Racists and conservatives have lower IQs

Study reveals which ideologies the smartest ones embrace

Are racists stupid? Do conservatives tend to be less intelligent than liberals? A new study by Brock University in Ontario, Canada answers "yes, yes" to both questions.

The study, published in the journal Psychological Science, found that those who had low IQ tests when they were children tend to cultivate biased beliefs and follow more conservative ideologies as adults.

However, the IQ is calculated by specific tests, but whether their results correspond to reality remains an unresolved issue.

Dr. Gordon Dodson, a professor of psychology at the university and head of the research team at Brock, notes that the results of the research reveal a "vicious circle": people with low IQ tend to embrace more conservative ideas, which in fact show a reluctance to specific individuals for change and therefore it is almost normal to be possessed then and by prejudices.

So why do less intelligent people tend to embrace conservative ideologies? Because such ideologies usually reflect "austerity and order" allowing an understanding of a complex world, Dodson says. Unfortunately, these elements always create prejudices, he adds.

"Reality is always very complicated. Ideologies usually try to provide solutions to this complexity and impose simple solutions. "Therefore, it is not surprising that people with less mental abilities than others usually embrace the most simplistic ideologies," the psychology professor told the Huffington Post.

Source: Newsbeast.gr