2 ms·

Similar - the average IQ of prison inmates is lower than the general population. Which can be taken to imply that we only catch the dumb ones.

• epiccoleman 2y ago
  That only really holds if you assume criminal behavior is evenly distributed among the bell curve of IQ, which is is a fairly large assumption!
  • Paul-Craft 2y ago
    Not really. It depends more on how you interpret the phrase "the dumb ones." It's clear that if the IQ distribution of prisoners skews lower than the general population, then we only catch "the dumb ones" with respect to the general population. What isn't necessarily clear is that we only catch "the dumb ones" with respect to the IQ distribution of all criminals. (I don't think we even know or have any good way of determining what the IQ distribution of all criminals even is, do we?) It's just another instance where plain language can fail to be precise.
  • coldtea 2y ago
    You believe that its some inferior genetically people doing the crimes?