I've been trying to formulate a strong argument for some time now which asserts that higher intelligence leads to marriage at a later age (in most cases). While doing some research today, I came across a really excellent article on the gene expression website which outlines numerous studies relating to intelligence and the onset of sexual activity, although it is mostly in adolescents. This activity is further examined through college and graduate school at certain Ivy League schools.

The correlation between GRE scores, academic major complexity, and getting laid is quite staggering!

Link to the article here:
http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2007/04/intercour...ntelligence.php

At the end there was a snippet about possible interplay between testosterone and an inverse correlation with intelligence.

Take a gander and let me know what you think.....

Do you think there is a direct correlation between age of marriage and general intelligence? It makes sense that those involved in graduate level education may have put off marriage or a serious relationship to concentrate on school. In reality, I have seen it both ways though.

Socially? Makes sense on the surface.

But I can't see a direct correlation with late sexual blooming and marriage. As a matter of fact, pragmatically wouldn't someone get married early (to get it over with, so to speak) and then concentrate on other things?

Well, this is what I know...I lived in NJ and most people waited until a later age to get married and "settle down", and the north east is by far a more educated section of the US. Now, living in GA, the marriage age is early 20's and I've never met people so dumb in my life (not to mention the separation/divorce rate in the south, it's ridiculous).

LOL, priceless

I agree. I don't see a corr. between late blooming and age @ marriage. More of a corr. towards academic pursuits generally "getting in the way" of early marriage. That or having set goals and things that are a top priority placed before marriage. One thing I have heard several people say is "I can't get married until I have done some things for myself, established their own identity, etc."

With the late sexual blooming, that probably has a close relationship with the age in which you lose your virginity. One thing I would like to see in that study/write-up is correlation of age of loss of virginity to whether they were married AT ALL. I would assume there is a lower incidence of marriage the later you lose your virginity, unless you wait until marriage to have sex. I know a handful of late sexual blooming uber-nerds who are in their mid to late thirties with no prospects of marriage in sight.

I'd like to think this is due to a higher value on what a marriage should be, not that there are things "more important" than getting married, but that it is not something to think lightly of.

That was an interesting read, thanks for bringing it up.

did not read the study.

BUT, if its saying girls that are sexually active at younger ages are more mature..well thats wrong.

I don't have a study, but those girls are skanks..and what are skanks? Stupid.

I think it's mostly because more intelligent guys get stuck in their head, which causes them to be more fearful of things - including approaching women. Even when they do get the courage to approach, women pick up on the fact that it is hard for the smart man to approach them, and consequently are not attracted to them.

Its really hard to establish causation here, for example, test is acutely sensitive to social success/defeat, and a smarter kid is more likely to be excluded or exclude himself from the social/personable sphere of people, which could depress him hormonally. I'm also interested in the observation that "nerds" are often only children, or many years younger or older than other siblings. Kids who don't have to fight off siblings for space/food/parental attention are less likely to develop the motivation and ability to navigate the ebb and flow of stresses in a normal social system.

I think you are wrong on the single child bit...

I'm interested in the theory presented that structural components of the androgen receptor might interfere with the speed of neural transmission -- it was either on that page or linked to it or something.

That would suck -- meaning that proper androgen signaling would be mutually exclusive of optimal mental capacity. Reminds me of the recent studies in older men showing HRT to impair word recall.

It does seem that the pro sexual, task oriented linear thinking that androgens instill can crowd out more abstract thought.

My opinion is that higher testosterone will decrease IQ as measured on tests. I think high test can increase attention problems too. However, once IQ is so low that the person is an obvious idiot any way you look at it, they probably just don't have as good a chance of hooking up with the opposite sex. And here's another theory: if high IQ people only want to hook up with other high IQ people, it may leave a smaller number of potential mates for them to hook up with. Or if high IQ people are more hesitant to have early sex, then two high IQ people hooked together would have a double amount of hesitation between the two of them, slowing things down even more. Whadda ya think?

I think I need to stop reading pubmed and start getting road head.