YOUR FAVORITE LOGO TV SHOWS ARE ON PARAMOUNT+

Study: People With Anti-Gay Bias Have Lower Intelligence

"The findings provide clear evidence that cognitive ability is an important precursor of prejudice against same-sex couples."

Researchers out of Australia have found a strong correlation between low intelligence and anti-gay bias.

The study, led by Francisco Perales at The University of Queensland's Institute for Social Science Research and published in the journal Intelligence, examined the links between cognitive ability and prejudice towards same-sex couples, utilizing a sample size of 11,564 Australians.

Perales and his team found those who scored lower on three cognitive tests—the National Adult Reading Test, the Symbol Digits Modalities Test, and the Backwards Digit Span test— were more likely to disagree with the statement, “Homosexual couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples do," PsyPost reports.

iStock / Getty Images Plus

Newlywed Gay Couple Dancing on Wedding Celebration

The link between prejudicial beliefs and low test scores was strongest for verbal ability. The results held even after controlling for social and economic variables, including education.

“Altogether, the findings provide clear evidence that cognitive ability is an important precursor of prejudice against same-sex couples,” Perales wrote in the study.

"There are well-known correlations between low cognitive ability and support of prejudicial or non-egalitarian attitudes," he said.

"This paper adds to existing knowledge by providing the first analyses of the associations between cognitive ability and attitudes towards LGBT issues in a non-US sample (Australia), comparing these across three measures of cognitive ability, and examining the separate, joint and interactive effects of education and cognitive ability."

Latest News