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This is a premature conclusion. There was no measurement of IQ before and after infection, so no such conclusion can be made. There could be other, unknown, fa
by leeleelee 11y ago
This is a premature conclusion. There was no measurement of IQ before and after infection, so no such conclusion can be made.
There could be other, unknown, factors that happen to affect BOTH: a person's IQ and their likelihood to be infected, along with severity of infection. For example some genetic, environmental, or other variable that affects your IQ as well as infection-resistance.
It very well might be true, that infection does have the ability to lower IQ. But this study does not prove it.
I wish scientists would be more straightforward about conclusions. The title of the article should read: "Study finds that individuals who have suffered infection have a lower IQ than the general population" or something along those lines. Much different than saying that "infection lowers IQ".
This is beginner-level confusion of causation and correlation.
- pdabbadabba 11y agoThe title of the article is, in fact "The Association between Infections and General Cognitive Ability in Young Men - A Nationwide Study." And as others have pointed out elsewhere, the authors controlled for some (though not every) conceivable common causes of infection and reduced IQ. Though, as a criticism of the author of the blog post, I would agree with your comment.
- leeleelee 11y agoAh, you are correct. I missed that.