| NJC: Nervous people 'are likely to be right-wing' | |
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JimmyG 10:47 pm UTC 09/21/08 |
| In reply to: | Nervous people 'are likely to be right-wing' - JimmyG 10:46 pm UTC 09/21/08 |
Sorry, forgot NJC... > > > 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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