People find themselves in group settings quite often, whether they are socializing at parties or having classroom discussions. However, new research from the Virginia Tech Carilion (VTC) School of Medicine and Research Institute has found that group settings may lower people’s IQ.

In this study, researchers from VTC had participants from two universities take IQ tests to establish their baseline IQ. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the scientists were able to see how the study subjects processed information about social status while they were a part of small groups.

What the researchers found was that when matched with others who shared similar IQ levels, some subjects experienced dramatic drops in their ability to complete cognitive tasks. Furthermore, women who participated in the study were especially vulnerable to this phenomenon.

"So much of our society is organized around small-group interactions," said Kenneth Kishida, the study’s lead author. "We need to remember that social dynamics affect not just educational and workplace environments, but also national and international policy-making bodies, such as the U.S. Congress and the United Nations."