{
  "id": 11977652,
  "title": "You’ll Never Guess Which Political Ideology People With Low Cognitive Ability Are Drawn Toward, According to New Research",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/04/youll-never-guess-which-political-ideology-people-with-low-cognitive",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-10-04T18:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Futurism",
    "slug": "futurism",
    "url": "https://futurism.com/health-medicine/political-ideology-conservative-christian-cognitive-ability-research"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new study published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion has revealed an unexpected trend in political ideology: it appears that people with lower cognitive ability are more drawn to Christian nationalism. The research, conducted by University of Oklahoma sociology professor Samuel Perry, analyzed data spanning from 1989 to 2024 and found a negative correlation between cognitive vocabulary scores and beliefs in Christian nationalism. In simpler terms, those with higher cognitive abilities were less likely to view Christianity as an essential aspect of American identity and were more likely to support a ban on school prayer. Perry suggests that Christian nationalism appeals to individuals who lack cognitive resources, rather than being the result of complex political, religious, or cultural considerations. The study concludes that Christian nationalism is not rooted in sophisticated political or ethical reasoning but rather taps into basic impulses for control and binary distinctions.",
  "summary": "Painful. The post You’ll Never Guess Which Political Ideology People With Low Cognitive Ability Are Drawn Toward, According to New Research appeared first on Futurism .",
  "key_points": [
    "People with lower cognitive ability drawn to Christian nationalism",
    "Study by University of Oklahoma professor Samuel Perry",
    "Cognitive vocabulary scores negatively correlated with beliefs"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}