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Regional intelligence and suicide rate in Germany
1Ph.D., Department of Basic Psychological Research, School ology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, Rm 03-42, A-1010 Vienna, Austria. martin.voracek@univie.ac.at
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|December 15, 2006
Summary
Regional intelligence scores did not reliably correlate with suicide rates in German states. This study failed to replicate previous findings of a link between intelligence and suicide prevalence in other nations.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Previous ecological studies suggest a positive correlation between regional intelligence and suicide prevalence.
- This association has been observed in various countries, including Austria, Belarus, the British Isles, Denmark, The Netherlands, and the USA.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between regional intelligence and suicide rates within Germany.
- To determine if the previously observed ecological correlation between intelligence and suicide holds true for Germany.
Main Methods:
- Utilized intranational average domain scores from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 and 2003 studies as proxies for regional intelligence.
- Analyzed the association between these intelligence proxies and suicide rates across the states of Germany.
Main Results:
- No reliable association was found between regional intelligence proxies and the suicide rate across German states.
- The findings did not replicate the positive ecological correlation observed in other within-nation studies.
Conclusions:
- The ecological correlation between regional intelligence and suicide prevalence does not appear to be a universal phenomenon.
- Further research is needed to understand the complex interplay of factors influencing suicide rates across different regions and nations.
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