How Biology Impacts Political Orientation

**Athena** · February 2nd, 2009, 04:54 PM

I'd like to believe in free will and our ability to reason, but, as we march on, the window of free will continues to shrink.

A large spider on someone's face, a bloodied person and maggot-filled wound - these are the pictures instrumental to John Alford's latest research. This Rice University political scientist wanted to test what, if any, impact biology may have on one's political orientation. He also included nice pictures - a bunny, a bowl of fruit and a happy child. These 6 pictures were part of roughly 30 slides that were shown to 46 midwesterners who identified themselves as having strong political beliefs. These people were attached to a machine that measured their reaction to the images by detecting perspiration.

In a nutshell, "Conservatives", or individuals who opposed things like immigration, abortion, and gun control and supported things like the war in Iraq and warrentless wiretapping, tended to react strongly to the threatening images. On the other hand, "Liberals" tended to show no significant difference in reaction to the spider on the face and the bunny. This suggests that conservatives are hardwired to be especially alert to perceived threat. It may also do a great deal to explain how the two political ideologies have evolved the way they have, with conservatives adopting a more big-government, paternal stance in recent decades.

You often hear that the right is great at "mobilizing their base." Could this be because the right is more sensitive to threats?

I think that's one conclusion. It may also explain why it's self-apparent to people who hold [what are now right-wing positions] that they're really important, and frustrating why it isn't obvious to the other side. It's like, "What part of the difference between a spider and a bunny don't you understand."

While this is closely related to the Free Will thread, I thought it deserved its own space (seeing as how that thread got all weird and religious). I believe this research serves well in illustrating that even associations primarily attributed to free will are subject to biological motivations - that even the way we rationalize is driven by genetics.

**Dakota Valkyrie** · February 2nd, 2009, 05:43 PM

I had to read that article about 5 times.

Do I get this right? What it boils down to is that some people react biologically more to certain things than others. That coupled with their personal experiences and reasoning processes colors their beliefs.

I guess nothing there surprises me.

I do love "What part of the difference between a spider and a bunny don't you understand."

**swivel** · February 2nd, 2009, 05:56 PM

It looks like they have shown correlation, but not causation. It could be that your political view changes your reaction to the slides, and not the other way around. That is, the war on terror, and the secularization of the US, might have Republicans on edge right now.

Also, the Left seems as prone to hysterics as the right when it comes to environment. Did they have any slides of polar bears or receeding glaciers in there? Any DDT or CO2 slides? A picture of WalMart or the IMF? How about some GE crops?

**Peeperann** · February 2nd, 2009, 06:01 PM

I can tell you that I would have freaked at the picture of the spider, the wound with maggots, ect. My breathing and heart just accelerated just reading about them.

And I lean so far to the left that i'm getting a curve in my spine! So I personally think that test is a lot of bunk.

**MichaelJCheaney** · February 2nd, 2009, 06:16 PM

You often hear that the right is great at "mobilizing their base." Could this be because the right is more sensitive to threats?

I think that's one conclusion. It may also explain why it's self-apparent to people who hold [what are now right-wing positions] that they're really important, and frustrating why it isn't obvious to the other side. It's like, "What part of the difference between a spider and a bunny don't you understand."

Thats a lie. if the right was so good at "mobilizing their base" they wouldn't have gotten their asses kicked in the last TWO elections.

However it does seem to me that this "study" -based only on what I have read here- Manages to blur the line between Conservative and Republican.

Just as the line gets blurred between Liberal and Democrat. And yes I do believe that over the years the lines have been blurred, equally well by both sides

And he also makes no distinction between LEGAL and Illegal immigration.

Another area that I would have liked to see covered in this study would have been how Parents reflected the leanings of their children.

I just wonder how much of my tax dollars went to cover this "glorified" sweat test?

Its seems inconclusive to me.

**Athena** · February 2nd, 2009, 06:52 PM

Originally Posted by swivel

It looks like they have shown correlation, but not causation. It could be that your political view changes your reaction to the slides, and not the other way around. That is, the war on terror, and the secularization of the US, might have Republicans on edge right now.

Also, the Left seems as prone to hysterics as the right when it comes to environment. Did they have any slides of polar bears or receeding glaciers in there? Any DDT or CO2 slides? A picture of WalMart or the IMF? How about some GE crops?

You're right on the first part, but, given what we do know about behavioral genetics and Alford's previous research on this sort of topic, I find that to be less likely than the conclusion he draws from this research. It certainly warrants more expansive research on the topic, but it appears that, with every step, we determine that genetics controls more of our thought processes and behavioral tendencies than was previously believed.

As for the second paragraph, I'm not sure it makes sense to me. The pictures he chose would be a reasonable threat to anyone. They weren't ideology-specific, like had he chosen terrorists, an aborted fetus and Frenchmen. I'm pretty sure the nature of the threat wasn't supposed to play into it.

There are definitely questions that this study doesn't address, like what about those who switch ideologies or where do various breeds of independent stand, but, again, I think it's important that we consider factors other than intelligence or experience in relation to why we think like we do.

**MichaelJCheaney** · February 2nd, 2009, 06:57 PM

Originally Posted by Peeperann

I can tell you that I would have freaked at the picture of the spider, the wound with maggots, ect. My breathing and heart just accelerated just reading about them.

And I lean so far to the left that i'm getting a curve in my spine! So I personally think that test is a lot of bunk.

I always wondered why you walked funny Peeper.

I was just polite to ask.....

**Alicatt** · February 2nd, 2009, 07:04 PM

And I lean so far to the left that i'm getting a curve in my spine! So I personally think that test is a lot of bunk.

Don't worry Peep I will Kill any spiders for you just call and I so agree that this is a bunch of crap you can make any test go the way you want it to and this study just proves my point.

**Peeperann** · February 2nd, 2009, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by Alicatt

Don't worry Peep I will Kill any spiders for you just call and I so agree that this is a bunch of crap you can make any test go the way you want it to and this study just proves my point.

And Alicatt is a republican and Iraq war vet! So we have totally different views on politics, but she still agrees the tests are bunk. Because the pics incite the same reactions in her as they do me.

Oh, and she does kill the spiders for me as I run screaming from the room like the little girl I am!!

**Athena** · February 2nd, 2009, 07:29 PM

Originally Posted by Alicatt

Don't worry Peep I will Kill any spiders for you just call and I so agree that this is a bunch of crap you can make any test go the way you want it to and this study just proves my point.

Actually, no you can't and no it doesn't. It's true that facts like statistics can be intentionally misrepresented in an attempt to lend substance to a particular point or that methodology can be tweaked to provide false results, but that doesn't appear to be what's going on, here. In fact, it seems rather straightforward - those who identified themselves as conservatives responded more intensely to threatening images than did those who identified themselves as liberals. It's the researcher's conclusion that this illustrates some biological imperative that is debatable.

Peeper can believe however she'd like about how she might react to these pictures, but until she's hooked up to the machine that measures her perspiration, her speculation is null. Even then, there's a certain amount of tolerance, here. Peeper may be the only one of 1000 liberals tested that reacts to the images like a conservative might. Does that prove the study is bullshit? Of course not. In fact, that would establish a pretty decisive rule.

**MichaelJCheaney** · February 2nd, 2009, 07:45 PM

those who identified themselves as conservatives responded more intensely to threatening images than did those who identified themselves as liberals.

I thought us conservatives were just cold, cruel and heartless.....or so the media would have people believe....

I guess that just proves the opposite....

**Peeperann** · February 2nd, 2009, 07:48 PM

Possibly I am the one out of thousands, but still just because i'm not hooked up to the persperation machine means nothing. I actually pulled some pics from the web. I can tell you that I started sweating some, my heart rate went crazy and my breathing was much faster than normal when looking at the horror pics than the sweet bunnies, a meadow, flowers ect.

I honestly believe it would make anyone do that. Maybe some people have a higher tolerance than others, but I can't make myself believe that it comes down to your political leanings. Makes you colder of heart, which I believe most conservatives are. But then why as a far leaning left liberal am I so different?

**MichaelJCheaney** · February 2nd, 2009, 08:10 PM

Makes you colder of heart, which I believe most conservatives are. But then why as a far leaning left liberal am I so different?

Did it just get cold in here or is it just me? (And my conservativeness?)

**Dakota Valkyrie** · February 2nd, 2009, 08:13 PM

My husband would have the same reaction to a spider as a bunny. It's true. He is wired differently than I am. This study is not news to me.

We have more bickers about him not "getting it" on a variety of subjects... things that seem totally obvious to me and what I assume any "normal" person would understand.

Not only do I know it's true, but I have EEG read outs to prove it! My daughters and I have for almost 20 years been participants in the University of Minnesota Twins Family study. When he married me, he got included in it. During some phases, they have given us copies of readouts just for fun to compare. All in all, quite interesting.

But I don't need the readouts to know his brain works different than mine. He usually lets me know. I just get amazed that after all these years there are still things I can't pound into his head.

**MichaelJCheaney** · February 2nd, 2009, 08:14 PM

I think that there is this HUGE misconception in this country where each individual seems to get lumped in with what political party they are associated with....

And that in my opinion is just wrong.

At the end of the day everybody wants the same thing. (Safety Security and Happiness) Its just that we have different ideas in how to achieve it.

**Athena** · February 2nd, 2009, 08:15 PM

Originally Posted by Peeperann

I honestly believe it would make anyone do that. Maybe some people have a higher tolerance than others, but I can't make myself believe that it comes down to your political leanings. Makes you colder of heart, which I believe most conservatives are. But then why as a far leaning left liberal am I so different?

Peeper, you're an admitted theist. You should be able to "make [yourself] believe" anything!

Seriously, though - let's say, for the sake of argument, that you do react very strongly to such images. Why is it so hard to believe that you could be the exception to the rule?

From the article:

NEWSWEEK: What surprised you the most?

John Alford: The clarity of the result. We came to this work after establishing that there is a genetic component to political ideology, so that made us interested in understanding how you get from the genes to political attitudes. One way into that territory was physiology. But I really didn't expect such crisp results.

Even he was surprised by just how distinct the results were. Are you calling him a liar? :P

If you don't think it comes down to political ideology, what do you think it IS, and how might you explain the significance of the differences in response running along political lines?

**Dakota Valkyrie** · February 2nd, 2009, 08:18 PM

Originally Posted by Peeperann

Makes you colder of heart, which I believe most conservatives are. But then why as a far leaning left liberal am I so different?

I am a cold hearted bitch.

**Waldowas** · December 30th, 2011, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by Dakota Valkyrie

I am a cold hearted bitch.

Hopefully you have other warmer body parts to compensate that!

To get back to the issue here's some update which seems to fit quite nicely to those findings posted earlier by Athena:

Liberal or Conservative? Research finds a difference in the brain

April 11, 2011 By God Discussion Reporter

The shape of your brain could indicate your political views, according to scientists at the University College London, who scanned 90 brains and found people who identify with different ends of the political spectrum have differently shaped brains. Newsy compiled the media's reaction.

ABC explained that "Scans revealed that the liberal students tended to have a larger region of the brain that processes conflicting information. That, say the authors, might make for tolerance to uncertainty in more liberal views. The conservatives tended to have a larger part of the brain that processes fear and identifies threats. They might be more inclined to integrate conservative views into their politics."

According to Live Science, it is not known whether nature or nurture is to blame for the difference of the brain structures, remarking, "Perhaps there are differences in the brain as to why some people seem to have no interest in politics at all, or why some people line up for Macs while others stick with their PCs. All of these tendencies might be linked in some way to peculiarities of our personalities and the way our brains are put together, the researchers speculated."

Sitting in at MSNBC, the Young Turks observed, "We always suspected that conservatives ran their campaigns run on fear. And this shows the biology of why they do this. It makes sense." "So Glenn Beck has a massive amygdala."

This isn't the first time scientists uncovered biological differences between the two groups, according to TIME. It recalls a study done at the University of Nebraska that found liberals and conservatives had a difference in something called "gaze cues."

"Liberals were more likely than conservatives to follow another person's gaze, suggesting that people who lean right value autonomy more; alternative explanations suggest that liberals might be more empathetic, or that conservatives are less trusting of others."

There is no explanation for socially liberal, fiscally conservative people or those who don't care about politics at all. There are more categories than strictly liberal or strictly conservative.

The brain research did not say whether there was a difference in the brains of religious people and irreligious people. A 2010 study conducted by evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa at the London School of Economics and Political Science found that persons with higher IQs tended to be liberal, atheist and less promiscuous. The results were statistically significant but not stunning, according to Kanazawa, who said that the research should not be used to stereotype people.

Source: http://www.goddiscussion.com/45604/l...-in-the-brain/

So, to put it short liberals are those brave enough not to fear changes in their life and surroundings whereas conservatives are not.