Intelligence Linked to Behaviors That Benefit Society

En hand lägger sista biten vid ett IQ-pussel som har formen av ett hjärta.

Photo: Mostphotos.

A new study shows that higher intelligence is strongly linked to prosocial behaviors, such as donating money to charity, participating in elections, and owning environmentally friendly cars. The study, based on Swedish data from 1.2 million individuals, reveals that these correlations persist even after researchers account for factors like income, education, and socioeconomic background. The findings suggest that intelligence has a direct and profound impact on behaviors that benefit both society and the environment.

Porträtt på Oscar Erixson.

Oscar Erixson. Photo: Mikael Wallerstedt.

Prosocial behavior is an umbrella term for actions that benefit others, such as generosity, empathy, and the ability to cooperate.

“We found that one standard deviation higher intelligence increased the likelihood of charitable donations by 40 percent, voting by 31 percent, and owning an environmentally friendly car by 14 percent. This supports findings from previous studies showing that cognitive ability plays a central role in prosocial behavior,” says Oscar Erixson, a researcher in economics at IBF, who conducted the study together with Mikael Elinder at the Department of Economics.

The study highlights that general intelligence, also known as fluid intelligence, shows the strongest correlation with prosocial behaviors. By analyzing data from twins, the researchers were able to minimize the influence of family background and genetic factors. Although the correlations weakened somewhat when these factors were accounted for, clear connections remained between intelligence and behaviors such as donating to charity, voting, and making environmentally conscious choices.

“One surprising result was that more intelligent individuals are not more prosocial simply because they earn more money. Instead, we found that education plays an important role, while intelligence demonstrated an independent influence,” says Oscar Erixson.

The researchers behind the study argue that their findings can also be applied to global societal challenges, such as climate change. So-called “early adopters” of environmentally friendly behaviors tend to have higher intelligence, which suggests that economic incentives or strategies promoting behavior change may be more effective than moral arguments in encouraging larger groups in society to act sustainably.

“To encourage more sustainable behavior, we need economic incentives and strategies that make sustainable choices easier and more attractive. Those with high cognitive ability have already embraced sustainability, but to reach a broader group – especially those who are not swayed by moral arguments – measures that reduce costs and lower barriers are necessary to make sustainable choices an obvious option. This can create a snowball effect and contribute to faster societal change,” says Oscar Erixson.

He hopes the study will provide greater insight into why some individuals take more responsibility for collective societal challenges and what it takes to engage more people.

“By better understanding the connection between intelligence and prosocial behavior, we can improve strategies for addressing societal challenges and strengthening human cooperation,” says Oscar Erixson.

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