Going through my files I came across a remarkable paper that I intended to discuss years ago, but postponed it until it was forgotten, until now. Perhaps I should think of my ancestors more. I now explain.
The paper in question is by P. Fischer (et al.), “The Ancestor Effect: Thinking about Our Genetic Origin Enhances Intellectual Performance,” European Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 41, 2011, pp. 11-16. The hypothesis is a remarkable one for a mainstream journal: thinking about one’s genetic origin, ancestors, increases intellectual performance by providing a “positive psychological resource.” This is the reason why people search for information about their ancestors and while most of us have photographs of our ancestors, used to navigate our identity. Our ancestors typically lived through tough times and exhibited resilience and resourcefulness. And “because we are the success of our ancestors and thus their genetic heritage, we tend to attribute successful problem-solving of our ancestors to our problem-solving abilities.” (p. 12)
