Is IQ related to actively open-minded thinking?

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Yes. On a subsample of n = 670, the correlation was r = 0.43, meaning that the more intelligent people report thinking in a more actively open-minded way. Actively open-minded thinking (AOT) refers to the cognitive disposition to consider different perspectives, evidence, and possibilities before forming judgments or decisions. Individuals high in AOT tend to be more willing to revise their beliefs in light of new evidence and are less prone to cognitive biases or rigid thinking. We measured this disposition with statements such as “It is important for me to be "open-minded", even with regards to topics that challenge my deeply held beliefs.” or “I think that people should stick to their important beliefs even in the face of contradictory information.” (reverse-coded). Here is the scatterplot of the correlation we obtained.

What do the other studies say?

Our results align with other studies that generally report positive correlations between AOT and different cognitive abilities, with correlations varying from small to medium (e.g., Erceg et al., 2022; Haran et al., 2013; West et al., 2008).

Takeaways

• Higher IQ people are substantially more prone to actively open-minded thinking.

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