Gaul Atreides (@gaulatreides)

The relationship between IQ and political orientation is complex and seemingly influenced to a large extent by cultural context and prevailing social norms. Numerous studies examining the link have come to disparate conclusions. Woodley’s cultural mediation hypothesis proposes that the highly intelligent are better at detecting and espousing the values that are normative at a particular time (Woodley, 2010). Hence, intellectuals might fluctuate in their support for left or right-wing views according to changing social norms. In support of this, Woodley notes a study of white South Africans in the 1980s that found that higher cognitive ability was correlated with support for traditional conservative religious and political views, which were socially normative in that time and place. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/unique-everybody-else/201305/intelligence-and-politics-have-complex-relationship