Adolescents with Authoritarian Tendencies Show Lower Cognitive Abilities and Emotional Intelligence

A recent study published in the Personality Journal found that adolescents with lower levels of cognitive and emotional abilities are more likely to adopt authoritarian attitudes, whether on the left or right of the political spectrum. The findings highlight how limitations in reasoning and emotional regulation are linked to authoritarianism, shedding light on the common psychological traits that underlie these ideological attitudes.

Adolescence is a critical period of development during which political beliefs and ideological attitudes begin to take shape, but studies examining these processes in adolescents are rare. Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium sought to determine whether relationships observed in adults, such as the link between lower cognitive abilities and more authoritarian attitudes, also applied to adolescents.

A primary motivation for the study was to address the hypothesis that ideological development occurs primarily in adulthood, particularly after exposure to higher education. This hypothesis has been widely discussed in political psychology, with theories suggesting that adolescence is too early for meaningful political engagement due to limited cognitive abilities.

However, recent research has challenged this view, arguing that proto-ideological beliefs emerge in childhood and that understanding these early beliefs can shed light on how ideological attitudes develop. By focusing on adolescents, researchers hoped to capture a critical stage in this developmental trajectory.

Another key aim was to examine the role of emotional abilities, which had received less attention than cognitive abilities in previous research. Emotional abilities, such as understanding and regulating emotions, are crucial for navigating social situations and making judgments about societal issues. Because previous studies of adults had shown that emotional abilities were strong predictors of ideological attitudes, the researchers hypothesized that these abilities might play an even greater role during adolescence.

To examine the link between cognitive and emotional abilities and ideological attitudes, researchers recruited 507 participants aged 15 to 22. Participants were primarily high school and college students, ensuring a representative sample of mid- to late adolescence.

Researchers used standardized intelligence tests to measure cognitive abilities. For participants aged 16 or younger, the WISC-V test was administered, assessing skills such as verbal comprehension, fluent reasoning, and processing speed. For those 17 and older, the Kaufman Intelligence Test for Adolescents and Adults was used, which measures fluid and crystallized intelligence through tasks such as reasoning, symbol learning, and comprehension.

Emotional abilities were assessed using four performance-based abbreviated tests, including measures of emotional understanding and recognition. The results of these tests were combined into a composite score to represent each participant’s overall emotional abilities.

To measure ideological attitudes, researchers used three well-established scales. Right-wing authoritarianism was assessed using items measuring conformity, respect for authority, and aggression toward out-groups. Social dominance orientation was measured by assessing preferences for hierarchical and egalitarian social structures. Finally, left-wing authoritarianism was assessed using a scale adapted to capture opposition to traditional authority and advocacy for redistributive policies.

Results showed significant relationships between cognitive and emotional abilities and ideological attitudes, although the strength and nature of these relationships varied. Consistent with previous studies in adult populations, adolescents with lower cognitive abilities were more likely to hold authoritarian attitudes, both on the right and left of the political spectrum.

Interestingly, the relationship between cognitive abilities and social dominance orientation was weaker than for right-wing authoritarianism, suggesting that hierarchical preferences may be less cognitively driven.

However, emotional abilities emerged as even more powerful predictors of ideological attitudes than cognitive abilities. Adolescents with lower emotional abilities were more likely to hold authoritarian beliefs across all three dimensions: right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and left-wing authoritarianism. Furthermore, when emotional abilities were included in the models, the influence of cognitive abilities on ideological attitudes became nonsignificant, suggesting that emotional abilities may play a mediating role.

Another key finding is the striking similarity between right-wing and left-wing authoritarian attitudes. Both shared common psychological underpinnings, such as a preference for conformity and authority, which were negatively related to emotional and cognitive abilities. This overlap supports the idea that authoritarian attitudes, regardless of political orientation, arise from similar cognitive and emotional processes.

Interestingly, the study found no significant differences between middle and late adolescents in the strength or nature of these relationships. This consistency suggests that the links between abilities and ideological attitudes are stable throughout this developmental period, challenging the idea that these relationships only emerge in adulthood.

“In summary, the current results mirror findings obtained in adult samples, with similar relationships of more or less equal magnitude between cognitive abilities and ideological attitudes, and with even stronger relationships for emotional abilities,” they said. write the researchers. “The very concept of “ideological attitudes” almost requires its developmental roots to go back in time. Many people are engaged in politics, but when they think about “politics,” they do not always think in terms of specific policy issues. After all, ideological attitudes have a different compass, one that aligns with values ​​and norms. Such values ​​and norms likely develop at younger ages and are amenable to socialization, making people susceptible to specific ideological attitudes.

The findings shed light on how cognitive and emotional abilities relate to adolescents’ ideological attitudes. However, because the data was cross-sectional, researchers were unable to establish causal relationships or observe how these abilities and attitudes change over time. This limitation leaves unanswered the question of whether deficits in cognitive and emotional abilities lead to authoritarian attitudes or whether certain ideological beliefs influence the development of these abilities. Future longitudinal studies are needed to explore these dynamics in more depth, tracking changes across adolescence and adulthood to better understand the developmental pathways that link abilities to ideological preferences.

The study entitled “The relationship between cognitive and emotional abilities and ideological attitudes in adolescents” was authored by Alain Van Hiel, Kim Dierckx, Hilde Depauw, Tassilo Tissot, Ruben Van Severen, Johnny Fontaine and Arne Roets.