Mas bobo ang conservative men?
So it seems, according to the findings of a study – “Exploring exceptional minds: Political orientations of gifted adults” by Maximilian Krolo, Jörn R. Sparfeldt, and Detlef H. Rost – that was published in Intelligence.
The researchers noted that individuals with high intellectual ability frequently occupy leadership roles across business, science and politics. And yet, to date, it has not been definitively established whether a high intelligence quotient correlates with specific political orientations.
For this study, the researchers examined the political orientations of gifted and non-gifted adults using both, a single-dimensional left-right self-placement and a multi-dimensional questionnaire. From 7,023 non-preselected third graders, gifted students (IQ ≥ 130) and a matched sample of non-gifted students (IQ ≈ 100) were initially identified and re-identified in ninth grade following another intelligence testing within the scope of the Marburg Giftedness Project. About 35 years after the initial identification, 87 gifted and 71 non-gifted adults participated in the follow-up survey.
The study’s main finding: Gifted individuals’ political orientations are more similar to those of average intelligent individuals than many might anticipate. But intellectually gifted men tend to be less conservative than men of average intellectual ability.
“In this regard, average intelligent men demonstrated higher levels of conservatism compared to gifted men, a difference not observed among women, pointing to a gender-typical dynamic that has received limited scholarly attention thus far,” said co-author Krolo.
The participants from the Marburg Giftedness Project were asked to position themselves on a conventional left-right political spectrum. They subsequently completed a comprehensive questionnaire assessing political orientation across four thematic domains, which encompassed the following four thematic areas: Regarding economic libertarianism, participants were queried on their views concerning the justice of supporting individuals perceived as less productive.
“To assess potential conservative attitudes, we explored participants’ valuation of a shared culture as a fundamental unifying element of society. In the socialism domain, respondents indicated whether they considered income inequalities unjust on the basis of universal human equality,” said Krolo.
In the liberalism category, respondents evaluated the importance of living life according to their own wishes, provided no harm befell others.
“We analyzed differences between gifted and average intelligent groups and examined gender-specific variations. On the straightforward left-right scale, no statistically significant differences emerged; both groups tended to locate themselves near the political centre,” Krolo noted.
Analyses across economic libertarianism, socialism, and liberalism likewise revealed no significant differences between groups, even irrespective of gender.
“High intelligence does not appear to predispose individuals towards or away from these particular political orientations,” said Krolo.
Conversely, the research identified a pronounced divergence in attitudes towards conservatism.
“Our findings suggest that average intelligent men were more inclined to endorse values associated with tradition and stringent social order. By contrast, men with higher intelligence quotients less frequently espoused such traditional conservative views,” Krolo said.
Among female participants, no comparable differences were detected.
“In the current context, where populist movements across the political spectrum are gaining momentum in Germany and Europe, accompanied by increasing political polarization, it is crucial to empirically investigate these dynamics, rather than relying on speculation. Our study provides a robust empirical foundation as it represents the first systematic examination of the political orientations of gifted adults,” said Krolo.
Previous research, including phases of the Marburg Giftedness Project, indicates that gifted individuals often enjoy advantages stemming from superior academic and professional performance. In areas less directly related to achievement, however, they typically do not differ markedly from average intelligent individuals.
“Given that gifted individuals frequently hold influential positions, understanding their perspectives on politics, economics and society is of considerable importance. Their ideas and nuanced viewpoints have the potential to contribute meaningfully to societal progress,” said co-author Sparfeldt, adding that the current investigation demonstrates that elevated intelligence does not necessarily lead to radical political stances; rather, gifted adults generally exhibit a political diversity and moderation comparable to the broader population.
All the same, “further research is warranted, particularly to ascertain whether observed conservative attitudes among some individuals translate into corresponding political behaviors,” Sparfeldt ended.
