The study is published in the March issue of Social Psychology Quarterly.
But experts were quick to question the findings.
Ilya Somin, an associate professor of law at George Mason University, took issue with the study's definition of liberalism. "Concern for others not related to you" could apply to any political outlook, including religious and social conservatives who donate large amounts of money to churches, or even libertarians, who believe unfettered market forces provide the greatest benefits to all.
"He has an idiosyncratic definition about liberals caring about people who are not genetically related to them," Somin said. "That could be perfectly consistent with being a libertarian or a conservative as well."
In the study, Kanazawa used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which began when participants were in grades 7 through 12, and the General Social Survey, another large national sample.
Young adults who identified themselves as "very liberal" had an average IQ of 106 during adolescence, compared to an average IQ of 95 for those who were "very conservative."
Young adults who identified themselves as "not at all religious" had an average IQ of 103 during adolescence, while those who identified themselves as "very religious" had an average IQ of 97.
Though you might suspect Kanazawa is a liberal, he's not. Kanazawa said he's a libertarian who "despises" liberals.
Nor does Kanazawa believe smarter people are more likely to be liberal because those views are more correct. Instead, "it's more likely that humans are designed to be conservative and religious," and that liberalism and atheism appeal to the intelligent because they are more contrary to people's evolutionary instinct.
As for the findings on monogamy, our ancestors were probably "mildly polygamous," Kanazawa explained, in that men were not expected to be
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