New Study Finds Connection Between Your Prejudice & Intelligence

By Jess Murray Truth Theory

It has recently been discovered that it is not a low IQ which determines whether you are prejudice or not, as was previously believed, but in fact it is your level of intelligence which will determine who you are prejudice against.

Whilst it was previously believed that people with a lower cognitive ability are more likely to be prejudice, those findings have now been reevaluated and it now seems that being prejudice isn’t confined to those of low intelligence, as a level of intelligence merely determines the groups of people or individuals that an individual will be prejudiced against.

In an experiment titled “Answering Unresolved Questions About the Relationship Between Cognitive Ability and Prejudice“, which was carried out by researchers and social psychologists Mark Brandt and Jarret Crawford, 5,914 people were analysed to produce these findings.

The study group was divided into cognitive ability after a wordsum test was carried out, which is a test that is considered to be correlated to an individual’s IQ score.

After removing judgements about whether a specific prejudice from an individual is prejudice or not, the analysts measured the amount of prejudice that was evident in separate groups of differing cognitive ability.

They looked at specific divided groups of both higher and lower cognitive ability and analysed each group during the same experiment to gage the reactions and record whether a specific prejudice was justified or not, after they had removed all value judgements.

Brandt and Crawford’s research showed that people with a low cognitive ability were more likely to be prejudiced against liberal groups, as well as groups that were defined by race, gender or sexual orientation. They then found that those with a high cognitive ability were the opposite, meaning that they were more prejudice towards conservative groups.

Brandt and Crawford said, “people dislike people who are different from them. Derogating people with different worldviews can help people maintain the validity of their own world view.” Meaning that people rely on their own perception of the world as the correct one, and by thinking that different views are wrong, you strengthen your own.

They also found that those who had a low cognitive ability were more prejudiced towards groups that those people didn’t choose to be a part of, for example, ethnic groups. 

Brandt and Crawford also mentioned that those with a lower cognitive capability often see different groups with distinct boundaries which separate them. They commented that “having clear boundaries helps people feel like the opposing group is distinct and far away. That is, they won’t be so much of a threat.”

With the example given of Donald Trump wanting to build a wall along the southern border of the US, the researchers claimed that those who supported this plan were prejudice towards “low-choice” groups, in this case, Mexicans. Whilst in contrast, those with a high cognitive ability show more prejudice towards conservatives, and “may be especially angered by groups that they think should be able to change their minds”, according to researchers.

This new study demonstrates that whilst many different people may be prejudice, no matter how intelligent they are, it is their intelligence that actually determines who they are likely to be prejudice against.

IMAGE CREDIT:sifotography / 123RF Stock Photo

About The Author

Jess Murray is a wildlife filmmaker and conservation blogger, having recently returned from studying wildlife and conservation in South Africa, she is now striving to spread awareness about the truth behind faux conservation facilities throughout the world. You can follow Jess on Facebook Here

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Written by: Jess Murray

Jess Murray is a wildlife conservationist and writer who has spent a lot of time working and studying in South Africa. She is now striving to spread awareness about global conservation issues and the truth behind faux conservation facilities throughout the world. Read More stories by Jess Murray