survey of expert opinion on intelligence: Intelligence research, experts' background, controversial issues, and the media
IQ and political attitudes across British regions and local authorities
Problematic constructs and cultural-mediation: A comment on Heaven, Ciarrochi and Leeson (2011)
Patterns and sources of the association between intelligence, party identification, and political orientations
Intelligence and the rationality of political preferences
Revisiting the link between low verbal intelligence and ideology
Personality and political orientation: Meta‐analysis and test of a threat‐constraint model.
Neoliberalism and IQ: Naturalizing economic and racial inequality
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