Intelligence, Religiosity, and the Environment
In a paper published in the Eastern Economic Journal , I analyzed the link between IQ, religiosity, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the U.S. state level. Previous research has established that religiosity is associated with negative attitudes toward the environment. Negative correlation has also been established between intelligence and religiosity and between intelligence and environmental outcomes. Hypothesized Relationships The rationale behind my hypotheses is that the association between intellect and environmental emissions may be moderated by religion. This theory is based on the expectation that intellectual people’s capacity to act in favor of the environment might be hampered by religiosity, which manifests in a tight adherence to religious doctrine and beliefs. Result # 1 The relationship between IQ and religiosity is negative and unidirectional flowing from IQ to religiosity. Result # 2 There is no evidence of an association between IQ and GHG emissio...