A recent study featured in the Washington Post suggests a potential link between intelligence and racial attitudes. The findings indicate that individuals who score higher on intelligence tests may be more likely to understand racial equality and reject racial stereotypes. The study, published in the journal Social Problems, analyzed data from the General Social Survey (GSS), a comprehensive project by NORC at the University of Chicago, which has been tracking American attitudes on various social and policy issues since 1972.
According to the study, people with higher intelligence test scores were more aware of racial discrimination against Black Americans and were significantly less likely to agree with harmful stereotypes, such as perceiving Black people as “lazy” or “unintelligent.” However, the results reveal a nuanced picture.
Despite being less likely to hold overtly racist attitudes, the “educated” respondents were not necessarily supportive of policies aimed at addressing racial inequality. While they might recognize the value of people of color, many were reluctant to advocate for measures such as affirmative action or economic redistribution, either due to a lack of trust in the government’s ability to implement such programs effectively or an unwillingness to actively support them.
The study also uncovered some troubling statistics:
- 46% of individuals with lower intelligence test scores described Black people as lazy, compared to 29% of higher scorers.
- 23% of low scorers viewed Black people as unintelligent, versus 13% of high scorers—indicating that over 1 in 10 “intelligent” respondents held such beliefs.
- 35% of low scorers and 24% of high scorers would prefer not to have Black neighbors. Additionally, 47% of low scorers and 28% of high scorers opposed the idea of a Black person marrying into their family.
Notably, support for policies like affirmative action was limited across the board, with only 12% of all respondents in favor. Similarly, the difference in support for anti-discrimination laws between higher and lower scorers was marginal, with 55% of “smart” individuals and 48% of low scorers in favor—a difference the study’s author found insignificant when accounting for other factors such as education level.
The study suggests that various factors, including socioeconomic status, access to education, and proximity to people of color, can influence racial attitudes. While the data provides insight into the relationship between intelligence and racial views, it also underscores the complexity of these issues and the ongoing reluctance among many Americans to confront matters of race.
