Are Atheists More Analytical Than Theists?

Is it Wrong to Say We Are Smarter Than Our Religious Brethren?

Doubting and Thinking

7 to 9 min read  

An analytical atheist could be quite a compelling character. This modern archetype often standing as the Contrarian to traditional faith. I'm always shamefully plugging my other blogs. Anyway, according to recent studies, if you believe in god, you're more likely to score lower on an IQ test than non believers!

One study specifically looked at the connection between atheism and IQ, and it was published in the journal Intelligence in 2013. It analysed data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which included over 20,000 participants. Individuals who identified as atheists or agnostics had higher verbal intelligence scores than those who identified as religious. Mental, right? Why? Well, read on...

So, we humans all use our verbal reasoning to conceptualise words for problem solving and reasoning. However, non-believers and believers alike had very similar non-verbal intelligence scores (Nyborg, 2013). Non-verbal intelligence is that ability to address visual, wordless issues.

Tests and Results

Yes its often said, (most likely consolidatory) that IQ tests are only an estimation of intelligence; an assessment of how candidates perform at taking that actual test. Duh, yeah! A fitness test estimates fitness by assessing particular physical activities. So, we can't label as atheists presumptuous whenever they say they're generally smarter than believers! Comparatively, football players aren't generally presuming their fitness is higher than the non sporty populace! If these trends show significant estimated results you have a fair evidence based argument!

So yes, okay, IQ tests only represent a sample of a human's intelligence, namely: mathematics, language, problem solving and recognising patterns. Our philosophical potential, Machiavellianism, common sense, not forgetting athletic intelligence are not included. They do test the key areas of significance. Cake baking, crocheting and bricklaying was not involved either! Fitness tests don't measure hiking, ten pin bowling, snooker or darts, which are all sports that require fitness. It gets silly!

In 2010, a meta-analysis was published in the journal: Personality and Social Psychology Review, which analysed data from 63 studies conducted over 80 years and noticed a slightly statistically significant negative correlation between religiosity and intelligence (Zuckerman et al, 2010).

This negative correlation simply means, 'more' having a downward connection with 'less,' for example: the more you eat, the less hunger you have. This correlation generally showed: the more religious one might be, the less IQ points they scored!

Far enough, do we consign the faithful in the dunce's corner now? Of course not! Authors clarified that religiosity and intelligence is a complex relationship explained by numerous factors, one negative correlation. Higher IQ sits with those who’re naturally inclined to critical thinking and analysis. Curious minds will question theological challenges in theism and may find little satisfaction when the insufficient explanations — lack of evidence is nothing.

Another study was published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science in 2017. Believe it or nor, but this one reckons that religious folks are more likely to take-up conspiracy theories than atheists are! It also says believers are less likely to engage in analytical thinking when compared to non-believers (Gervais & Norenzayan, 2017). Dont forget, these are general findings and not every religious person.

The thing is, not all conspiracy theories are off-the-wall codswallop are they? Take Russian interference with the 2016 election or Cambridge Analytica, for example. The Covid 19 leak is now considered to be a lab leak! In the eighties or nineties a journalist called Gary Webb, was branded a conspiracy nut, but when he uncovered a CIA drug trafficking conspiracy he was vindicated!

Going on these studies, you could be forgiven for asking: 'Does this suggest atheists have bigger brains?' it makes sense, bigger brains have always been associated with being smart. Pietschnig et al (2022), found previous studies are fuzzy as to what degree brain size reflects IQ score.

Meta-analysis of 86 studies with over 26,000 people discovered this connection was nothing to write home about. The areas of correlation between brain size and IQ score have reduced over time, not because of our brains changing, but because of uncertainty around the data recorded in previous studies. 

Rest assured, the claims in these studies cited above have all been criticised. Critics have argued these studies may have been subject to selection bias. On the other hand, the same critics often fail to explore critical thinkers who are in fact religious in much depth. The only faith specifically mentioned in the studies was Christianity with some allusion to other Abrahamic religion. Sadly, the studies left out eastern religion such as Vedanta, Daoism or Zen for example. It fails to represent polytheism, be it modern reconstructed or Hindu. All religions hold their own concepts, many lacking a monotheistic deity.

It is vitally important to recognise that the relationship between one's faith and their intelligence should not be decreed by an IQ test certificate. Intelligence quotes do have little to do with a person's choice to take-up a faith. 

References:

Gervais, W. M., & Norenzayan, A. (2017). Analytic thinking promotes religious disbelief. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 8(7), 742-749.

Nyborg, H. (2013). The intelligence–religiosity nexus: A representative study of white adolescent Americans. Intelligence, 41(6), 678-689.

Pietschnig, J. Gerdesmann, D. Zeile, M. Voracek, M. (2022) Of differing methods, disputed estimates and discordant interpretations: the meta-analytical multiverse of brain volume and IQ associations [Online] Available from: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.211621

Zuckerman, M., Silberman, J., & Hall, J. A. (2010). The relation between intelligence and religiosity: A meta-analysis and some proposed explanations. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 14(4), 353-374.

Zuckerman, M. Li, C. Lin, S. & Hall, J. A. (2020). The negative intelligence–religiosity relation: New and confirming evidence. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(6), 856–868. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219879122