Political Leanings May Show In Brain

Liberals and conservatives may handle mental conflict differently, according to new research on the brain.

The finding comes from researchers including David Amodio, PhD, a research scientist in New York University's psychology department. They scanned the brains of 43 adults during a conflict test.

As part of a confidential personality survey, participants rated their political orientation on a scale ranging from -5 (for extremely liberal) to +5 (for extremely conservative).

After finishing the survey, they donned stretchy caps studded with electrodes to scan their brains during the conflict test.

The test had nothing to do with candidates, votes, or prickly political issues. Participants watched a computer screen that displayed the letter "M" or "W" for a split second in rapid succession.

The researchers asked half of the group to press a computer key whenever they saw "M" but not "W." The other half of the group got the opposite assignment -- press the button for "W" but not "M."

Most of the time, participants saw the letter that was supposed to prompt them to press the computer key. But 20 percent of the time, they saw the other letter and were supposed to refrain from pushing the computer key.

Compared with conservatives, liberals were more likely to refrain from pressing the computer key when the wrong letter appeared. Liberals also showed more activity in a brain area called the anterior cingulate cortex, which is involved in monitoring conflicting information, note Amodio and colleagues.

"Although a liberal orientation was associated with better performance on the response-inhibition task examined here, conservatives would presumably perform better on tasks in which a more fixed response style is optimal," write the researchers.

The study appears in the advance online edition of the journal Nature Neuroscience.

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By Miranda Hitti
Reviewed by Louise Chang
(C)2007 WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved

[olgreyghost]

Hey, they only measured Authoritarians and Statists like liberals and conservatives! What about freedom-loving people like Libertarians and Anarchists? We have brains, too.

[thinkharder-]

WHY arent they spending this money on what it takes to help the soldiers minds who are coming back for ever changed instead of who can push an M or W!
Posted by OldThought

Um...last time I checked, neuroscience is pretty *** important. You can reduce the study down to button pushing all you want, that doesn''t take away from the fact that it atleast asks a good question...whether it answers it well is another issue. There is an obvious difference between the thought processes of conservatives and liberals, and I for one would like to see someone put their finger on it. This study seems to say to me nothing more than cons are stubborn and fairy automated in their reaction to information...nothing groundbreaking there I''m afraid.

[thinkharder-]

It takes conservatives to win the wars that require the long haul.
Posted by three-o-six

Or...neocons get us into an unjust war...further mismanage and incite social rebellion...get us stuck there trying to fix the *** mess...etc.
Conservatives are not more apt to perform well in wars that last a long time...they are more apt to get us stuck in wars that have no basis for victory and are dragged out indefinetely.

[Netterz]

WHY arent they spending this money on what it takes to help the soldiers minds who are coming back for ever changed instead of who can push an M or W! I would like to know who thinks this $hit up, pays for such an incomplete test, & why the public even buys into such ***. You arent born with a blue or red brain. Politics is a LEARNED behavior. You grow up listening to parents & other influences in your life. Grow older, you start to form your own opinions but unless your a rebel, generally stay with your beliefs. The idea that they even do these tests the funds that are wasted in such ***, makes me sick. Lets spend it on taking care of our OWN wounded sickseniors, something WORTHWHILE. Better yet, lets put this money into taking care of our soldiers that have paid the ulitmate price to come home to NOTHING. Houses gone, jobs gone, lives wiped out by the idiots in office that have never so much as had a paper cut, well enough a bullet run thru them, or an arm, leg, or more taken of by a road side bomb, and cant afford to take care of there families, and there families cant afford there health care and what it takes to take care of some one who needs, 24/7 health care. One of there fancy tailored suits could make a soldiers house payment.

[three-o-six]

This could also be interpreted that liberals are quick on their feet but have no staying power. It would explain why when liberals get involved with a war longer than a few weeks it can''t be won. It takes conservatives to win the wars that require the long haul.

[cosmicfluke]

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!

I LOVE IT!!

[glb1969]

SO now we have a biological basis as to why all republicans cannot make effective decisions and why/how they fail to obey the laws already written. One can only hope we develop an in utero test so we can prevent any further republican births.

[pepperp1]

What this describes is exactly what has happened Republicans cannot Lead and are better in the minority to yap at the heels of leaders. And what they attempted to substitute for leadership ability during this last failed attempt at power and the leadership void was char mastic Sect Leaders and attracted voters by building a collation and majority of the cult follower. Now a couple of more studies need to be done, how do these loons react when they loose their perception of legitimacy when the Adults take back our government, more Oklahoma Mc Vey types Branch Dravidian types maybe, and why are they also generally less attractive physically.

[myidoncbs]

This study doesn''t really answer the question, "were they born that way (brain damaged repugs), or did they become that way through poor upbringing or bad education or bad diet, etc.?" However, it does seem likely to be true that there is something seriously wrong with the brain development of most newcons, because they have studiously ignored reality in order to continue their mad rush towards anihilating all life on this planet.

For a related theory that explains their destructive behavior, see the book, The Authoritarian Specter, reviewed here:
http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog/ALTAUT.html

re: "conservatives would presumably perform better on tasks in which a more fixed response style is optimal," NOTE, however, the simgle most obvious fact of this world we live in: everything is constantly changing. Therefore, the "conservative" approach is rarely appropriate. You can''t just pick one thing to do, and keep doing it mindlessly, and expect good results.

Furthermore, the classic definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over, but expecting different results". Thus, the conservative brain is, by definition, insane. You may pity them, if you like, but keep them out of government. They are not fit to serve.

[pepperp1]

Republican math,

No political bench marks met,

In country longer than WWII
plus
3,800 dead solders,
plus
3 Billion a month being spent,
plus
33 Thousand Wounded soilders,
plus
Deficit increase to pay for war, 57 percent
plus
Tens of thousands of Iraq killed
plus
Est 2 Trillion with war benefits

Equals


Stay the Course, again deny no error admit no wrong. If we can stay 10 years, sacrifice 10,000 soldiers, and pay 10 Trillion dollars, thousands more Iraqis murdered then the ethic cleansing will be complete and violence will be much less, and we can win, pitiful poodle math.

We need to do our job as the People who are this Government and stay focused on the facts not the Republican Ruse dog and pony show and to remove these obstructionist amoral Senators like McConnell and his ilk from office. The American People should target and we should make clear the list of Republican Senators and Independents that have so pissed on the will of the People of this country and ensure they are not reelected. Do not do business with Republican donor companies and let them know why.

Call your Senator, choose life for our troops, and tell them to execute the will of the people not a perverted Political Party agenda. Make your voice heard.

[phone] for the Senate, and [phone] for the House