Those who have completed more years of formal education tend to score lower on measures of right-wing authoritarianism, which is characterized by strict obedience to leaders and adherence to traditional norms. A recent study of twins revealed that while some of this association may be a direct result of schooling, most of the association is explained by the siblings’ shared childhood environment and genetics. These results were recently published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.
In the wake of the devastation of World War II, psychologists launched a major effort to understand why certain people enthusiastically support dictators and repressive regimes. Understanding what factors lead people to support authoritarian regimes remains a question of paramount practical importance, as it was when the discipline was born. Early researchers identified a personality profile called right-wing authoritarianism. People with high levels of this trait have a strong desire to obey established authority, but they also demand the same from others.
These people also want others to be punished if they deviate from established social traditions, and prefer to strictly enforce conservative moral values. For decades, this psychological variable has been prominent in academic research. It consistently predicts political affiliation, fundamentalist religiosity, and hostility toward marginalized groups. The influence of authoritarian preferences is particularly strong when a society faces threats of a social or cultural nature.
Understanding the origins of individual differences in authoritarian predispositions is critical given the current global prevalence of social threats ranging from mass immigration to viral pandemics. Researchers studying political psychology have historically observed a strong inverse relationship between the amount of time a person spends in school and their level of authoritarianism. College graduates are well known to be less supportive of authoritarian policies than those who complete their education after high school.
There are significant differences in attitudes regarding gender roles, sexuality, and parenting practices between groups with the most and least formal education. Many scientific theories have been proposed to explain exactly why this educational disparity occurs. Some researchers suggest that higher education, by exposing students to diverse perspectives, directly challenges their assumptions and reduces the need for rigid social rules.
Other experts argue that the sense of economic and social security typically provided by a university degree makes authoritarian policies feel less necessary. Alternatively, this relationship may simply reflect the fact that people who are already open to new experiences are more likely to pursue higher education and less likely to hold authoritarian views. Distinguishing between the direct effects of education and the effects of underlying characteristics has proven extremely difficult in modern psychology.
To answer this persistent question, a team led by Nikolaj Hagem Eftedal from the University of Oslo mapped out a range of factors that influence both education and political attitudes. Eftedal, working with colleagues at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health and New York University, wanted to see whether the correlation between schooling and ideology remained after accounting for invisible variables. They decided to focus on twins, who offer a unique window into the hidden power of genetics and upbringing.
Researchers recruited 1,284 people from the Norwegian Twin Registry to participate in the project. This large historical database contains detailed health and demographic information that scientists can study. For this particular project, the group consisted of identical twins, who shared all of their DNA, and dizygotic twins, who shared about half of their DNA on average. Because twins usually grow up at the same time in the same household, they also share certain environmental influences.
Eftedal and his colleagues were ultimately able to isolate different types of effects by comparing sets of twins who had received different levels of education. If higher education truly reduces authoritarian views, then individuals who go to college should be less authoritarian than identical twins who only graduated from high school. Both twins share the exact same genetic code and the exact same upbringing, so any differences in their outlook in adulthood can be attributed to differences in educational courses or personal life events.
The team asked participants to report their highest level of educational attainment. They also completed a series of widely used survey questions designed to measure authoritarian tendencies. Participants rated their agreement with statements about outdated values, the need to punish deviants, and the importance of free thinkers who challenge tradition.
In addition, participants estimated their household’s social class from both childhood and current adult life. The researchers used a visual scale similar to a ladder, with the top rung representing people with the most money and respect. Participants indicated what rung on the ladder their families occupied compared to the rest of the country.
When the research team analyzed the data, they confirmed standard patterns observed in previous psychological studies. There was a significant negative correlation between educational attainment and authoritarianism. However, the twin design allowed scientists to break down this broad correlation into its specific components.
Statistical models estimated that 47% of the overlap between education and subordinate authoritarianism is the result of common environmental factors. This means that elements of the twins’ common upbringings increased their chances of going to university, while at the same time suppressing their tendencies towards authoritarianism. Approximately 15 percent of this total common environmental influence can be traced directly to the social class of one’s family during childhood. Growing up in wealthy, high-status families seems to organically encourage advanced schooling while steering children away from strict conservative ideology.
An additional 25% of the relationship was tentatively attributed to common genetics. The researchers calculated this effect but noted that the genetic association itself was not statistically significant. Genetic characteristics, such as innate cognitive abilities or deeply ingrained personality traits, can still influence both a person’s academic trajectory and political orientation. For example, people born with a high openness to new experiences may be naturally drawn to universities and naturally repulsed by authoritarian dogma.
After accounting for both common upbringing and common genetics, the researchers found that 28 percent of the original correlation remained unknown. The rest of this is consistent with the theory that education has a real, direct impact on a person’s adult worldview. Although they could not definitively classify it as an absolute causal relationship, the persistent relationship within pairs of identical twins strongly supports the idea that formal education independently tempers authoritarian impulses.
The research team also took a closer look at whether adults’ income and status play a particular role in this ideological process. They tested the established theory that education leads to higher incomes, which in turn provides a sense of security that makes authoritarianism less appealing. The results showed no statistical support for this particular progression. Achieving a higher socio-economic status in adulthood did not explain the missing link between a college degree and a tolerant worldview.
Despite the robust methodology, this study has several limitations that should be noted in future reviews. All participants were Norwegian citizens between the ages of 55 and 70. The educational systems and cultural norms they experienced when they were young may be different from younger generations and people living in other parts of the world. Generalizing these results to modern university students and non-Nordic populations requires some basic caution.
The scientists also noted a lack of data on the specific college majors and types of degrees participants earned. Some past research suggests that studying the humanities and social sciences is more strongly associated with reduced authoritarianism than studying finance or engineering. Identifying precisely what kinds of college experiences influence political psychology remains an open question for future analyses.
In the future, the researchers suggest expanding similar study designs to include spouses, children, and extended family members. Doing so will help scientists understand how people choose romantic partners with similar political views, a common phenomenon known to inflate estimates of genetic and environmental overlap. More precise and objective measurements of wealth and social capital could also further refine our understanding of how resources shape our political reality.
The study, “The relationship between educational attainment and right-wing authoritarianism: A study of incongruous twins,” was authored by Nikolaj Hagem Eftedal, Thomas Haklau Klepest, Nikolai Olavi Czakovsky, Espen Moen Eilertsen, Espen Roisamb, Olaf Wassend, Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington, and Lotte Thomsen.
