People with a higher IQ are happier, study finds

People with higher IQs are more likely to be happy, a 2012 study found.

The researchers analysed data from almost 7,000 people, finding that people with lower IQs (70-99) were the least happy, in comparison to those with the highest IQs (120-129).

Dr Angela Hassiotis, the lead author in the study published in Psychological Medicine, said:

We found that IQ is associated with self-reported happiness, as levels of happiness were lowest in the lower IQ groups and highest in the higher IQ groups.

This is particularly relevant when considering the current political debates on happiness.

However, as she explained this could be to do with environmental factors, rather than anything inherent about IQ levels:

When looking at the data we saw that people with a lower IQ were less likely to be happier because of higher levels of socio-economic disadvantage such as lower income.

They are also less likely to be happy because they need more help with skills of daily living, have poorer health and report more symptoms of psychological distress.

The study argued that young people from socially derived areas, subject to long term intensive strategies to improve IQ levels, could see positive impacts not only in IQ but wellbeing and opportunity.

HT PsyBlog

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