| Nervous people 'are likely to be right-wing' | |
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JimmyG 10:46 pm UTC 09/21/08 |
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/nervous-people-are-likely-to-be-rightwing-935417.html People who are easily startled by loud bangs or gruesome pictures are more likely to vote for right-wing policies compared to calmer people who take a more liberal approach to life, according to a psychological study of political beliefs. The findings support the idea that personality type influences political attitude, which could explain why voting differences appear to be entrenched. "Although political views have been thought to arise largely from individuals' experiences, recent research suggests a possible biological basis. We present evidence that variations in political attitudes correlate with psychological traits," said John Hibbing of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The study, published in the journal Science, investigated 46 Americans with strong opinions spanning the political spectrum who were tested for their physiological responses to a range of visually threatening pictures and loud noises. "Subjects with measurably lower physical sensitivities to sudden noises and threatening images were more likely to support foreign aid, liberal immigration policies, pacifism and gun control," Dr Hibbing said. "Whereas individuals displaying measurably higher physiological reactions to those same stimuli were more likely to favour defence spending, capital punishment, patriotism and the Iraq war," he said. Physiological responses that were monitored included the electrical conductivity of the skin – measuring sweat production – and the amount of eye-blinking after a loud noise. Such responses are not under conscious control and are considered good indicators of a person's overall nervous disposition. They were shown three threatening images – a large spider on a frightened face, a dazed individual covered in blood and an open wound filled with maggots – interspersed with neutral images and three non-threatening images, such as a bowl of fruit and a happy child. The scientists believe the findings support the belief that political attitudes reflect the way a person deals with potential threats. "Consequently, our research provides one possible explanation for both the lack of malleability in the beliefs of individuals with strong political convictions and for the associated ubiquity of political conflict," they said. | |
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