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Sep 11 / Ozymandias

Conservative and Liberal Brains Wired Differently (Literally!)

Saw this article on Slashdot that highlights some research showing that Liberal and Conservative brains process information differently. Admittedly, it’s a “duh” finding (similar to the study last week that found that men found attractive women more appealing – surprise!) But it’s interesting to see the testing and the results. Quick quote from the Slashdot summary:



This new study finds that the differences are apparent even when the brain processes common information, not just political topics. From the study, liberals were more likely to be accurate and showed more brain activity in the region associated with analyzing conflicts. A researcher not affiliated with the study stated, liberals ‘could be expected to more readily accept new social, scientific or religious ideas.’ Moreover, ‘the results could explain why President Bush demonstrated a single-minded commitment to the Iraq war and why some people perceived Sen. John F. Kerry… as a flip-flopper.’


Please read the article for all the details – not trying to make any sort of political statement here, just using the Slashdot summary as it boiled down the main findings.

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  • ericdrum

    EVERYTHING on slashdot is a political statement.

  • Xwar

    Frankly that research is outright deranged. Political differences based on testing whether you can press a button when an M appears and not do it when it’s a W? That’s it? Are you ****ing kidding me?

    And we’re also supposed this stuff is politically neutral when the US President is nicknamed ‘W’, and the result basically paints Republicans as idiotic single-tracked warmongers?

    Let’s stay sane now.

    Here’s a saner rebuttal:

    ace.mu.nu/…/239867.php

  • AnubisGOJ

    I worked on a personal study involving how the Keirsey personality tests work when meshed with political ideologies.

    My results:

    Liberals tended to be more often than not to be idealists or artisans.

    Conservatives were predominantly under the rational or protector personality types.

    When you look at the two parties, I’d say that those results were fairly accurate.

  • Xwar

    >When you look at the two parties, I’d say that those results were fairly accurate.

    I tend to agree. Still, those are personality tests; they don’t tell us much about how the brain is actually wired. :-/

  • eXtester

    You could always claim the tests be flawed from the start as the person conducting the tests will have a personal opinion on the matter as well. So unless there was a complete outsider with nothing to gain there wont be an accurate test. Either way I could really care less. But I have to agree with  AnubisGOJ personality test. It would also be supported by the fact that liberals are usually younger as are many idealist. As people mature they become more conservative, and if they start a family they naturally place themselves in a protector role. Not saying all protectors are conservative, but its something that will get argued about.

  • Dennis

    Obviously a study conducted and "interpreted" by liberals.  The people who conducted the study and came up with the interpretation of the result better demonstrate the liberal mind than the studey does.

    that is liberals tend to take some given facts and totally miss interpret them to suite their own prejudice.

  • Scott

    This was a horrible study btw.  Had something like 26 self-described liberals and only 7 self-described conservatives and a couple of moderates.  Poor sampling.

  • Bud the Chud

    "Liberals ‘could be expected to more readily accept new social, scientific or religious ideas."

    If that were true then Al gore would actually look at the scientific evidence that Global Warming does not exists. He won’t even debate the worlds top scientiest on the facts. Liberals don’t accept religious idea’s. Look at the ACLU always crapping on anything christian. And conservatives aren’t the only ones single minded. Look at cindy shehan (sp?) and her screaming about how general Patreus is lying about the troop surge working. You can make those results say anything with deductive reasoning.

  • AnubisGOJ

    My personal study also showed that Republicans didn’t mind being called conservative, yet Democrats took offense at being called Liberal.

    They identified with "Progressive", but literally ran from the liberal moniker.

    Conservatives skewed older, mostly male.

    Liberals, younger and mostly female.