Homophobia is linked to a low intellectual level | the Chronicle

Research from the University of Queensland, Australia has shown that homophobia could be linked to low IQ.

The study, published in the journal Intelligence, analyzed data from over 11,500 Australians who were part of the Household, Income and Labor Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey.

In the survey, conducted in 2012 and then in 2015, they were asked about equal rights. Before an affirmation, they had to answer on a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 was “strongly disagree” and 7 “strongly agree”. The statement in question read as follows: “Same-sex couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples“

The results of the survey showed that, the lower the person’s IQ, the greater their bias against homosexuality.

For researchers, cognitive skills play an essential role in the development of these discriminatory behaviors: “There are well-known correlations between low cognitive ability and support for disruptive attitudes or not egalitarian“, They argue.

“Our results suggest that cognitive abilities play a critical, albeit underestimated, role in prejudices. Therefore, we recommend a greater focus on cognitive ability in bias research and better integration of cognitive ability into bias models.», They conclude.