A blonde and a brunette were jumping off a building. Who jumped first? The brunette. The blonde had to ask for directions.
The stereotype of the dumb blonde has been around since the beginning of time – or at least since the development of hydrogen peroxide. But new research published in the journal Economics Bulletin has determined that the stereotype is false.
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Although joking about blondes may seem harmless, the jokes can have serious implications in the real world. “Research shows that stereotypes often have an impact on hiring, promotions and other social experiences,” Jay Zagorsky, author of the study, told the Ohio State University news office. “This study provides compelling evidence that there shouldn’t be any discrimination against blondes based on their intelligence.”
Researchers at OSU analyzed the IQ scores of 10,878 Americans and found that white women who said their natural hair color was blonde had an average IQ score within three points of those with brunette, black or red hair.
In fact, the average IQs of blondes -- 103.2 -- was slightly higher than those with other hair colors. The average IQ of women with brown hair was 102.7, red heads scored 101.2, and women with black hair came in at 100.5. However, those variations are not statistically significant, according to the report.
The report also contradicted the stereotype about blonde males, who were found to have IQs about equal to men with other hair colors.
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The study used data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, a national survey of people between 14 and 21 years old when they were first interviewed in 1979. The initial interview asked participant’s IQ and a survey of the same group in 1985 asked participants their natural hair color.
Although the study didn’t determine any relationship between hair color and intelligence, it did come up with one potential explanation for why blondes reported marginally higher intelligence: They were raised in homes with more access to reading materials than those with any other hair color.
The report notes that other factors may contribute to differences in IQ, but “if living in a more literate environment is truly the driving reason for higher blonde intelligence, then the solution for people who wish they or their children were smarter is not to dye or bleach their hair,” the report reads. A trip to the local library probably makes more sense.
