Low IQ & Conservative Beliefs Linked to Prejudice

[soulster]

http://www.livescience.com/18132-int...sm-racism.html

[[Slightly edited for space.)

There'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.

"Prejudice is extremely complex and multifaceted, making it critical that any factors contributing to bias are uncovered and understood," he said.

Controversy ahead
The findings combine three hot-button topics.
"They've pulled off the trifecta of controversial topics," said Brian Nosek, a social and cognitive psychologist at the University of Virginia who was not involved in the study. "When one selects intelligence, political ideology and racism and looks at any of the relationships between those three variables, it's bound to upset somebody."
Polling data and social and political science research do show that prejudice is more common in those who hold right-wing ideals that those of other political persuasions, Nosek told LiveScience.

"The unique contribution here is trying to make some progress on the most challenging aspect of this," Nosek said, referring to the new study. "It's not that a relationship like that exists, but why it exists."

Brains and bias
Earlier studies have found links between low levels of education and higher levels of prejudice, Hodson said, so studying intelligence seemed a logical next step. The researchers turned to two studies of citizens in the United Kingdom, one that has followed babies since their births in March 1958, and another that did the same for babies born in April 1970. The children in the studies had their intelligence assessed at age 10 or 11; as adults ages 30 or 33, their levels of social conservatism and racism were measured. [Life's Extremes: Democrat vs. Republican]

In the first study, verbal and nonverbal intelligence was measured using tests that asked people to find similarities and differences between words, shapes and symbols. The second study measured cognitive abilities in four ways, including number recall, shape-drawing tasks, defining words and identifying patterns and similarities among words. Average IQ is set at 100.
Social conservatives were defined as people who agreed with a laundry list of statements such as "Family life suffers if mum is working full-time," and "Schools should teach children to obey authority." Attitudes toward other races were captured by measuring agreement with statements such as "I wouldn't mind working with people from other races." [[These questions measured overt prejudiced attitudes, but most people, no matter how egalitarian, do hold unconscious racial biases; Hodson's work can't speak to this "underground" racism.)

As suspected, low intelligence in childhood corresponded with racism in adulthood. But the factor that explained the relationship between these two variables was political: When researchers included social conservatism in the analysis, those ideologies accounted for much of the link between brains and bias.

People with lower cognitive abilities also had less contact with people of other races.

"This finding is consistent with recent research demonstrating that intergroup contact is mentally challenging and cognitively draining, and consistent with findings that contact reduces prejudice," said Hodson, who along with his colleagues published these results online Jan. 5 in the journal Psychological Science.

A study of averages
Hodson was quick to note that the despite the link found between low intelligence and social conservatism, the researchers aren't 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.

"We can say definitively men are taller than women on average," he said. "But you can't say if you take a random man and you take a random woman that the man is going to be taller. There's 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. [5 Myths About Gay People Debunked]

Simple viewpoints
Hodson and Busseri's explanation of their findings is reasonable, Nosek said, but it is correlational. That means the researchers didn't conclusively prove that the low intelligence caused the later prejudice. To do that, you'd have to somehow randomly assign otherwise identical people to be smart or dumb, liberal or conservative. Those sorts of studies obviously aren't possible.
The researchers controlled for factors such as education and socioeconomic status, making their case stronger, Nosek said. But there are other possible explanations that fit the data. For example, Nosek said, a study of left-wing liberals with stereotypically naïve views like "every kid is a genius in his or her own way," might find that people who hold these attitudes are also less bright. In other words, it might not be a particular ideology that is linked to stupidity, but extremist views in general.
"My speculation is that it's not as simple as their model presents it," Nosek said. "I think that lower cognitive capacity can lead to multiple simple ways to represent the world, and one of those can be embodied in a right-wing ideology where 'People I don't know are threats' and 'The world is a dangerous place'. ... Another simple way would be to just assume everybody is wonderful."

Prejudice is of particular interest because understanding the roots of racism and bias could help eliminate them, Hodson said. For example, he said, many anti-prejudice programs encourage participants to see things from another group's point of view. That mental exercise may be too taxing for people of low IQ.

"There may be cognitive limits in the ability to take the perspective of others, particularly foreigners," Hodson said. "Much of the present research literature suggests that our prejudices are primarily emotional in origin rather than cognitive. These two pieces of information suggest that it might be particularly fruitful for researchers to consider strategies to change feelings toward outgroups," rather than thoughts.

[marv2]

I always knew there was a connection........hehehehehe!

[Soul Sister]

People that don't become worldy expanding their relationships with new people, places, cultures, experiences tend to be limited or ignorant, in some cases closed or narrow minded.
I also think they limit themselves from a joyful education when they don't seek out new experiences or allow themselves to grow. Too continue to learn and grow throughout their lifetime. They would be more well rounded and smarter than the average bear.
Just sayin`.

S.S.
***

[bobkayli]

That said, I'm sure we all know some very intelligent people who have prejudices.
To assimilate prejudices with low intelligence does a mis-service.
Just because someone thinks something different to me doesn't make him/her dumb. In some cases it's just the opposite.
Scientific analysis has a long way to go if it wants to draw conclusions on such subjective matters.

[144man]

There was prejudice in the primary school I went to, but none at grammar school. I often wondered whether this was due to higher intelligence or to age.

[splanky]

I've known otherwise very intelligent people who've had extreme predjudices against one
or more ethnic groups of people. I've known people with low IQs, people who most would
consider dumb with no racist instincts or ideas whatsoever. There are so many myths about
racism in this country, hell, the world at large, it isn't even funny. A famous man once said
"Travel broadens your scope" and though I believe that to be true for most, I've known people who've been all around the world, experienced a variety of different cultures and
have still come back to America with so much racism in their hearts their speech is equal to
a foaming at the mouth rabid dog!...

[Jerry Oz]

We all have prejudices. And racism describes not a belief, but someone who actively employed race in a manner to either discriminate or promote someone based upon race. They should not be confused. And to suggest that less intelligent people go toward one belief or another cannot be considered objectively unless we can all agree on what constitutes "intelligence".

With that being said, per Soulster's post, people who are centrist in their views and have very limited diversity in their upbringing are going to formulate opinions that others are less than they are. Consequently, they are going to flock to any outlet that reinforces that notion because they have to believe that they're at the top of the food [[and intelligence) chain. Faux News is well aware of this and panders to this ridiculous notion in ways that aren't even subtle anymore.

Consider that the people who are going to be hurt the most by the government shutting down are proud of the fact that their unemployment checks and SBA loans are going to be denied them as a result of it. They'll blame That Black Bastard for not backing down on the health care law, even as they take advantage of it. Everything went to hell when, in the words of funkyfresh, this country started doing it wrong every single time, didn't it?

[Soul Sister]

There will always be screwed up people in the world intelligent or not. It's sad.

I do believe MUSIC also brings people together from all over the world and different cultures. It's been my experience. It's truly the universal language.


S.S.
***

[soulster]

Soul Sister,

I no longer believe that music unites. People fight over the same shit as with everything else.

[Soul Sister]

Soulster, I guess that's true with some. There will always be combative people because they got problems.

But I've also seen people around the world unite over music, that otherwise would have never gotten together or even met.

S.S.
***

[Jerry Oz]

There are songs written by members of the Aryan Nation that do anything but unite. They're not alone, either. You can find Black nationalistic songs, gangsta rap, and that weird music that the Mexican drug cartels are cranking out that are much more about separation than unity.

[timmyfunk]

Soul Sister,

I no longer believe that music unites. People fight over the same shit as with everything else.

In a way, I do still believe in music's power to unite. Rap music [[whether one likes it or not) has opened the dialog on race probably more than any other musical genre that preceded it.

[soulster]

In a way, I do still believe in music's power to unite. Rap music [[whether one likes it or not) has opened the dialog on race probably more than any other musical genre that preceded it.

But, not in a positive way, as I have seen it. I'm not blaming the rap music, but those who oppose it.

When I think of music bringing people together, I don't think of it in terms of, say a concert, where only like-minded people would gather, I mean people of widely varying tastes coming together and getting along because of a common love of music. It just doesn't happen.

[funky_fresh]

But, not in a positive way, as I have seen it. I'm not blaming the rap music, but those who oppose it.

When I think of music bringing people together, I don't think of it in terms of, say a concert, where only like-minded people would gather, I mean people of widely varying tastes coming together and getting along because of a common love of music. It just doesn't happen.

You probably never went to a P-Funk concert in the early-mid 90's. ALL of those concerts were "people of widely varying tastes coming together and getting along because of a common love of music". Especially when you consider in that many of the ex-deadhead scene began to embrace the "jamb-bandesque" musical marathons that George Clinton was putting together at the time. That same type of scene holds true today with P-Funk concerts but on a much smaller scale.

[Soul Sister]

Or never been "on tour around the world" to see what timmyfunk & I are talking about.

,
S.S.
***

[timmyfunk]

But, not in a positive way, as I have seen it. I'm not blaming the rap music, but those who oppose it.

When I think of music bringing people together, I don't think of it in terms of, say a concert, where only like-minded people would gather, I mean people of widely varying tastes coming together and getting along because of a common love of music. It just doesn't happen.

The dialog on race issues was tackled with far more honesty and consistency with the Rap generation than any other musical genre. When some kid in the reddest of states listens to a Public Enemy or Common CD, they are hearing uncompromising political and social analysis in a way that their parents didn't with R&B, Soul, and Funk.

[splanky]

I'm a little divided here because like soulster I've long stop believing in the power of music
to unite people across the board though like Soul Sister I too have seen music bring some
people together but that I've almost always found to be temporarily or superficially even
among some with otherwise common ground. You never know who is going to like what
you like and two people liking the same thing can not only like it for different reasons,
but have totally opposite ideas about life in general. As far as P funk is concerned let me
tell you about an occurence that blew my mind back in the day. I was back from a military
tour of Korea and after leave went to finish the last leg of my duty in Kentucky. I and some
buddies went out visiting one day and were offered a look over a college campus and facility. Just walking around, checking out stuff I suddenly heard Bootsy Collins Munchies
For Your Love coming from the gymnasium. Holy shit, I said aloud and one of the guys escorting us around told me I could go in if I wanted , that they were having a party inside.
I did. Bobbing my head to the music I scooped up a cup of punch, walked closer to where
the dj was playing and saw a long line of young men from one free throw line of the basket
ball court to more than half of the way to the other,arms wrapped around the guy in front of him, grinding away as Bootsy's echoplex rolled around the building. I've never been homophobic in my life but the thought that this is not my type of party instantly flashed
through my head, I gulped down my punch and left. It had never occurred to me before
that gay men would ever like a funk song; all the ones I knew were disco fans, or that
I'd ever leave a place playing Bootsy. Who knew? ....
As far as rap opening the dialogue on race more than any other genre of music I think that's
a myth because though it did indeed open it for a minute back in the early 90's the talk for the most part has ended . The greater real collaborations across all sorts of racially lines
in music today and explorations of other cultures, occur in Jazz more than any other genre
of music. It's just that jazz today is not the musical choice of the so called mainstream pop
culture influenced average American....
most part largely closed and the true

[splanky]

Ignore the last seven words in my above post. I had a posting problem and they are the result of a partially saved and then too late to edit remark. I stand behind everything else
I said...

[timmyfunk]

I'm a little divided here because like soulster I've long stop believing in the power of music
to unite people across the board though like Soul Sister I too have seen music bring some
people together but that I've almost always found to be temporarily or superficially even
among some with otherwise common ground. You never know who is going to like what
you like and two people liking the same thing can not only like it for different reasons,
but have totally opposite ideas about life in general. As far as P funk is concerned let me
tell you about an occurence that blew my mind back in the day. I was back from a military
tour of Korea and after leave went to finish the last leg of my duty in Kentucky. I and some
buddies went out visiting one day and were offered a look over a college campus and facility. Just walking around, checking out stuff I suddenly heard Bootsy Collins Munchies
For Your Love coming from the gymnasium. Holy shit, I said aloud and one of the guys escorting us around told me I could go in if I wanted , that they were having a party inside.
I did. Bobbing my head to the music I scooped up a cup of punch, walked closer to where
the dj was playing and saw a long line of young men from one free throw line of the basket
ball court to more than half of the way to the other,arms wrapped around the guy in front of him, grinding away as Bootsy's echoplex rolled around the building. I've never been homophobic in my life but the thought that this is not my type of party instantly flashed
through my head, I gulped down my punch and left. It had never occurred to me before
that gay men would ever like a funk song; all the ones I knew were disco fans, or that
I'd ever leave a place playing Bootsy. Who knew? ....
As far as rap opening the dialogue on race more than any other genre of music I think that's
a myth because though it did indeed open it for a minute back in the early 90's the talk for the most part has ended . The greater real collaborations across all sorts of racially lines
in music today and explorations of other cultures, occur in Jazz more than any other genre
of music. It's just that jazz today is not the musical choice of the so called mainstream pop
culture influenced average American....
most part largely closed and the true

I don't think I've ever seen the dialog on race intensify then in the mid-1990. While it may not be as strong now, in the nineties it elevated to a level I've never seen with any other form of music.