Higher IQ leads to lower conservatism in men in decades-long study

A decades-long study suggests that men with higher intelligence quotient ratings are less likely to hold conservative political views.

The study comes from researchers at Saarland University and Philipps-University Marburg, institutions in Germany.

According to PsyPost, "The team based their research on the 'Cognitive Complexity-Openness Hypothesis.' This concept suggests that people with higher intelligence are generally more open to new experiences. They are also thought to be better equipped to handle complex or nuanced ideas. If this hypothesis holds true, gifted individuals might reject rigid political dogmas. They might gravitate toward more flexible or moderate positions. The researchers aimed to test if this theoretical flexibility translates into specific political preferences in adulthood."

The project started in 1987, and initially "involved examining over 7,000 third-grade students. The researchers administered standardized intelligence tests to this large group. These tests measured reasoning abilities and the speed at which the students processed information."

The students were then tracked into adulthood, measuring their IQ all the while and tracking them in "gifted" and "non-gifted" categories, and their political positions were examined in a four-part questionnaire.

"The researchers then analyzed the four specific dimensions of the detailed questionnaire. For economic libertarianism, socialism, and liberalism, the analysis again showed no statistical difference between the groups. Giftedness did not appear to push individuals toward or away from these specific ideologies," said the report. "However, a distinct pattern emerged regarding the dimension of conservatism. The researchers found an interaction effect between giftedness and sex. This means the relationship between intelligence and conservatism depended on whether the participant was male or female."

"Specifically, non-gifted men scored higher on conservatism than gifted men," noted the report. "The non-gifted men were more likely to endorse values related to tradition and strict social order. Gifted men were less likely to hold these traditional conservative views."

Some other studies have found similar results over the years, including research published in 2019 that found people with low emotional intelligence tend more toward authoritarian political views.