The well-known and often joked about “dumb blonde” stereotype is wrong, according to a new study done in the US and reported by videnskab.dk.
The study of nearly 11,000 women found that caucasian women who said that their natural hair colour was blonde an average IQ score within three points of brunettes and those with red or black hair.
‘Dumb blonde’ jokes may seem harmless, but Jay Zagorsky, author of the study and research scientist at Ohio State University said that they can have real-world implications.
Did you hear the one about – the smart blonde?
“Research shows that stereotypes often have an impact on hiring, promotions and other social experiences,” Zagorsky said in the study.
Zagorsky said that the study was “compelling evidence” that blondes should not be discriminated against based on intelligence.
The study found that the average IQ of blondes was actually slightly higher than those with other hair colours – blonde-haired women had an average IQ of 103.2, compared to 102.7 for those with brown hair, 101.2 for those with red hair and 100.5 for those with black hair – but Zagorsky said that finding was not “statistically significant”.
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The results for blond men were similar.
