The findings from a new study published on Tuesday involving young baby boomers shows the stereotype of blondes being often described as “dumb” to be completely false, according to researchers at Ohio State University.
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Jay Zagorsky, a scientist at Ohio State University, said that the study has given evidence that there should not be any discrimination against blondes.
If you’re a natural blonde (or bottle blonde, for that matter), we’re guessing that you’ve long had to put up with hilarious comments about your lack of common sense, inability to do basic maths and general stupidity.
Blonde women are not dumb, asserts a new study that aims to overturn a societal bias known to have unfavourable consequences for blondes at work and in social circles. Those with red hair reported 101.2 and black-haired women recorded 100.5.
As well as having a higher average IQ, blondes are also more likely to be part of the highest IQ group and less likely to be part of the lowest bracket, according to the study. They also have IQs roughly equal to their counterparts with hair of other colors.
“Women with blonde hair are often considered handsome, but dumb, which is a potentially harmful stereotype since many employers seek intelligent workers”.
The study included 10,878 Americans from data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79), which is a national survey conducted among people between the ages of 14 and 21 back in 1979.
In other words, no other trait is caused by or in relation to being blonde, brunette, redhead or any other hair color – including the shallow claim that being blonde signifies lower intelligence.
He and his colleagues couldn’t determine if there are any genetic links between hair color and intelligence, but they did find that blondes were more likely than people with other hair colors to grow up in homes with more reading material.
Assuming hair colour is not related to gender and men were less likely to use dye, he said the results suggest about 3.5 per cent of women reported they were blonde when they were not. Zagorsky said you can’t say with certainty blondes are smarter, but they definitely aren’t any dumber.
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Whether they have more fun is still open to question.
