smartness and satisfaction

british researchers have found no correlation between IQ and self-reported life satisfaction as one ages. the longitudinal study, which measured IQ at 11 and 79 years old, asked participants about both their current life satisfaction and regrets.

notwithstanding flaws with self-report data, this indicates that as a senior, IQ may do little to enhance satisfaction. this makes sense as, i imagine, IQ isn't related to health or companionship, more prominent factors in senior satisfaction.

importantly, it also shows that IQ is unrelated to one's satisfaction with her life decisions. the study posits that IQ must be unrelated, then, to good and bad decisions in life. although this rings true to some extent from my experience, as i know a lot of "smart" people who make very bad decisions, it may not be the full answer. perhaps people with lower IQs make more bad decisions, but are unable to recognize them or envision better alternatives for comparison.

a significant problem with this study - that i'm surprised the journal article didn't mention - is attrition, as people with lower IQs die earlier.

so does this mean that the tables are leveled? not necessarily. many psychologists believe that there are several types of intelligence, and that IQ measures only one. it's still unclear how other kinds relate to life satisfaction.

hat tip to world of psychology.

reference: alan j gow, martha c whiteman, alison pattie, lawrence whalley, john starr, and ian j deary. lifetime intellectual function and satisfaction with life in old age: longitudinal cohort study. british medical journal , jul 2005; 331: 141 - 142

Labels: decision making, well being