Intelligent individuals tend to value self-directedness and benevolence, study finds

A study of over 15,000 Australian adults found that individuals with higher intelligence were more likely to endorse self-direction, benevolence, and universalism values, and less likely to value security, tradition, and conformity. Personal values were more strongly associated with intelligence than with personality traits. The research was published in Social Psychological and Personality Science.

Personal, or basic, values are fundamental beliefs and principles that guide an individual’s behaviors, decisions, and attitudes toward life. They represent what a person considers important—such as honesty, achievement, or compassion—and influence how they interact with others and prioritize their goals.

One prominent theory of basic values is the one proposed by the Israeli social psychologist Shalom Schwartz. Schwartz’s theory of basic human values (or personal values) identifies 10 universal values recognized across cultures. These values are: Self-Direction (independence, creativity), Stimulation (novelty, excitement), Hedonism (pleasure, enjoyment), Achievement (success, competence), Power (status, control), Security (safety, stability), Conformity (obedience, adherence to norms), Tradition (respect for customs), Benevolence (helping others), and Universalism (understanding, tolerance). These 10 values can be grouped into two broader dimensions: Openness to Change vs. Conservation and Self-Enhancement vs. Self-Transcendence.

Study authors Jeromy Anglim and Andrew Marty sought to explore the relationship between personal values, personality, and intelligence. They hypothesized that many personal values would be weakly associated with intelligence. More specifically, they expected that less intelligent individuals would more strongly endorse conservation values, such as tradition, security, and conformity, while exhibiting lower levels of self-direction.

The study involved 15,522 participants recruited through an Australian psychometric testing service provider. Of the participants, 60% were female. The average age was 39 years, with ages ranging from 18 to 66.

Participants completed assessments of personal values using Schwartz’s 57-item revised Portrait Values Questionnaire, personality traits using the 200-item HEXACO Personality Inventory-Revised, and intelligence using two tests from the Australian Council for Educational Research that measured crystallized and fluid intelligence.

Crystallized intelligence refers to the knowledge and skills accumulated through experience, education, and cultural learning, such as vocabulary and problem-solving using prior knowledge. Fluid intelligence, on the other hand, is the ability to think abstractly, reason quickly, and solve novel problems without relying on prior knowledge, typically peaking in early adulthood.

The results revealed that individuals with higher general intelligence tended to place greater emphasis on self-direction, benevolence, and universalism values. Conversely, they were less likely to endorse conservation values, such as security, tradition, and conformity. Somewhat contrary to the authors’ expectations, these associations were entirely due to the crystallized intelligence component of general intelligence. Fluid intelligence was only linked to security and tradition, with individuals of lower fluid intelligence more strongly endorsing these values.

In terms of personality traits, the dimension of openness to experience was the only one associated with crystallized intelligence. Openness to experience is a personality trait characterized by curiosity, creativity, aesthetic sensitivity, and a preference for novelty and intellectual exploration.

The study provides insights into the connections between personal values and intelligence. However, it is important to note that all observed associations were weak. Additionally, the study’s design does not permit causal conclusions to be drawn from the results.

The paper, “Cognitive Ability and Personal Values: A Large Sample Study of Schwartz’s Values, HEXACO Personality, Age, and Gender,” was authored by Jeromy Anglim and Andrew Marty.