People who walk around naked at home might be showing off more than just their flesh.
Scientists believe the habit could be a sign of high intelligence.
A study by the University of Rochester in New York looked at how different everyday behaviors are linked to people who display high intellect.
They used data from more than 700 Americans who participated in a survey in the 1990s that reported day-to-day activities and personality traits.
Using the results, the researchers then looked at which specific sets of behaviors were most associated with different personality traits.
They found that people who said they lounged around their houses with no clothes on more than 15 times a year also displayed higher intelligence.
They did not get the participants to perform IQ tests, but their intelligence was assessed based on the personality traits they reported.
This included signs of being open to new experiences, intellectual curiosity, and creativity.
People who walk around naked at home might be exhibiting more than their flesh. Scientists believe that the habit could also be a sign of someone with a higher IQ (stock image)
The researchers believe the habit of walking around naked at home is tied to a higher IQ because intellect is associated with nonconformity, as higher intelligence can lead to a decreased need to conform to societal norms and fit in.
The average IQ score in the US is 98, which falls within the ‘average’ category.
But instead of looking specifically at IQ scores, the researchers looked at ‘behaviors [that] distinguish between high and low levels of intellect’.
They said some of the more obvious activities tied to high intellect included playing a musical instrument, producing artwork, going to the theater, and speaking multiple languages.
But then there were surprising activities linked to high intellect which demonstrate someone who is looking to ‘defy convention or orthodoxy, possibly as a result of novelty seeking’.
Along with being naked at home, other acts associated high intellect included swearing around other people, smoking marijuana, and shooting a gun.
Shooting is a mentally stimulating activity that requires intense concentration, discipline, and emotional control, so this could be behind its link to intellect.
The researchers noted that a limitation of the study was that the data set they used was limited to individuals living in Oregon.
They said it would be interesting to expand the same study – which was published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences – across different cultural groups, to see if the same results surfaced.
A separate study showed that being naked is also linked to increased happiness.
A group of researchers from Goldsmiths, University of London, looked into the links between people who practiced social nudity and how satisfied the participants felt with their bodies and their lives in general.
The study, published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, came to the conclusion that taking off your clothes around strangers is probably good for you.
‘Body image dissatisfaction is a serious, global problem that negatively affects life satisfaction,’ the authors wrote in the study.
‘Several claims have been made about the possible psychological benefits of naturist activities, but very little empirical research has investigated these benefits or any plausible explanations for them.’
A map showing the average IQ by state in the US for 2025
Dr Keon West and colleagues asked 850 Brits to fill in an online survey, and found those who spend time naked were happier with their bodies, he explains in a video.
The longer they had been practicing naturism and the more frequently they did it, the happier they were, the researchers said.
But it is possible that people who were happier with their bodies were more likely to spend time naked, and not that being naked made them happier.
In two more experiments, the researchers went to two naturist events in the UK to explore the idea further.
At both events, participants were asked about their feelings just before getting naked and at the end of the event, before they put their clothes back on.
In both cases, participants experienced immediate and significant improvements in body image, self-esteem, and life satisfaction.
The researchers said the results show nudity can have a positive impact on our mental health, as positive self-regard helps individuals maintain a positive outlook.
‘The naturists have been saying this for some time,’ Dr West said.
‘However, despite a lot of positive claims, little to no empirical research has investigated whether naturist activity (rather than attitude or beliefs) actually makes us happier or, just as importantly, why it makes us happier.’
