Brains and bias?
Replies
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This just in from LiveScience - in short:
from LiveScience: http://www.livescience.com/18132-intelligence-social-conservatism-racism.htmlThere's no gentle way to put it: People who give in to racism and prejudice may simply be dumb, according to a new study that is bound to stir public controversy.
The research finds that children with low intelligence are more likely to hold prejudiced attitudes as adults. These findings point to a vicious cycle, according to lead researcher Gordon Hodson, a psychologist at Brock University in Ontario. Low-intelligence adults tend to gravitate toward socially conservative ideologies, the study found. Those ideologies, in turn, stress hierarchy and resistance to change, attitudes that can contribute to prejudice, Hodson wrote in an email to LiveScience.
and the Psychological Science article it references: http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/01/04/0956797611421206.abstract
(I'm not sure if everyone has access to the full PDF version of the article (should be linked on the right side of the page) - it may be subscription only).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.
Thoughts?
I've just had the chance to read the rest of this thread properly, and it seems that I have read and understood the OP's quotes very differently to a lot of people. My interpretation is not that this study is saying that conservatives are stupid, but rather that people of low IQ tend to show higher-than-average levels of prejudice, especially in regard to race, and that their prejudice is often expressed, or given a framework, through the medium of extreme right-wing philosophies. This is not rocket science. Nor is it, in my view, offensive.
As a liberal conservative myself (I realise that in many countries this would be an oxymoron, but not in the UK), and an intelligent woman, I would argue that it is likely that equal numbers of people with low IQs demonstrate their particular set of prejudices through extreme-left wing policies and frameworks as well. However, that is not what this study set out to show, especially given its' focus on racism, which is, in the UK, more typically associated with extreme-right publications and groups (the extreme left is no less prejudiced, but focuses on other factors).
It is not surprising that people with low IQs should gravitate towards the more extreme, rigidly hierarchical (which I would argue is a feature of both right-and left-wing extremism) viewpoints which offer a fixed, more 'secure'/unchangeable perspective, with fewer confusing grey areas which a person of less intellectual ability is likely to struggle with. I have always found it interesting that Communism, for example, when removed from the theoretical realms of intellectuals such as Marx, rapidly became exceptionally, and rigidly, hierarchical, in common with almost every other 'extreme' political group I can think of, of any variety, and mimicking exactly the 'right-wing' systems it typically overthrew. If one looks closely, there was not much difference in structure between Tsarist and Communist Russia - simply the names and faces at the top of the tree changed.0 -
As for the opera, don't tell me - Orpheus in the Underworld? Royal College of Music?
The RCM did Orpheus last year, and I left college (not the RCM) several years ago. I am currently rehearsing Aida.0 -
This just in from LiveScience - in short:
from LiveScience: http://www.livescience.com/18132-intelligence-social-conservatism-racism.htmlThere's no gentle way to put it: People who give in to racism and prejudice may simply be dumb, according to a new study that is bound to stir public controversy.
The research finds that children with low intelligence are more likely to hold prejudiced attitudes as adults. These findings point to a vicious cycle, according to lead researcher Gordon Hodson, a psychologist at Brock University in Ontario. Low-intelligence adults tend to gravitate toward socially conservative ideologies, the study found. Those ideologies, in turn, stress hierarchy and resistance to change, attitudes that can contribute to prejudice, Hodson wrote in an email to LiveScience.
and the Psychological Science article it references: http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/01/04/0956797611421206.abstract
(I'm not sure if everyone has access to the full PDF version of the article (should be linked on the right side of the page) - it may be subscription only).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.
Thoughts?
I've just had the chance to read the rest of this thread properly, and it seems that I have read and understood the OP's quotes very differently to a lot of people. My interpretation is not that this study is saying that conservatives are stupid, but rather that people of low IQ tend to show higher-than-average levels of prejudice, especially in regard to race, and that their prejudice is often expressed, or given a framework, through the medium of extreme right-wing philosophies. This is not rocket science. Nor is it, in my view, offensive.
As a liberal conservative myself (I realise that in many countries this would be an oxymoron, but not in the UK), and an intelligent woman, I would argue that it is likely that equal numbers of people with low IQs demonstrate their particular set of prejudices through extreme-left wing policies and frameworks as well. However, that is not what this study set out to show, especially given its' focus on racism, which is, in the UK, more typically associated with extreme-right publications and groups (the extreme left is no less prejudiced, but focuses on other factors).
It is not surprising that people with low IQs should gravitate towards the more extreme, rigidly hierarchical (which I would argue is a feature of both right-and left-wing extremism) viewpoints which offer a fixed, more 'secure'/unchangeable perspective, with fewer confusing grey areas which a person of less intellectual ability is likely to struggle with. I have always found it interesting that Communism, for example, when removed from the theoretical realms of intellectuals such as Marx, rapidly became exceptionally, and rigidly, hierarchical, in common with almost every other 'extreme' political group I can think of, of any variety, and mimicking exactly the 'right-wing' systems it typically overthrew. If one looks closely, there was not much difference in structure between Tsarist and Communist Russia - simply the names and faces at the top of the tree changed.
Certainly, if all that was being said was that people who harbor racial prejudices tend to have low IQs, I think most people would not have trouble with that. This study, however seems to go one step further :
"Low-intelligence adults tend to gravitate toward socially conservative ideologies, the study found. Those ideologies, in turn, stress hierarchy and resistance to change, attitudes that can contribute to prejudice."
Here is where the methodologies would be important. Bear in mind this is a secondary study, so the data may or may not have been sufficiently flushed out to regress, for example, low IQ and left wing affiliation or left wing affiliation and prejudice. If that is the case the study is incomplete and the conclusion is misleading, If the data was there, then why wasn't it looked at..
I certainly agree with everything else you say. Certainly anyone who has ever spoken with a Communist or Socialist or Union Leader could not help but notice the rigidity and lack of nuance in their points of view.0 -
As for the opera, don't tell me - Orpheus in the Underworld? Royal College of Music?
The RCM did Orpheus last year, and I left college (not the RCM) several years ago. I am currently rehearsing Aida.
What role?0 -
This just in from LiveScience - in short:
from LiveScience: http://www.livescience.com/18132-intelligence-social-conservatism-racism.htmlThere's no gentle way to put it: People who give in to racism and prejudice may simply be dumb, according to a new study that is bound to stir public controversy.
The research finds that children with low intelligence are more likely to hold prejudiced attitudes as adults. These findings point to a vicious cycle, according to lead researcher Gordon Hodson, a psychologist at Brock University in Ontario. Low-intelligence adults tend to gravitate toward socially conservative ideologies, the study found. Those ideologies, in turn, stress hierarchy and resistance to change, attitudes that can contribute to prejudice, Hodson wrote in an email to LiveScience.
and the Psychological Science article it references: http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/01/04/0956797611421206.abstract
(I'm not sure if everyone has access to the full PDF version of the article (should be linked on the right side of the page) - it may be subscription only).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.
Thoughts?
I've just had the chance to read the rest of this thread properly, and it seems that I have read and understood the OP's quotes very differently to a lot of people. My interpretation is not that this study is saying that conservatives are stupid, but rather that people of low IQ tend to show higher-than-average levels of prejudice, especially in regard to race, and that their prejudice is often expressed, or given a framework, through the medium of extreme right-wing philosophies. This is not rocket science. Nor is it, in my view, offensive.
As a liberal conservative myself (I realise that in many countries this would be an oxymoron, but not in the UK), and an intelligent woman, I would argue that it is likely that equal numbers of people with low IQs demonstrate their particular set of prejudices through extreme-left wing policies and frameworks as well. However, that is not what this study set out to show, especially given its' focus on racism, which is, in the UK, more typically associated with extreme-right publications and groups (the extreme left is no less prejudiced, but focuses on other factors).
It is not surprising that people with low IQs should gravitate towards the more extreme, rigidly hierarchical (which I would argue is a feature of both right-and left-wing extremism) viewpoints which offer a fixed, more 'secure'/unchangeable perspective, with fewer confusing grey areas which a person of less intellectual ability is likely to struggle with. I have always found it interesting that Communism, for example, when removed from the theoretical realms of intellectuals such as Marx, rapidly became exceptionally, and rigidly, hierarchical, in common with almost every other 'extreme' political group I can think of, of any variety, and mimicking exactly the 'right-wing' systems it typically overthrew. If one looks closely, there was not much difference in structure between Tsarist and Communist Russia - simply the names and faces at the top of the tree changed.
Certainly, if all that was being said was that people who harbor racial prejudices tend to have low IQs, I think most people would not have trouble with that. This study, however seems to go one step further :
"Low-intelligence adults tend to gravitate toward socially conservative ideologies, the study found. Those ideologies, in turn, stress hierarchy and resistance to change, attitudes that can contribute to prejudice."
Here is where the methodologies would be important. Bear in mind this is a secondary study, so the data may or may not have been sufficiently flushed out to regress, for example, low IQ and left wing affiliation or left wing affiliation and prejudice. If that is the case the study is incomplete and the conclusion is misleading, If the data was there, then why wasn't it looked at..
I certainly agree with everything else you say. Certainly anyone who has ever spoken with a Communist or Socialist or Union Leader could not help but notice the rigidity and lack of nuance in their points of view.
Very quick reply between scenes. Having read the abstract and the original article, I don't get the impression the researchers set out to examine other sources of prejudice, but focused entirely on questions to establish IQ levels, and then questions designed to determine degree of social conservatism. It doesn't look like they asked questions about left-wing ideologies, but only questions designed to elicit results that support their hypothesis of prejudice in low-IQ people being mediated through socially conservative, right-wing ideologies. The impression I get from both source articles is that the researchers actively omitted questions designed to, as you say, 'flush out' prejudice arising from non-right-wing ideologies. I'd call it very poor scientific process, but if that's what they set out to achieve, then they have succeeded. I'd be interested to read the full PDF to establish in what degree this is the case, but I'm not willing to spend $35 to do so!0 -
This just in from LiveScience - in short:
from LiveScience: http://www.livescience.com/18132-intelligence-social-conservatism-racism.htmlThere's no gentle way to put it: People who give in to racism and prejudice may simply be dumb, according to a new study that is bound to stir public controversy.
The research finds that children with low intelligence are more likely to hold prejudiced attitudes as adults. These findings point to a vicious cycle, according to lead researcher Gordon Hodson, a psychologist at Brock University in Ontario. Low-intelligence adults tend to gravitate toward socially conservative ideologies, the study found. Those ideologies, in turn, stress hierarchy and resistance to change, attitudes that can contribute to prejudice, Hodson wrote in an email to LiveScience.
and the Psychological Science article it references: http://pss.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/01/04/0956797611421206.abstract
(I'm not sure if everyone has access to the full PDF version of the article (should be linked on the right side of the page) - it may be subscription only).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.
Thoughts?
I've just had the chance to read the rest of this thread properly, and it seems that I have read and understood the OP's quotes very differently to a lot of people. My interpretation is not that this study is saying that conservatives are stupid, but rather that people of low IQ tend to show higher-than-average levels of prejudice, especially in regard to race, and that their prejudice is often expressed, or given a framework, through the medium of extreme right-wing philosophies. This is not rocket science. Nor is it, in my view, offensive.
As a liberal conservative myself (I realise that in many countries this would be an oxymoron, but not in the UK), and an intelligent woman, I would argue that it is likely that equal numbers of people with low IQs demonstrate their particular set of prejudices through extreme-left wing policies and frameworks as well. However, that is not what this study set out to show, especially given its' focus on racism, which is, in the UK, more typically associated with extreme-right publications and groups (the extreme left is no less prejudiced, but focuses on other factors).
It is not surprising that people with low IQs should gravitate towards the more extreme, rigidly hierarchical (which I would argue is a feature of both right-and left-wing extremism) viewpoints which offer a fixed, more 'secure'/unchangeable perspective, with fewer confusing grey areas which a person of less intellectual ability is likely to struggle with. I have always found it interesting that Communism, for example, when removed from the theoretical realms of intellectuals such as Marx, rapidly became exceptionally, and rigidly, hierarchical, in common with almost every other 'extreme' political group I can think of, of any variety, and mimicking exactly the 'right-wing' systems it typically overthrew. If one looks closely, there was not much difference in structure between Tsarist and Communist Russia - simply the names and faces at the top of the tree changed.
Certainly, if all that was being said was that people who harbor racial prejudices tend to have low IQs, I think most people would not have trouble with that. This study, however seems to go one step further :
"Low-intelligence adults tend to gravitate toward socially conservative ideologies, the study found. Those ideologies, in turn, stress hierarchy and resistance to change, attitudes that can contribute to prejudice."
Here is where the methodologies would be important. Bear in mind this is a secondary study, so the data may or may not have been sufficiently flushed out to regress, for example, low IQ and left wing affiliation or left wing affiliation and prejudice. If that is the case the study is incomplete and the conclusion is misleading, If the data was there, then why wasn't it looked at..
I certainly agree with everything else you say. Certainly anyone who has ever spoken with a Communist or Socialist or Union Leader could not help but notice the rigidity and lack of nuance in their points of view.
Very quick reply between scenes. Having read the abstract and the original article, I don't get the impression the researchers set out to examine other sources of prejudice, but focused entirely on questions to establish IQ levels, and then questions designed to determine degree of social conservatism. It doesn't look like they asked questions about left-wing ideologies, but only questions designed to elicit results that support their hypothesis of prejudice in low-IQ people being mediated through socially conservative, right-wing ideologies. The impression I get from both source articles is that the researchers actively omitted questions designed to, as you say, 'flush out' prejudice arising from non-right-wing ideologies. I'd call it very poor scientific process, but if that's what they set out to achieve, then they have succeeded. I'd be interested to read the full PDF to establish in what degree this is the case, but I'm not willing to spend $35 to do so!
I read only the abstract, but got pretty much the same impression. I agree, I have no intention of spending $35 for this complete study.0 -
I think I mentioned before - please pm me if you'd like to "borrow" a PDF copy...0
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Missed that! PM-ing now! Thank you 0
This discussion has been closed.