--- title: "You’ll Never Guess Which Political Ideology People With Low Cognitive Ability Are Drawn Toward, According to New Research" description: "A new study found a negative correlation between high cognitive vocabulary and belief in Christian nationalist principles." date: "2026-10-04" modified: "2026-10-04" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins.md" url: "https://futurism.com/health-medicine/political-ideology-conservative-christian-cognitive-ability-research" categories: - "Brain" - "Health & Medicine" - "Neuroscience and Brain" - "Studies" --- # You’ll Never Guess Which Political Ideology People With Low Cognitive Ability Are Drawn Toward, According to New Research ![Two pairs of hands clasped over a bible.]() *Shutterstock / Futurism* Trying to divine why certain people gravitate toward a particular political orientation can be a fool's errand, with so many factors influencing ideology that it can make your head spin. However, one sociology researcher wanted to understand why Christian nationalists think the way they do, and the results of his work aren't particularly flattering for right wing evangelicals. The study, published [in the *Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion*](), looked at cognitive factors while stripping out variables like demographics and education. It found that in the US, those who subscribe to the doctrine of Christian nationalism — characterized as a belief in strict social order, blurring of religion with a sense of civic belonging, and promotion of European-style Christianity — tend to correspond to a low level of cognitive ability. To arrive at that bold conclusion, University of Oklahoma professor of sociology Samuel Perry tested for correlations between Christian nationalist beliefs and scores on the General Social Survey, a widely used and long-running dataset for American social research. Using data from spanning from 1989 to 2024, the researcher cross-referenced scores on a cognitive vocabulary exercise with responses to questions about how important it is to be a Christian to be "truly American." The results point to a negative correlation: the higher the cognitive vocabulary score, the lower the likelihood that a given individual would rate Christianity as an important character trait for Americans. On top of that, greater cognitive ability corresponded with a higher likelihood that a person supported a Supreme Court ban on school prayer. "Findings affirm that Christian nationalism appeals to Americans with lower verbal intelligence," the study's abstract reads, "suggesting an underlying role of differential cognitive resources not reducible to educational disparities." "To the extent that belief systems like Christian nationalism appeal to those Americans who for whatever reason tend to be less adept at thinking carefully and effectively, it suggests Christian nationalism (like religious fundamentalism or right-wing authoritarianism) is not the result of more sophisticated and complex ruminations on politics, religious ethics, and pluralism," Perry said in an interview [with *PsyPost*](). "Instead, he argued, it 'appeals to more basic impulses for control and binary distinctions.'" **More on cognition:** *[MIT Report Finds That AI Is Leading to "Cognitive Surrender" Among Students]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()