Are you a worrier? Then you're more likely to be smart: People prone to anxiety have higher levels of intelligence

  • Researchers surveyed 126 students about anxiety and intelligence
  • They were scored on the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale
  • Those who ranked high for anxiety were also the most verbally intelligent
  • Experts claim smart people consider past and future events in great detail
  • This leads them to replay or imagine scenarios, worry and feel anxious   

By Victoria Woollaston for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

Worriers can be kept awake at night replaying the day, or imagining all the possible worst case scenarios in their lives.

But they can at least take comfort in the fact that this behaviour could be a sign of intelligence.

More than 125 students were surveyed about their mood, anxiety levels and intelligence levels - and those found to worry the most, were also the smartest.

Researchers from Ontario's Lakehead University scored 126 students on both the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Those who ranked high for anxiety on the CTAS were also the most verbally intelligent, according to the WAIS. Stock image pictured

Researchers from Ontario's Lakehead University scored 126 students on both the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Those who ranked high for anxiety on the CTAS were also the most verbally intelligent, according to the WAIS. Stock image pictured

The research was carried out at Ontario's Lakehead University, led by Alexander Penney. 

The researchers surveyed 126 students about their anxiety levels, depression, overall mood, social skills, rumination and intelligence by gauging their responses to set questions.

VERBAL AND NON-VERBAL INTELLIGENCE

People who are verbally intelligent are better at reading and writing, and have stronger verbal reasoning skills. 

By comparison, non-verbally intelligent people are better ‘hands-on’ learners and pick up skills using non-verbal clues. 

Experts believe verbally intelligent people spend more time relaying past and future events, trying to make sense of them, for example.

This means they remember events, conversations and fears in greater detail than non-verbally intelligent people.

People who are non-verbal tend to pick up non-verbal clues, and live more ‘in the moment’ so have little need to replay situations.

The majority (77 per cent) of participants were women.

Based on their answers, each of the students were then ranked on the both the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale (CTAS) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS).

The higher scores on the respective tests indicate more severe test anxiety, and higher verbal intelligence.

People who are verbally intelligent are better at reading and writing, and have stronger verbal reasoning skills. 

By comparison, non-verbally intelligent people are better ‘hands-on’ learners and pick up skills using non-verbal clues.

In the study, those who ranked highest on CTAS were also the most verbally intelligent, according to the WAIS.

However, the students who scored highly for non-verbal intelligence were found to worry less.

Experts believe verbally intelligent people spend more time relaying past and future events, trying to make sense of them, for example.

This means they remember events, conversations and fears in greater detail than non-verbally intelligent people.

People who are verbally intelligent are better at reading, while non-verbally intelligent people are better ‘hands-on’ learners. Experts believe verbally intelligent people spend more time replaying events, but people who are non-verbal tend to live more ‘in the moment’ and so have little need to replay events in their heads

People who are verbally intelligent are better at reading, while non-verbally intelligent people are better ‘hands-on’ learners. Experts believe verbally intelligent people spend more time replaying events, but people who are non-verbal tend to live more ‘in the moment’ and so have little need to replay events in their heads

People who are non-verbal tend to pick up non-verbal clues, and live more ‘in the moment’ so have little need to replay situations.

‘It is possible that more verbally intelligent individuals are able to consider past and future events in greater detail, leading to more intense rumination and worry,’ said the researchers.

‘Individuals with higher non-verbal intelligence may be stronger at processing the non-verbal signals from individuals they interact with in the moment, leading to a decreased need to re-process past social encounters.’ 

 

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