surprise! we have another scientific study which proves something many of us already know!
social conservatism and cognitive ability are negatively correlated
as usual i expect the strong anti-intellectual, anti-scientific movement within conservatives circles will drive them to reject yet another peer reviewed scientific study as they have done in the past on topics of climate science, the age of the earth and evolution
coincidentally this happens to be the very reaction predicted by the study as bolded below - the study even allows you to identify yourself as the very conservative the study is talking about
Conservatism and cognitive ability
Lazar Stankov
National Institute of Education (NIE), 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289609000051http://ebiquity.umbc.edu/blogger/2009/04/25/conservatism-and-cognitive-ability-are-negatively-correlated/Quote
“Conservatism and cognitive ability are negatively correlated. The evidence is based on 1254 community college students and 1600 foreign students seeking entry to United States’ universities. At the individual level of analysis, conservatism scores correlate negatively with SAT, Vocabulary, and Analogy test scores. At the national level of analysis, conservatism scores correlate negatively with measures of education (e.g., gross enrollment at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels) and performance on mathematics and reading assessments from the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) project. They also correlate with components of the Failed States Index and several other measures of economic and political development of nations. Conservatism scores have higher correlations with economic and political measures than estimated IQ scores.
Quote
“The Conservative syndrome describes a person who attaches particular importance to the respect of tradition, humility, devoutness and moderation as well as to obedience, self-discipline and politeness, social order, family, and national security and has a sense of belonging to and a pride in a group with which he or she identifies. A Conservative person also subscribes to conventional religious beliefs and accepts the mystical, including paranormal, experiences. The same person is likely to be less open to intellectual challenges and will be seen as a responsible “good citizen” at work and in the society while expressing rather harsh views toward those outside his or her group.”