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People Who Post #Inspirational #Quotes on #SocialMedia Have Lower IQs

Quotesgram.com
Pretty sure I could've told you this years ago…but hey ho: those annoying folk who feel the need to impart recycled metaphysical 'knowledge' to their Facebook friends and YouTube followers (you know the ones) have now apparently been proven to have lower intelligence levels than those who don't.

In a study titled 'On the reception and detection of pseudo-profound bulls***t' (moment to enjoy that, please), research found that people who are more receptive to these 'deep and meaningful' statements are more likely to be a few crayons short of a box. The data was conducted with 845 surveyed participants who were asked to rate various statements on their profoundness, and the extent to which they agree with them. Many of the quotes used were taken from Twitter, especially from 'spiritual guru' Deepak Chopra - known for statements such as 'nature is a self-regulating ecosystem of awareness' and 'in the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you'. Eurgh. The public speaker has previously been criticised for producing 'woo-woo nonsense' before, so it was a decision that made sense to include him.
Along with the genuine statements, the researchers threw in some nonsensical quotes blended together with New-Age buzzwords to test those involved. To determine the IQ of participants for comparison, various cognitive tests were carried out too.



The news gets even better. The people more inclined to the importance of these whimsical statements were also more likely to believe in the paranormal, hold religious beliefs and were taken in by conspiracy theories. 

Writing in the journal, Judgment and Decision Making, Gordon Pennycook, a cognitive psychologist at the University of Waterloo, in Ontario, who led the research, said: 'Our results support the idea that some people are more receptive to this type of bulls**t and that detecting it is not merely a matter of indiscriminate skepticism but rather a discernment of deceptive vagueness in otherwise impressive sounding claims. Those more receptive to bulls**t are less reflective, lower in cognitive ability - numeracy, verbal and fluid intelligence), are more prone to ontological confusions and conspiratorial ideation, are more likely to hold religious and paranormal beliefs, and are more likely to endorse complementary and alternative medicine."

I think this is potentially the best news I've heard all year. For years I have observed the pompous preachings of my Facebook 'friends' who post quotes that I was always sure they didn't understand, and now its been confirmed: they're all brain-dead! Now I can keep my air of superiority without fear of its falsity. Hooraah!




SMF rookie, fresh out of academia, looking forward to more creative ventures. With a love of current affairs, green tea and an ever insatiable wanderlust, Katie is ready to have her voice heard. Follow her @KatieAtSMF


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People Who Post #Inspirational #Quotes on #SocialMedia Have Lower IQs Reviewed by Unknown on Sunday, December 06, 2015 Rating: 5
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