Low IQ & Conservative Beliefs Linked to Prejudice

[smileyeagle1021]

Low IQ & Conservative Beliefs Linked to Prejudice

Now, it is no secret that I am not a fan of conservatism, nor my opinion that a lot of conservatives are bigots... but I still think they've made some leaps in this.
It looks like they are trying to say that low intelligence causes conservatism, which causes prejudice.

[blas87]

That's nice. Very nice.

[Gravekeeper]

I'm of mixed minds on this one. Sounds more to me like they proved ignorance causes prejudice and bigotry ( Well duh ). Stupid people are more likely to be ignorant and stupid ignorant people teach their kids to be ignorant and stupid. Thus the cycle continues.

I will buy that certain brands of Conservatism are more appealling to the ignorant ( Because those brands pander directly to it for votes ) and I think you could make a functional argument for stupidity and ignorance leading to it. However, I think you would likewise have to make a distinction from social / financial conservative and religious conservative ( Which is the image of Conservatism that dominates these days thanks to American conservative branding ). Religious conservatives are where most of the prejudice and bigotry occur, because these are idiots that think they can justify their stupidity with God.

[blas87]

As always, much more eloquent than I could come up with, GK.

Not everyone who is conservative is prejudiced, racist, or homophobic. Or a Bible thumper, either.

I have my opinions, but I was certain I'd made it clear by now that I am not a racist or a bigot and certainly not a gay-hater.

[Gravekeeper]

Here's a more nuanced study about it. It sounds like its more a matter of the way a person percieves the world. Conservatives specifically have a heightened alarm to threatening images. When you combine someone more likely to view things as threatening with stupidity and ignorance you get, well, prejudice and bigotry. >.>

Explains it in a nutshell really. Look at the mainstream language from Republicans: Traditional marriage is "under attack", immigrants are here to take jobs away from you and your family, there's a "war" on Christmas, Liberals are going to steal your money, Irans going to nuke you, etc etc. Its all threats and fear.

[Rageaholic]

I don't know, it sounds like what they're really saying is that people who are prejudice are more likely to be conservative. Look at the current Republican candidates, most of them hold fundie views (or at least pretend to). They are all anti gay to different extents, quite a few of them also have an us vs them mentality (at least Bush did when he was president), and they are always the ones using fear tactics.

It's not necessarly saying that conservatives are all prejudice idiots, it's saying that those who are are more likely to agree with conservative idealogy.

Low IQ means less reasoning capicity. less reasoning capicity means more likely to adopt prejudice views. Those with prejudice views, are more likely to be conservative.

[HYHYBT]

Tie this in with the one not far back saying that watching Fox News makes people less informed, and with the definition of "conservative" starting more or less as opposition to change (in other words, new things, which would include information and ideas), and especially that many who home-school do so, not for what their kids will learn, but because of what they *don't want them to learn*...

I don't know about low IQ, but putting those together, it seems to me that conservatism would naturally tend to lead to greater ignorance.

[Rapscallion]

In the US climate, I would have lumped social and religious conservatism in as the same thing.

Rapscallion

[tropicsgoddess]

I don't think low IQ is linked to prejudice and conservative views. With the whole nature vs. nurture, I think it's the way the person was bought up and the experiences that shape their views in society.

[Gravekeeper]

I don't think low IQ is linked to prejudice and conservative views.

Er, but thats exactly what the study shows. The reasons why that is are debatable. But the study itself shows a clear link.

[KabeRinnaul]

They are all anti gay to different extents, quite a few of them also have an us vs them mentality, and they are always the ones using fear tactics.

Isn't that true about all of mainstream American politics?

[Sleepwalker]

In other news, water is wet.

[smileyeagle1021]

I don't think low IQ is linked to prejudice and conservative views. With the whole nature vs. nurture, I think it's the way the person was bought up and the experiences that shape their views in society.

thank you tropicsgoddess, for putting in words my problems with this study (I knew there was something off with it, I just couldn't put my finger on it). Okay, so others also have brought in problems with it, but that's the nail on the head statement.
If there was a direct causation from low IQ with prejudiced beliefs, then every person with a learning or developmental disability in this country would be racist, bigoted, homophobic, xenophobic, or some combination or the above. I have met people who were quite literally retarded (medically diagnosed) who were extremely conservative (well libertarian might be the better word) that still had the attitude of "who am I to prejudge others, even God waits until he sees what a person does before He judges them, who am I to judge sooner than what God does"
Simplistic worldview, absolutely. Religious conservative, no doubt. Prejudiced... not at all.
I think they have the causality backwards, that it is prejudiced people who are prone to be conservative, not conservatism causing prejudiced people. Now, there definitely is a feedback loop, that someone who is already prejudiced will probably become more so after being exposed to conservative beliefs, and conservative politicians take advantage of that (because politicians in general are scum and will do whatever works to get votes)
So, TLR version, yes a low IQ will mandate taking on a simplistic worldview, which typically conservative views are more simplistic, but it really is just as easy to have a simplistic worldview that doesn't prejudge as one that does.

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

Isn't that true about all of mainstream American politics?

In my opinion the "us vs. them" mentality is far more common when it comes to conservative politics than with Liberal politics.

I can't really think of a single thing liberals have done in the past several years that has alienated a large segment of the population.

Conservatives/Republicans on the other hand...

[smileyeagle1021]

I can't really think of a single thing liberals have done in the past several years that has alienated a large segment of the population.

... with the exception of the people who consider trying not to offend people being offensive in and of itself...
Those people are nuts though and would be offended if you told them "looks like it won't be very warm today" because you obviously are being so politically correct not saying "it's going to be cold" (which for the record, scientifically speaking, not hot is more accurate than cold... and who cares whether it isn't warm or if it's cold, they both describe the same phenomenon)