http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-scientific-fundamentalist/201010/why-intelligent-people-use-more-drugs
The author, Satoshi Kanazawa, claims that intelligent individuals are more likely to use psychoactive drugs. He clarifies his point by claiming the negative and positive health effects are immaterial to the hypothesis. The argument of whether or not intelligent people are healthier is not the question at hand. A study in the U.K. indicated that the greater the intelligence (weighted from from an I.Q. test), the more likely the child would consume psychoactive drugs than a child with a lesser I.Q. This does not coincide with a popular view that intelligence is associated with positive outcomes, but rather "evolutionarily" novel outcomes. Kanazawa argues that intelligent individuals are more likely to engage in "evolutionarily novel behavior."
I think its a very interesting take. A while ago I read an article commenting on the correlation between intelligence and atheism, which in hindsight I realize was not as common yet controversial as in today's light (in the sense it is a prevalent and noticed issue that gets debated over in diffused aspects). In an American culture dominated by religious moral, atheism is often seen as novel, and the claim then definitely was. Intelligent people are usually the ones questioning what's "accepted" and revolutionizing everything about it (e.g. evolution, general relativity). The author also mentions intelligent people doing stupid things. In the search of novelty, stupidity is bound to manifest. I do consistently see great things come from very smart people. These things are not always practical or wise, but novel nonetheless. So to correlate that with drug use as novel is befitting to today's standards, controversies, and current events.
One question is to what the participants in the experiment or where his research came from. I say this because many psychoactive drugs have a way of soothing anxiety and many people who are above average IQ attend more rigorious institutions either through school or work and their intelligence may not be what makes them more inclined to partake in drugs more of their intelligence has placed them in stressful working environments.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Samuel. I do not think they take the drugs just to such for novelty. I think there are a lot of extraneous factors to consider in this report. Those with IQs that are above average does not mean they have a maturity that is above average as well. In some cases I can see how having a higher IQ when younger could force someone into becoming a social outcast. To get the acceptance of peers they could get involved in risky behaviors. I do not think this report has factored out all the extraneous factors and needs to find another way to test the behavior patterns of those with higher IQs.
ReplyDeleteI think that those who are trying to experiment with ideas come up with thoughts that are rejected by society. I think these are more common than participating in behaviors that are taboo.