Lack of Education Linked to Stupidity

November 3, 2008

CHICAGO – Pioneering research suggests that stupidity is much higher among people who lack an education.

Researchers tested 200 adults from all regions of the country, and found that the less education a person has received, the more likely he or she is to be stupid.

The study is the first to demonstrate a conclusive link between lack of education and stupidity, said lead author Audrey Beaumont, a behavioral scientist. Subjects with only a sixth grade education were found to be twice as likely as those with a high school diploma to put their hands on a hot stove or look into the barrel of a loaded gun to see if the ammunition glowed in the dark. Those who lacked a grade school education were three times as likely to poop in their hands or get a job on Wall Street.

The study was released Monday in the November issue of Brains ‘n Things.

Beaumont said stupidity was strongly connected with a lack of education, even when other factors were considered, including religious background, political affiliation and repeated viewing of “The O’Reilly Factor.”