Night owls vs. morning people: Who's smarter?

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Avengilante
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11 Nov 2010, 12:55 pm

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Recent evidence shows that people who thrive at night have higher IQs. Early risers beg to differ

Are you the type who stays up late to finish your work, or do you get up early to make a fresh start on the day? If it's the former, you may be pleased to learn new research has found that those with higher IQs tend to be nocturnal night-owls. But if it's the latter, you might have good reason to distrust the claim. Here's an instant guide:

Sleep researchers tend to divide people into two groups, explains zoologist Robert Alison in the Winnipeg Free Press, based on whether they exhibit "morningness" or "eveningness." A recent study claims that eveningness is an evolutionary advancement that marks out "more intelligent individuals," while "those with lower IQs tend to restrict their activities primarily to daytime."


Researchers from the London School of Economics say that human beings used to all be day-oriented, and that eveningness is an "evolutionarily novel preference" made by people with "a higher level of cognitive complexity." Basically, smart people evolve to stay up later.

I want to get more intelligent. Can I just start staying up late?
It isn't that simple. Several studies have shown that your sleep preferences are at least 50 percent genetic, and that your chronotype — that is, the time of day you are at your physical and mental peak — changes with your age. Generally speaking, "eveningness" peaks in the late teens and early 20s.

Night owls tend to be less reliable, more emotionally unstable, and more likely to have problems with addictions and eating disorders, according to a 2008 study by psychologist Marina Giamnietro. They are also more likely to drink alcohol and smoke, says Dutch psychiatrist Walter van den Broek at his Dr. Shock blog. Another study found that undergrad "evening types" had lower GPAs than those who awake early in the morning.

Early risers tend to be more conscientious, persistent, and apt to cooperate, says van den Broek, a self-described morning person. They also "cope better with academic requirements and receive better grades." And when you think about it, adds Ace Burpee in the Winnipeg Free Press, "there are no sayings about late birds getting some sort of way better tasting worm."

Sources: Winnipeg Free Press (2), Disinformation, Dr. Shock, ScienceDaily


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irishwhistle
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11 Nov 2010, 1:16 pm

Is there no end to things "studies report" anymore? Is it that the news needs more news? I have never understood the use of statistics or reports on studies unless what they're reporting is hugely relevant. If they found a cause for baldness or cancer or even acne, I could see it. If they really did link something troubling or wonderful to something you could do anything about, I could see it. But this endless discussion of what you are and what it means... bloody useless except to damage self-esteem or start arguments.

"Scientists have confirmed that if you walk by stepping forward with your left foot first, you have a third nipple. Further studies have also discovered that this is true unless it isn't."

Oh, and my unconfirmed theory is that the researchers stay up late themselves and are getting a lot of static for it.

I am a night owl myself, by the way. I could be the next Albert frickin' Einstein and it wouldn't be much comfort considering my day starts at 6 am.


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madbirdgirl
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11 Nov 2010, 1:21 pm

Well most of the night owls I've met were practically geniuses, so I'd have to go with night owls.



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11 Nov 2010, 1:36 pm

Vampires have to be smarter than most humans in order to have survived for thousands of years.


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CloudWalker
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11 Nov 2010, 1:39 pm

They got it all wrong. The late bird catches the worm before the so-called early bird even wake up. :lol:



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11 Nov 2010, 2:19 pm

irishwhistle wrote:
Is there no end to things "studies report" anymore? Is it that the news needs more news? I have never understood the use of statistics or reports on studies unless what they're reporting is hugely relevant. If they found a cause for baldness or cancer or even acne, I could see it. If they really did link something troubling or wonderful to something you could do anything about, I could see it. But this endless discussion of what you are and what it means... bloody useless except to damage self-esteem or start arguments.

"Scientists have confirmed that if you walk by stepping forward with your left foot first, you have a third nipple. Further studies have also discovered that this is true unless it isn't."

Oh, and my unconfirmed theory is that the researchers stay up late themselves and are getting a lot of static for it.

I am a night owl myself, by the way. I could be the next Albert frickin' Einstein and it wouldn't be much comfort considering my day starts at 6 am.



You have explained exactly why I have been getting so god damn sick of science. All it is anymore is "call a correllation a causation so I can get moneyz"


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phil777
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11 Nov 2010, 10:48 pm

You should get along well with post-modernists then. ~.~



auntblabby
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11 Nov 2010, 11:15 pm

Avengilante wrote:
"there are no sayings about late birds getting some sort of way better tasting worm."


but they do tend to encounter a more laid-back, interesting class of worm. i wish the study are also about political preference versus early/late risers. i have my suspicions that conservatism predominates with early risers.



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11 Nov 2010, 11:18 pm

phil777 wrote:
You should get along well with post-modernists then. ~.~


Not that I hate it or anything, Id just wish more would focus on solving actual problems instead of just presenting correlations to the masses who then interpret them as causations just because its from a reputable source. Its kinda of why I question everything, it helps me come to a real answer.


but of course even they need their money. Money corrupts.

And I really don't see much wrong with Post-Modernism.


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12 Nov 2010, 12:42 am

Post-Modernism, in essence, and at least in social sciences such as anthropology (which is where i'm coming from), prefers subjectivity to objectivity. <.< They basicly believe that old notions that science brought forth should be deconstructed. <.< Anyways, i could tarry on, but it's kind of late here...



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12 Nov 2010, 9:35 am

phil777 wrote:
Post-Modernism, in essence, and at least in social sciences such as anthropology (which is where i'm coming from), prefers subjectivity to objectivity. <.< They basicly believe that old notions that science brought forth should be deconstructed. <.< Anyways, i could tarry on, but it's kind of late here...


Thats different that what I follow (meaning I am not one). I mostly feel that there are far more important things that need research than what is being researched. You end up seeing more of the correlation = causation type reports. People dont question what they are fed anymore which I think they need to question it in order to gain more knowledge from it.

Plus there is the fact humans are so easily corruptable that if the research was sponsored by lets say... a Tobacco or Pharmaceutical company, I have no choice BUT to question in order to arrive at the truth. There is also the fact that statistics can VERY EASILY be manipulated to tell a lie (you see it all the time on advertising, and who isnt to say that some scientists can be payed to skew their results within the confines of statistics. Scientists are human and therefore corruptable.)

I don't question the laws of physics/chemistry/etc BUT I do question motives and "special Interests". I am one of those people that have to reference and cross reference everything in order to come to an answer. I cannot just simply accept what gets reported at face value without seeing the reports. Most people aren't that way, they just eat what they are fed without raising a single question. Out of the sciences though, the one I do question the most is Psychology, mostly because I feel that a very large portion of it has been influenced by social bias far too much.

Plus you mentioned Deconstruction and Subjectiveness. Human nature in and of itself, is subjective. Humans can always knowingly/Unknowingly Manipulate the results simply because of their own experiences. Thus my own interpretation of the Deconstruction of the processes is in order to truly understand HOW said processes work. With that understanding you can then take a look at how human bias affects each stage of the process.

Just my own understanding of Post-Modernismt is to Deconstruct in order to truly understand what you have Deconstructed. It itself isnt immune to human bias either however. Just the simple fact that you and I are human introduces a bias called human experience.


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