Higher levels of cognitive ability linked to stronger support for freedom of speech

[Judi Lynn]

BY ERIC W. DOLAN MAY 19, 2020

Individuals with higher cognitive abilities tend to be more supportive of freedom of speech, even for groups they dislike, according to new research that analyzed more than 40 years’ worth of data. The findings have been published in Social Psychological and Personality Science.

“Previous research on freedom of speech support examined group-specific reasons about whether freedom of speech of particular groups should be promoted or curbed. We were interested in whether certain personality traits contribute to freedom of speech support in general,” said study author Jonas De keersmaecker, a researcher at Ghent University.

The researchers analyzed 21 waves of data collected between 1974 and 2018 in the United States by the General Social Survey (GSS), the largest national public opinion survey of the United States. All of the surveys included a vocabulary test, which the researchers used as a measure of cognitive ability. The surveys also assessed attitudes towards freedom of speech for racists, militarists, homosexuals, anti-religionists, communists, and anti-American-Muslim clergymen.

Participants who scored better on the vocabulary test were more likely to be in favor of allowing members of a particular social group to give a speech in the community, for allowing books that favor the ideas of the social group in the library, and for allowing members of the social group to teach in universities, regardless of which social group was targeted.

More:
https://www.psypost.org/2020/05/higher-levels-of-cognitive-ability-linked-to-stronger-support-for-freedom-of-speech-56812

[Igel]

1. Says something--not a lot--about some students and faculty

at what used to be considered good schools.

I suspect there's a confound in there and this is really just "if you're educated your views tend to pattern a certain way" masquerading as important research findings and a shift in views covered over by averaging.

[Javaman]

2. Voltaire or Hall?

French...(Voltaire 1778)

Monsieur l’abbé, je déteste ce que vous écrivez, mais je donnerai ma vie pour que vous puissiez continuer à écrire.

translation:

Monsieur l’abbé, I detest what you write, but I would give my life to make it possible for you to continue to write.

English (Hall 1906)
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.


https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/06/01/defend-say/