Brain differences in political orientation

[Reba]

I was just kidding about the helmet. It is a good question, but one has to ask, did the tendency really change?

I don't know. I'm too emotionally rattled to think about it.

 

[Beowulf]

I don't know. I'm too emotionally rattled to think about it.

I know the feeling. I wouldn't consider myself liberal, nor conservative either. Arghhh.

 

[deafskeptic]

That would have more to do with activation centers in the brain and decreased functioning of particular synapses, not actual brain volume. Although chronic, severe, intractable depression has been linked to an overall reduction in gray matter particularly in the prefrontal cortex.

As for severe depression in my case and my niece Laura's case, it was due to low thyroid.. I wonder how that would affect the functioning of synapses? I would imagine that in some cases that would affect that. It's rare for low thyroid to be a cause of depression.

 

[DeafBadger]

Of course not, but I wouldn't immediately dismiss it out of hand, either.

I wouldn't either. I considered it for 10 seconds and then dismissed it.

It really sounds absurd to me. It makes more sense that people's political choices are based on what they perceive to be in their best interest or the interest of they group(s) they consider themselves to be part of. As well as their religious beliefs or secular values. The cultural soup that they are a part of is a more likely predictor of political orientation, in my opinion.

 

[Beowulf]

I wouldn't either. I considered it for 10 seconds and then dismissed it.

It really sounds absurd to me. It makes more sense that people's political choices are based on what they perceive to be in their best interest or the interest of they group(s) they consider themselves to be part of. As well as their religious beliefs or secular values. The cultural soup that they are a part of is a more likely predictor of political orientation, in my opinion.

Really? The more I think about it, the more I think it is true. Obviously, the different constructions of brains determine thoughts and actions; otherwise, everyone would be exactly the same. Take a village deep in the Amazon jungle, for example: everyone is exposed to the same culture and teachings, but some members become potters, others fighters, others teachers, and others healers, etc. The choices are made in that cultural soup and it best fits their "personality," which I think is determined by the inner workings of the brain.
I could be wrong, of course.

 

[jillio]

Fair enough, but it is just one single study that needs to be confirmed by further study. I wouldn't put a lot of weight on it.

There is plenty of research that support the findings of this study. In fact, this was a replication of earlier neurological studies. It simply applied it to a novel area: political orientation. You wouldn't question neurological implication involved in other areas of orientation, such as being oriented more toward math and science, or being oriented more introversion or extroversion, would you? I mean, that has been shown over and over and over. That is the same type of cognitive process involved in the tendency to politically orient toward a certain way of thinking and perceiving.

 

[rolling7]

Looks like this junk science forgot to account for the independents.

 

[jillio]

I wouldn't either. I considered it for 10 seconds and then dismissed it.

It really sounds absurd to me. It makes more sense that people's political choices are based on what they perceive to be in their best interest or the interest of they group(s) they consider themselves to be part of. As well as their religious beliefs or secular values. The cultural soup that they are a part of is a more likely predictor of political orientation, in my opinion.

It only sounds absurd if you are not willing to take a look at all of the information that supports it that has been collected over the years. Dismiss it if you so choose, but I can tell you what your automatic dismissal of new information that disagrees with your previous knowlege says about your brain.

 

[Reba]

What does this mean about the brains of people in other countries that don't have a two-party system?

 

[Beowulf]

What does this mean about the brains of people in other countries that don't have a two-party system?

I was thinking the same thing, and decided that explains why there are politicians anyway. They exhort others to listen to their fears and want them to be covered.

 

[deafskeptic]

"The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness"
Lyle H. Rossiter Jr., M.D.

That strategy works both ways.

I'm not familiar with your guy but even a cursory glance at his work makes me wonder if he's a creditable source in his field.

My guess is that he may be even less respected than Dr Phil on TV. I can see a lot of flaws in his thinking even in a brief glance at his excerpt.

I'm afraid that strategy only works with creditable sources and I'm pretty sure your man isn't one of them.

 

[jillio]

What does this mean about the brains of people in other countries that don't have a two-party system?

The same thing. These differences are related to different types of cognition and information processing. Just because this study related it to politcal orientation doesn't mean that it doesn't occur in other applications as well. In fact, it does occur in many other applications. But you must admit, that someone's political orientation is directly bound to the way they think and perceive information. So it was a natural application.

 

[Beach girl]

What does this mean about the brains of people in other countries that don't have a two-party system?

It means their politics will be a mess, but their arts, architecture, music and fashion will be exquisite.

Like Italy, for example. Or Brazil.

 

[deafskeptic]

I'm not familiar with your guy but even a cursory glance at his work makes me wonder if he's a creditable source in his field.

My guess is that he may be even less respected than Dr Phil on TV. I can see a lot of flaws in his thinking even in a brief glance at his excerpt.

I'm afraid that strategy only works with creditable sources and I'm pretty sure your man isn't one of them.

If he is at all respected in his work, then others in his field would make a lot of referrals to his work.

 

[deafskeptic]

It means their politics will be a mess, but their arts, architecture, music and fashion will be exquisite.

Like Italy, for example. Or Brazil.

Or they could be like the Soviet Union. :P

 

[Beach girl]

Or they could be like the Soviet Union. :P

No, they had a one-party system for too long. So all their brains must be alike, no doubt.

 

[Reba]

The same thing. These differences are related to different types of cognition and information processing. Just because this study related it to politcal orientation doesn't mean that it doesn't occur in other applications as well. In fact, it does occur in many other applications. But you must admit, that someone's political orientation is directly bound to the way they think and perceive information. So it was a natural application.

I'm asking about their political orientation. What if their country isn't divided into two political parties but into several? Or they have only one party? Or they have no parties?

 

[jillio]

It means their politics will be a mess, but their arts, architecture, music and fashion will be exquisite.

Like Italy, for example. Or Brazil.

Actually, that isn't what it means at all. You can see the existence of the same type of cognition and perception that we see in conservative political orientation in many different domains. It would still support the biological differences in these different ways of thinking and perceiving.

 

[Sunshine]

Canada not have two party system either.

 

[TXgolfer]

I'm asking about their political orientation. What if their country isn't divided into two political parties but into several? Or they have only one party? Or they have no parties?

And....how do they explain Senator Kevin from Prickly City?