The neuroscience of ideology

Politico reviews the latest research in political psychology:

A growing body of experimental research is finding evidence suggesting that, to some degree, political inclinations and ideological leanings may be tied to innate factors like a person’s biology, physiology and genetics. ...

[Prof. John] Hibbing and members of his lab are currently working on a book titled “Predisposed: Liberals, conservatives and the biology of political difference” that’s slated for publication this fall. The work will summarize research examining subjects like the physiological and neurological differences between liberals and conservatives, as well as differences in taste—liberals, for instance, tend to enjoy spicy foods and be open to new eating experiences while conservatives would rather eat their go-to favorites.

One key finding that “Predisposed” will highlight: conservatives and liberals respond differently when presented with extremely pleasant images—like people skiing, fruit baskets and sunsets—and disturbing pictures, like fires, vomit and rodents.

Study participants, after answering an extensive battery of questions about their political beliefs, were hooked up to sensors that test skin conductance—the measure of how quickly electricity moves through the body, which sometimes manifests itself in outward signs like sweaty palms. When conservatives viewed the negative images, researchers measured a greater increase in skin conductance when compared with liberals, indicating those on the right were responding more strongly. ...

Conservatives also spent more time focused on the unpleasant images than liberals did.  ...

That doesn’t mean that conservatives are inherently more prone to uneasiness in the face of new experiences or people—but according to this study, it does mean that naturally nervous people tend to lean right.

“What we find is, it’s not the case that conservatives are more fearful, but fearful people are more conservative,” [Prof. Rose McDermott] said ...

“In terms of identity, and correlating who’s on the left and who’s on the right, it might make people a little more understanding of their political opponents,” he said. “Instead of saying they are stupid, uninformed—all of these things may be true—but [they] are really perceiving the world in a different fashion than you do.”