New research has found that small-group dynamics–such as jury deliberations, collective bargaining sessions, and cocktail parties –can alter the intelligence of some people, LOWERING their IQs. Could this be part of the reason for Congressional gridlock?
Researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how the brain processes information about social status in small groups and how that affects people’s thinking abilities. Neuroscientist Read Montague says, "We started with individuals who were matched for their IQ, yet when we placed them in small groups, ranked their performance on cognitive tasks against their peers, and broadcast those rankings to them, we saw dramatic drops in the ability of some study subjects to solve problems. The social feedback had a significant effect."
Although the test subjects had similar baseline IQ scores–a mean of 126, compared to the national average of 100–they showed a wide range of test performance results, revealing that the IQ of some of them was affected by the signals they perceived about their status within the group.
Montague says, "You may joke about how committee meetings make you feel brain dead, but our findings suggest that they may make you act brain dead as well."
Here at unknowncountry.com, we have a WONDERFUL group–our subscribers–and their IQs get RAISED every week because of the wonderful, very special things we have just for them. You can subscribe for 3 months for less than the cost of a latte a WEEK, so join us!
Subscribers, to watch the subscriber version of the video, first log in then click on Dreamland Subscriber-Only Video Podcast link.