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The relationship between cognitive and emotional abilities and ideological attitudes among adolescents

Alain Van Hiel (UGent) , Kim Dierckx (UGent) , Hilde Depauw (UGent) , Tassilo Tissot (UGent) , Ruben Van Severen (UGent) , Johnny Fontaine (UGent) and Arne Roets (UGent)
(2025) JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY. 93(6). p.1271-1281
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Abstract
ObjectiveA large number of studies-usually based on samples of adults-have revealed a negative relationship between cognitive abilities and right-wing ideological attitudes. Recently, this relationship has been claimed to be weaker among adolescents.MethodWe administered data in a sample of adolescents (N = 531) who completed a full cognitive abilities test, as well as a number of abridged, performance-based emotional abilities tests. We also administered Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), and Left-Wing Authoritarianism (LWA).ResultsThe results revealed the relationships that mirror the pattern obtained in adult samples, both among middle (age 17 or younger) and late adolescents (age 18 or older). Specifically, the relationship between cognitive abilities and ideological attitudes emerged with a similar magnitude. Not only did the analyses reaffirm previous studies with regard to the relationships for RWA and SDO, but we also revealed meaningful relationships for LWA. Moreover, emotional abilities bore out even stronger relationships than cognitive abilities.ConclusionsThe present results thus show that the relationships between cognitive and emotional abilities on the one hand and ideological attitudes on the other hand also apply to adolescents. We discuss the need to better understand the development of ideological attitudes throughout childhood and adolescence.
Keywords
authoritarianism, cognitive abilities, emotional abilities, ideological, attitudes, intelligence, SOCIAL-DOMINANCE ORIENTATION, CONFIRMATORY FACTOR-ANALYSIS, WING, AUTHORITARIANISM, INTELLIGENCE, PERSONALITY, STYLE

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MLA
Van Hiel, Alain, et al. “The Relationship between Cognitive and Emotional Abilities and Ideological Attitudes among Adolescents.” JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, vol. 93, no. 6, 2025, pp. 1271–81, doi:10.1111/jopy.13007.
APA
Van Hiel, A., Dierckx, K., Depauw, H., Tissot, T., Van Severen, R., Fontaine, J., & Roets, A. (2025). The relationship between cognitive and emotional abilities and ideological attitudes among adolescents. JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, 93(6), 1271–1281. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.13007
Chicago author-date
Van Hiel, Alain, Kim Dierckx, Hilde Depauw, Tassilo Tissot, Ruben Van Severen, Johnny Fontaine, and Arne Roets. 2025. “The Relationship between Cognitive and Emotional Abilities and Ideological Attitudes among Adolescents.” JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY 93 (6): 1271–81. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.13007.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Van Hiel, Alain, Kim Dierckx, Hilde Depauw, Tassilo Tissot, Ruben Van Severen, Johnny Fontaine, and Arne Roets. 2025. “The Relationship between Cognitive and Emotional Abilities and Ideological Attitudes among Adolescents.” JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY 93 (6): 1271–1281. doi:10.1111/jopy.13007.
Vancouver
1.
Van Hiel A, Dierckx K, Depauw H, Tissot T, Van Severen R, Fontaine J, et al. The relationship between cognitive and emotional abilities and ideological attitudes among adolescents. JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY. 2025;93(6):1271–81.
IEEE
[1]
A. Van Hiel et al., “The relationship between cognitive and emotional abilities and ideological attitudes among adolescents,” JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, vol. 93, no. 6, pp. 1271–1281, 2025.
@article{01JP84DKHMG9RCZXTRXM9GSMV2,
  abstract     = {{ObjectiveA large number of studies-usually based on samples of adults-have revealed a negative relationship between cognitive abilities and right-wing ideological attitudes. Recently, this relationship has been claimed to be weaker among adolescents.MethodWe administered data in a sample of adolescents (N = 531) who completed a full cognitive abilities test, as well as a number of abridged, performance-based emotional abilities tests. We also administered Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA), Social Dominance Orientation (SDO), and Left-Wing Authoritarianism (LWA).ResultsThe results revealed the relationships that mirror the pattern obtained in adult samples, both among middle (age 17 or younger) and late adolescents (age 18 or older). Specifically, the relationship between cognitive abilities and ideological attitudes emerged with a similar magnitude. Not only did the analyses reaffirm previous studies with regard to the relationships for RWA and SDO, but we also revealed meaningful relationships for LWA. Moreover, emotional abilities bore out even stronger relationships than cognitive abilities.ConclusionsThe present results thus show that the relationships between cognitive and emotional abilities on the one hand and ideological attitudes on the other hand also apply to adolescents. We discuss the need to better understand the development of ideological attitudes throughout childhood and adolescence.}},
  author       = {{Van Hiel, Alain and Dierckx, Kim and Depauw, Hilde and Tissot, Tassilo and Van Severen, Ruben and Fontaine, Johnny and Roets, Arne}},
  issn         = {{0022-3506}},
  journal      = {{JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY}},
  keywords     = {{authoritarianism,cognitive abilities,emotional abilities,ideological,attitudes,intelligence,SOCIAL-DOMINANCE ORIENTATION,CONFIRMATORY FACTOR-ANALYSIS,WING,AUTHORITARIANISM,INTELLIGENCE,PERSONALITY,STYLE}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1271--1281}},
  title        = {{The relationship between cognitive and emotional abilities and ideological attitudes among adolescents}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.13007}},
  volume       = {{93}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}

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