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> Yet the connection has remained hazy and fraught, with many studies failing to account for confounding variables, such as height and socioeconomic status. >
by baddox 8y ago
> Yet the connection has remained hazy and fraught, with many studies failing to account for confounding variables, such as height and socioeconomic status.
> Height is correlated with higher better cognitive performance, for example, but also with bigger brain size, so their study attempted to zero in on the contribution of brain size by itself.
Interesting. I couldn’t initially think of any plausible explanation for why height would cause intelligence. Perhaps taller people on average are considered more attractive or given higher social status, which could provide developmental advantages. Or perhaps there is another confounding variable here, like health/nutrition or nationality.
I can’t seem to find any studies on height and intelligence. Anyone have any ideas or links?
- sytelus 8y agoApparently this seems to be popular topic among academics and general consensus is small but significant correlation as per this Wikipedia article: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Height_and_intelligence https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Height_and_intelligence
- freshhawk 8y agoWe already know good nutrition makes you taller and smarter. I thought this was basically settled, hence the implicit knowledge of the researchers of the height/intelligence link and not much discussion about it.
- Majestic121 8y agoCould height be correlated with better nutrition, which itself could be correlated with better mental development?
- bloak 8y agoWhether tall people are considered more attractive will almost certainly depend on local culture, and fashion, but I think I read about a study showing that in one particular European city taller women tended to marry someone from a higher social class. However you define "social class", you'll probably find higher social class is associated with higher intelligence, however you define "intelligence". There are loads of research papers on "height" and "social class", though perhaps they are mostly concerned with nutrition rather than genetics.
- danieltillett 8y agoHeight and intelligence are only correlated in the general population, not within families. The current hypothesis is there is not a direct genetic connection, but it is due to assortive mating.
- enkid 8y agoBeing taller may mean they had better nutrition as a child. Which I imagine would also lead to increased intelligence.
- toasterlovin 8y agoThis would only apply in certain contexts. Height is 80% genetic in the developed world.
- bclayton 8y agoI'm surprised by his, too. All intelligent people I've ever met are average or below average in height. Nobel prize winners seem to be average in height.
- michaelcampbell 8y agoSounds like confirmation biased anecdata. ALL, really?
- pessimizer 8y ago> Interesting. I couldn’t initially think of any plausible explanation for why height would cause intelligence. Science is no longer interested in explanations, correlation is enough to assume causal "contribution." I honestly think that taller people could be smarter simply because they're more often looking down at the person they're asking for an explanation from. It's a lot easier to ignore or brush off someone who is looking up at you. edit: I also had a little sister (14 years younger) who was very tall as a child, although by adulthood she fell back closer to the norm (she's only about 5'10" now.) It was amusing to our family how carefully strangers explained concepts to her that were well beyond her age level to understand; because her height made her look older, it also made her look stupid for her age, and invited special attention from people who didn't realize how young she was. We use height as a proxy for age, and put pressure on taller people to be smarter earlier.
- michaelcampbell 8y ago> Science is no longer interested in explanations, correlation is enough to assume causal "contribution." Cite? Some journalism about science, perhaps, but your brush is broad enough to be absurd at best.
- imron 8y agoScience has a significant reproducibility problem. Maybe it's a bit much to say it's no longer interested in explanations, but there's a lot of bad science being published.