~S Hodson was quick to note that the despite the link found between low intelligence and social conservatism, the researchers arent implying that all liberals are brilliant and all conservatives stupid. The research is a study of averages over large groups, he said. There are multiple examples of very bright conservatives and not-so-bright liberals, and many examples of very principled conservatives and very intolerant liberals, Hodson said. Nosek gave another example to illustrate the dangers of taking the findings too literally. We can say definitively men are taller than women on average, he said. But you cant say if you take a random man and you take a random woman that the man is going to be taller. Theres plenty of overlap. Nonetheless, there is reason to believe that strict right-wing ideology might appeal to those who have trouble grasping the complexity of the world. Socially conservative ideologies tend to offer structure and order, Hodson said, explaining why these beliefs might draw those with low intelligence. Unfortunately, many of these features can also contribute to prejudice. In another study, this one in the United States, Hodson and Busseri compared 254 people with the same amount of education but different levels of ability in abstract reasoning. They found that what applies to racism may also apply to homophobia. People who were poorer at abstract reasoning were more likely to exhibit prejudice against gays. As in the U.K. citizens, a lack of contact with gays and more acceptance of right-wing authoritarianism explained the link.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 21:33:40 +0000
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