By J. DeVoy
Several studies have shown and shown again that criminals have lower-than-average IQ. The Downing Effect describes the tendency of people with low IQ to overestimate their IQ, while people with high IQ underestimate theirs, and is related to the Dunning-Kruger Effect, observing that people without a particular skill set view themselves as above average in possessing it, while those who are above average underrate their abilities. There is also a gender component to this, as men tend to overestimate their IQ by 5 points while women underestimate theirs by 5 points, which may contribute to why men are incarcerated at a rate 10 times that of women. (Maybe radical feminists will incorporate this into their ongoing crusade for “equality”?)
The hypothesis is thus: Low-IQ people, but especially men, assume they are smarter than law enforcement and will not be caught. Other factors contribute to this, such as the low future-time orientation correlated with low IQ, but the hubris explained by the Downing Effect may have some role in driving low IQ people who overestimate their intellectual prowess — especially men — to commit the vast majority of crime in the United States. It’s unlikely that people would act criminally if they believed they would likely be caught, regardless of IQ.
