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SummaryThe origin of preferences and values is an unresolved theoretical problem in behavioural sciences. The Savanna-IQ Interaction Hypothesis, derived from the Savanna Principle and a theory of the evolution of general intelligence, suggests that more intelligent individuals are more likely to acquire and espouse evolutionarily novel preferences and values than less intelligent individuals, but general intelligence has no effect on the acquisition and espousal of evolutionarily familiar preferences and values. Ethnographies of traditional societies suggest that exclusively homosexual behaviour was probably rare in the ancestral environment, so the Hypothesis would predict that more intelligent individuals are more likely to identify themselves as homosexual and engage in homosexual behaviour. Analyses of three large, nationally representative samples (two of which are prospectively longitudinal) from two different nations confirm the prediction.

SummaryThe origin of values and preferences is an unresolved theoretical question in behavioural and social sciences. The Savanna-IQ Interaction Hypothesis, derived from the Savanna Principle and a theory of the evolution of general intelligence, suggests that more intelligent individuals may be more likely to acquire and espouse evolutionarily novel values and preferences (such as liberalism and atheism and, for men, sexual exclusivity) than less intelligent individuals, but that general intelligence may have no effect on the acquisition and espousal of evolutionarily familiar values. Macro-level analyses show that nations with higher average intelligence are more liberal (have greater highest marginal individual tax rate and, as a result, lower income inequality), less religious (a smaller proportion of the population believes in God or considers themselves religious) and more monogamous. The average intelligence of a population appears to be the strongest predictor of its level of liberalism, atheism and monogamy.

Focusing on demographic characteristics, the author seeks partially to replicate, with a larger set of variables, Belli, Traugott, and Beckmann's (2001) recent study on vote overreports using the same data from the U.S. National Election Studies (1948-1998). His analyses show that Blacks and residents of the Southern States in general are most likely to make false statements on how they voted. He suggests a possible solution for inaccuracies in survey data and proposes that, when validation of verbal responses is not possible, it may be prudent, if feasible, to re-estimate models with and without Black and Southern respondents to make sure that findings are robust. Adapted from the source document.

Since biology is the study of living organisms, their behavior & social systems, & since humans are living organisms, it is possible to suggest that social sciences (the study of human behavior & social systems) are branches of biology & all social scientific theories should be consistent with known biological principles. To claim otherwise & to establish a separate science only for humans might be analogous to the establishment of hydrogenology, the study of hydrogen separate from & inconsistent with the rest of physics. Evolutionary psychology is the application of evolutionary biology to humans, & provides the most general (panspecific) explanations of human behavior, cognitions, emotions, & human social systems. Evolutionary psychology's recognition that humans are animals can explain some otherwise perplexing empirical puzzles in social sciences, such as why there is a wage penalty for motherhood but a wage reward for fatherhood, & why boys produce a greater wage reward for fathers than do girls. The General Social Survey data illustrate the evolutionary psychological argument that reproductive success is important for both men's & women's happiness, but money is only important for men's. 1 Table, 1 Figure, 74 References. Adapted from the source document.