Are Atheists Smarter?

Science and Faith

Science and faith have been on opposite sides of the boxing ring for the past century. Happy holidays unacceptable. Religion has become one of those things that people don't like talking over the dinner table. To add fuel to the fire, some recent studies suggest a negative correlation between religiosity and general intelligence. Calm down, it's much more complicated than that.

So what's the psychology behind this? Why don't we take a look? Let's jump in.

The Study

A study in 2011 used a service to test the correlation between a person's religiosity and general intelligence. The service included items like "I look to God for strength, support, and guidance," and the individual being tested would rate this statement on a four-point scale. In addition, participants were also measured on their general intelligence through tests including verbal fluency and speed of cognitive processing. Using a sample size of over 2,000 Americans, the study found a negative correlation between religiosity and general intelligence, meaning that the more religious a person was, the less likely they were to be generally intelligent. What unacceptable!

Hold on, angry YouTube commenter, there's more to come. Many studies have explored this correlation before. A study in 2009 links general intelligence with atheism, and another in 1997 found that scientists were much more likely to be atheist than a member of the general population. However, correlation does not mean causation. Just because two things are linked doesn't mean they cause each other. There could be many other explanations.

Possible Explanations

There may really be something about religion and rationality that contradicts each other in the mind. They may be dependent on a set of similar traits, making it so the expression negates each other. But that's still unacceptable. Well, there are strong alternatives too.

Take the correlation between hockey lovers and beer drinkers. Although there isn't a lot of science behind this relationship, many would agree that hockey and beer are positively correlated. However, watching hockey has nothing to do with taste preferences, and it's highly unlikely that enjoying the sport causes one to enjoy beer as well. More likely, it's the culture of hockey and the culture of beer drinking that influences the individual. This may also apply to faith and rationality.

Geographical Biases

Finally, let's take into account the geographical biases. It's important to note that these studies mostly include samples within Northern America, a geographical space that has become increasingly secular. Therefore, these correlations may be a statement about the way religion is perceived in America rather than its actual correlation with general intelligence. Maybe in America, being smart as an identity just doesn't bode well with having faith. This may not be true for the rest of the world. I mean, people in other places don't get angry over coffee cups, right? Uh, yeah, I guess so.

Conclusion

What do you think? Are there any other explanations for these scientific findings? Leave a comment below.