Apparently they (we) are, according to a study funded by NYU and published in Nature Neuroscience (a magazine that, frankly, no one has heard of).
According to a slate.com article by William Saletan, the test was rigged.
"In a rapid response test—you press a button if you're given one signal, but not if you're given a different signal—the authors found that conservatives were 'more likely to make errors of commission,' whereas 'stronger liberalism was correlated with greater accuracy.' They concluded that 'a more conservative orientation is related to greater persistence in a habitual response pattern, despite signals that this response pattern should change.'"
Sounds scientific enough, but unfortunately Mr. Saletan may be right.
"Habitual way of thinking. Informational complexity. Need to change. Those are sweeping terms. They imply that conservatives, on average, are adaptively weaker at thinking, not just button-pushing."
And the tests, under further scrutiny, seem to be of the same intellectual caliber of making a rat run through a maze. It doesn't take intelligence to find food, it takes instinct.
"1. Habitual ways of thinking. Here's what the experiment actually entailed, according to the authors' supplementary document:
[E]ither the letter "M" or "W" was presented in the center of a computer monitor screen. … Half of the participants were instructed to make a "Go" response when they saw "M" but to make no response when they saw "W"; the remaining participants completed a version in which "W" was the Go stimulus and "M" was the No–Go stimulus. … Responses were registered on a computer keyboard placed in the participants' laps. … Participants received a two-minute break halfway through the task, which took approximately 15 minutes to complete.
Fifteen minutes is a habit? Tapping a keyboard is a way of thinking? Come on. You can make a case for conservative inflexibility, but not with this study."
Besides, out of 26 different letters to choose from, why M and W? At least choose letters that at least look a little more different.
Now, I consider myself pretty intelligent, but that kind of test would be hard for anyone to discern between them, especially when they're flashed in your face for a tenth of a second apiece.
"2. Responsiveness to information. Again, let's consult the supplementary document:
Each trial began with a fixation point, presented for 500 ms. The target then appeared for 100 ms, followed by a blank screen. Participants were instructed to respond within 500 ms of target onset. A 'Too slow!' warning message appeared after responses that exceeded this deadline, and "Incorrect" feedback was given after erroneous responses.
An 'ms'—millisecond—is one-thousandth of a second. That means participants had one-tenth of a second to look at the letter and another four-tenths of a second to hit the button. One letter, one-tenth of a second. This is 'information?'"
And once again, I agree. If anything, this study confirms that the reflexes of liberals are stronger, which has nothing to do with intelligence. (Believe me I know some athletes with pretty fast reflexes but not much going on upstairs)
The slate.com article also goes into further scientific detail to disprove the study, but I decided not to bore you.
So, basically, it looks like this so-called "scientific evaluation" is bunk, even though it did give me a temporary ego boost.
Opinions? Comments?
Do you think that, with modification, a test such as this could finally solve this age-old debate?
Why do we liberals think we're so smart, huh?
How could a test such this affect our political system, assuming it were valid?
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haha. right on.
Good job bringing up a little-known event and applying it to bigger, more universal concepts - I enjoyed the blog.
That test is ridiculous and I don't know how those people can expect their results to be taken seriously. Obviously they haven't been, since I haven't seen any headlines screaming, "President Bush now Scientifically Proven Stupider."
Politics is about opinions, not intelligence, and I don't think any test would produce anything other than scattered results.
I wish science would be applied to studies on issues such as whether homosexuals are born that way (which would end a lot of discrimination issues once and for all) instead of stupid studies that only serve as a kind of pseudo-scientific "diss" on the other side.
This whole thing strikes me as just very childish.
i agree. it is quite childish. kind of like when you're in elementary school and you argue with another kid about who's dad is cooler.
however, if i ever did see a headline like that about Bush it would make my day, possibly even my year.
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Are Liberals Smarter Than Conservatives?
Well, this test could backfire too. Does this study prove that conservatives spend more time thouroughly analyzing an issue, and were therefore too slow to properly respond? Does this show that liberals are all younger people with quicker reflexes and quicker image perception? Were there more of one gender on a given side?
Posh.
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~ Raven
STAND for SOMETHING.
Agreed with evirob. Very childish. People with different beliefs will always exist and there's no point in trying to prove you're smarter or better than them.
I don't think the design of the experiment was right. And I do agree with what you said and the others above me...that people with different opinions and reflexes have nothing to do with intelligence at all. I mean, there are people with PhD who are conservatives and liberals. Then again, how do you compare intelligence? Just because someone has doctorate degree, does that mean he or she is smarter than ordinary civilian? I also find the experimenter to be bias. I bet he's a liberal. lol
I digress. Everybody misses the boat here.
This age-old debate cannot be truly ever resolved. Society and culture is in flux. The variables and the demographics shift.
Conservatism today is actually radically different then "classic" conservatism which Corporate America's unfavorite presidential candidate, Ron Paul, exemplifies: smaller government, decrease, not increase, in federal power, increase, not decrease, in state power, and fiscal responsibility.
The Democratic Party, likewise, has consistently betrayed the basic principles of their platform. Their votes mirror more that on moderate Republicans than moderate Democrats.
Even if a comprehensive intelligence study was done (and it would have to be huge to cover every type of intelligence), it could only represent a particular era or decade.
And it also stupefies the question by splitting it into conservatism and liberalism.
There are liberals who desire smaller government and fiscal responsibility. There are liberals who are neutral or favor even bigger government and free trade agreements. There are conservatives who desire smaller government and fiscal responsibility. There are conservatives who are neutral or favor bigger government and free trade agreements. This is just a couple examples.
The butchering of politics to issues of same sex marriage and abortion enables both major parties to appear different while they both support bigger government, regulation and deregulation in favor of transnational corporations over local economies, and fiscal irresponsibility.
Okay, I'll step off my spontaneous soap box now.
Citizen Press Revolution
you do make good points. i can definitely agree that these days it is harder to completely separate liberals and conservatives, but in my opinion, thats a step in the right direction. i'm always for finding at least some common ground.
and i think we're pretty much all of the opinion that it would be nearly impossible to measure exactly which group is smarter.
besides, how do you account for people who change parties during their lifetime? I have a lot of older friends (especially ones that went to college in the 60's and 70's) that have changed parties several times in their lives.
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Are Liberals Smarter Than Conservatives?
? Did you rip this out of one of those news-magazines they give you in homeroom?
Chop'd'd off the Haed
first of all, i havent had homeroom since middle school.
i'm actually almost nineteen and in college, jerk.
and if you even payed any attention, i linked to the article online i got it from, which was linked to me from msn.com.
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Are Liberals Smarter Than Conservatives?
hahah this is awesome
Well, I bet if they did a more valid test, they would get the same answers...
but this test proves nothing, other than NYU is willing to waste some money with a poorly thought out "test".
yeah, maybe they should be spending that money on something more...oh, important, maybe? haha.
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Are Liberals Smarter Than Conservatives?
Actually, I do get the feeling that liberals are smarter than conservatives, and thats not biased because I don't really identify with either group. But, granted, most (or all) of the conservatives I know are only that way because someone else that they knew was.
I wouldnt say that makes us smarter, because some of the most intelligent people i know are Republicans, including my fiance. But liberals have a greater ability to adapt to new information that I don't think conservatives have. And of course this comes with the experience of trying to argue with them. let's just say its difficult, because at least if you argue with a liberal, they TRY to see your side, you know?
so maybe we can just conclude that while both parties are smart, conservatives are definitely (well, kindof by definition) more stubborn.
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Are Liberals Smarter Than Conservatives?
"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so."
- RonaldReagan
The whole idea of ANY political party being smarter than another is just stupid. Political opinions have NOTHING to do with intelligence. It has to do with morals, priorities and opinions on how to solve problems. Political positions are OPINIONS and flat out opinions are do not jusge how smart you are. It's like saying people who like red cars are smarter than people who like blue cars. (Analogy: Pigs are not smarter than other pigs because they come from a certain farm. Some pigs are smart and some are dumb but they are all just pigs and you are going to get both ends of intelligence no matter what farm you travel to.)
good analogy. but i want to take this opportunity to clear this up: i dont know if i made myself clear in this post or not, but i dont BELIEVE in the results of this study. i think its ludicrous myself, but it got me wondering other people's opinions on it, thats all. im not trying to convince anyone that liberals are smarter, but looking at the comments on this post i guess i didnt make that too clear. sorry.
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Are Liberals Smarter Than Conservatives?
You're going on to higher education to earn a degree and be able to make more money in the work (real) world, so that the liberal ideals you carry can TAKE MORE THAN 60% of your income and redistrubuite your earnings.
There is nothing wrong with 'A HAND UP" as we all may slip from time to time, but hand outs already have you and the other young people of this country in debt way past your eye balls. Conservatives say " Give a man a fish, feed him for a day, Teach a man to fish, feed him for a life time.
The results of the study makes sense but the interpretation that liberals are smarter does not.
The term "liberal" generally means one that is ready to accept new ideas while the term "conservative" generally means one that is more resistive to change.
If one is more adaptive to accepting change, he or she may be more adaptive to responding to the change. Thus, the liberal brain may be more "wired" to process changing stimuli more quickly than the conservative brain.
I bet conservatives could devise a test in which they would say they are "smarter" because of better proficiency at it than liberals. Maybe this test would be detecting a pattern in a series of numbers. The pattern stays the same between each number. I don't know if this example would apply, but I am just giving an example of how one group or another could say they are "smarter" just because their brain is wired to process a particular skill differently.
can't be measured by a test, in my opinion. intelligence is something you learn from the experiences in life, and the past, and from being able to think logically. logic can be tested to a degree, but not everyone thinks the same way, doesn't mean they're not logical.
i'm conservative, if you wanna say it. i dunno, probably more libertarian, but what ever.
And this same progeny of evils comes from our debate, from our dissension; We are their parents and original. -- A Midsummer Night's Dream Act II, Scene I, Lines 115-117
so do you have a particular opinion about IQ tests? Do you think they only cater to a certain type of thought process?
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Are Liberals Smarter Than Conservatives?
Someone sounds alittle conceited. GEE I wonder who does this research oh wait liberal media of course. im not a conservative or a liberal. I think that both are retarded with in their own respects. DIE non americans of the world!.. that live and were born in america... so yall arrogant asshole can take your magazine and jam it up your liberal bum bums, which i hear is nice and stretchy from the rape of every logical argument outside the domestic concern. By the way what the hell has William Saletan ever produced for the community except for clumps of shit nicely pressed, folded, and printed into a sweet smelling magazine for the liberal communities. (that last bit was at the courtesy of ANDREW< mexican lord of you all!)
Someone sounds alittle conceited. GEE I wonder who does this research oh wait liberal media of course. im not a conservative or a liberal. I think that both are retarded with in their own respects. DIE non americans of the world!.. that live and were born in america... so yall arrogant asshole can take your magazine and jam it up your liberal bum bums, which i hear is nice and stretchy from the rape of every logical argument outside the domestic concern. By the way what the hell has William Saletan ever produced for the community except for clumps of shit nicely pressed, folded, and printed into a sweet smelling magazine for the liberal communities. (that last bit was at the courtesy of ANDREW< mexican lord of you all!)
I'm pretty sure I've made it clear a million times over that I dont really BELIEVE in this study, I just thought that it was an interesting topic of discussion. I already said SEVERAL times that the research was BULL, so please read the ENTIRE post before you start making negative comments. thank you.
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"I pity the fool!"