A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Nebraska offers evidence of differences between conservatives and liberals that extend beyond political beliefs. The researchers found that conservatives more often focus on negative stimuli in comparison to liberals when it comes to observing their environments.
Researchers showed a series of 33 images to adults who identified as strongly conservative or strongly liberal. The photos varied from pleasant images such as "a fluffy bunny" to some more negative images, such as "a maggot-infested wound." Then, by monitoring skin conductance as a way of measuring emotional response, the researchers were able to calculate how each individual responded to the images. From the data, Mike Dodd, the lead researcher of the project, and his colleagues concluded that, of the 48 participating adults, the conservative subjects responded much more strongly to negative images when compared to their liberal counterparts.
The second part of the study included a collage of positive and negative images, which was presented to 76 college students. By tracking eye movement, the researchers found that conservatives oriented their eyes to negative images twice as fast as the liberal subjects, and that conservatives spent a larger chunk of time looking at the negative images.
Dodd suggests that, to some extent, the way individuals view their environments may influence their political views because, at a biological level, conservatives and liberals literally see the world differently. While there is the possibility that the correlation works in the opposite direction, where political views can alter cognition, Dodd deems this is unlikely because cognition is such a basic and fundamental brain function.
The study presents an interesting dilemma for political analysts and decision makers. While we think our views are shaped by our experiences, Dodd's work opens up the possibility that we may not have total control over our opinions. It draws on the classic argument of nature versus nurture. For the most part, political beliefs are thought to be shaped purely by environmental factors. However, this latest research offers the possibility that perhaps our biology plays a role as well.
The study suggests that individuals try to shape the world in a way that makes them feel most at ease, and political agenda is one of the variables that influences comfort. Consequently, if people view the world differently, it is only natural that different political views should exist.
Amidst the conversation and debates surrounding the new research, Dodd is quick to acknowledge that one's biology certainly is not the final nail in the coffin for political preference. Rather, both brain processes and experiences shape political thought. Ultimately, Dodd hopes his research can ease political hotheadedness and potentially help people move beyond stereotypes.
The research was published in the journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.
