Bright children become enlightened adults

Psychol Sci. 2008 Jan;19(1):1-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02036.x.

Abstract

We examined the prospective association between general intelligence (g) at age 10 and liberal and antitraditional social attitudes at age 30 in a large (N= 7,070), representative sample of the British population born in 1970. Statistical analyses identified a general latent trait underlying attitudes that are antiracist, pro-working women, socially liberal, and trusting in the democratic political system. There was a strong association between higher g at age 10 and more liberal and antitraditional attitudes at age 30; this association was mediated partly via educational qualifications, but not at all via occupational social class. Very similar results were obtained for men and women. People in less professional occupations-and whose parents had been in less professional occupations-were less trusting of the democratic political system. This study confirms social attitudes as a major, novel field of adult human activity that is related to childhood intelligence differences.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child
  • Child Development*
  • Cohort Studies
  • Educational Status
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Individuality
  • Intelligence*
  • Male
  • Models, Psychological
  • Politics*
  • Prejudice
  • Social Class
  • Social Justice*
  • Social Values*
  • United Kingdom