Research Shows: Racist and Prejudiced People Are Dumb
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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, Hodson wrote in an email to LiveScience.
"Prejudice is extremely complex and multifaceted, making it critical that any factors contributing to bias are uncovered and understood," he said.
"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.
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http//news.yahoo.com/low-iq-conservative-beliefs-linked-prejudice-180403506.htmlYet.. correlation doesn't shows cause and effect..
Is it- Because they're dumb THEN they become Racist and Prejudiced?
OR - Because they're Racist and Prejudiced THEN they become dumb?
Nonetheless I seem to concur with their findings.. as I've seen it around the globe.. Those who are racist and prejudiced (towards the arabs, the moslems, the west, the jews, the christians, the chinese etc..) usually are 'conservatives' and they're indeed have an IQ as high as the toilet seat!.
Salam / Peace
- Because they're dumb THEN they become Racist and Prejudiced?
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Interesting.
I wonder if anyone can point me to the research paper.
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Shalom Aleikhom,
Now, define "Dumb".
If its the kind of dumbness God refers to in The Book, I agree, indeed , deaf dumb and blind, they do not comprehend !!
Peace
----------- Student of Allah