r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 9h ago

Psychology Lower cognitive ability is linked to stronger Christian nationalist views, even after accounting for education

https://www.psypost.org/lower-cognitive-ability-is-linked-to-stronger-christian-nationalist-views-even-after-accounting-for-education/
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u/crossdtherubicon 9h ago

Alot of religious ideology is ingested through early development and reinforced through the environment. This has been pretty well-documented, although it isn't an exclusive pathway to acquiring religious beliefs.

In light of this article I'm curious if cognitive ability simply never fully develops (or is restricted somehow) in that context. Or if there are also subpopulations wherein a relative lower congitive ability allows for an easier ingestion of religious beliefs (or likewise is perceived as reasonably easier to understand).

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u/kheret 8h ago

Certainly people in highly religious environments are discouraged from developing critical thinking skills

Also homeschooling can’t help

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u/apple_kicks 7h ago

It’s essentially built in. Probably why clergy attracts predators and authoritarian types. Its built in that you can’t break or question doctrine. That you will lose community benefits. You give and give for rewards you may never materially see.

What’s interesting is this isn’t always in religions. Many do allow for questions and arguments or even non hierarchical systems. But US goes hard on hierarchy and militarism levels of unquestioned loyalty.

I bet cold war made this worse. Like stripping more collective or socialist parts of Christianity made this fascist soup boil over