Furthermore, women with naturally blonde hair have slightly higher IQ scores than those with brown, red, or black hair.
Although blonde jokes may be a form of entertainment, study author Jay Zagorsky suggests it could have harmful consequences. Zagorsky said, “Research shows that stereotypes often have an impact on hiring, promotions, and other social experiences. This study provides compelling evidence that there shouldn’t be any discrimination against blondes based on their intelligence.”
The researchers looked at data of nearly 10,900 white American baby boomers who completed an IQ test in 1980.
Zagorsky added, “I don’t think you can say with certainty that blondes are smarter than others, but you can definitely say they are not any dumber.”
The researchers could not determine if hair color held a genetic link to intelligence, but they did find that blondes were more likely to grow up in homes with more reading materials.
The findings were published in Economics Bulletin.