"Sure, I love PBS, NPR, journal papers, and books about data and the brain, but something else entertains me-something you might not suspect. I am a fervent devotee of Bravo's iconic reality show "The Real Housewives of Orange County" (RHOC)-and similar programs, for that matter. I'm not the only Mensan who binges the show, though we rarely discuss it openly. Our shared guilty pleasure is usually expressed in the fleeting, hushed tones of co-conspirators, sheepishly acknowledging a recent episode or cast member beef."
"Few American television programs elicit as much disdain from the cultural elite as reality TV-a sprawling genre often derided as mere pettiness and excess. But why should that be? There is much about RHOC that appeals, specifically, to those with exceptional IQs. Every Mensan (and others with qualifying top 98th-percentile IQ scores) is different (we are people, after all), so I am not proposing that all Mensans enjoy this variety of television."
People with higher cognitive ability often prefer complex, information-dense ideas and enjoy mentally challenging thinking, known as high need for cognition. High NFC commonly accompanies high IQ and involves liking analysis, solving demanding problems, and navigating complexity. Mensa members gather to solve puzzles and debate advanced topics, yet some also enjoy reality television such as Real Housewives of Orange County. Reality TV can appeal to analytical people through social complexity, ambiguous motives, strategic interaction, pattern recognition, and rich data for cognitive engagement. Not all high-IQ individuals enjoy such shows, but shared intellectual traits explain part of the appeal.
Read at Psychology Today
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