rfenst
  • rfenst
  • Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter
15 years ago
Saw this on another site. Haven't researched its authenticity or subject matter. Just thought it was interesting and would be "enjoyed" here:


"Political Orientations Are Correlated with Brain Structure in Young Adults
Current Biology, Volume 21, Issue 8, 677-680, 07 April 2011
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
...

Summary

Substantial differences exist in the cognitive styles of liberals and conservatives on psychological measures [1]. Variability in political attitudes reflects genetic influences and their interaction with environmental factors [2,3]. Recent work has shown a correlation between liberalism and conflict-related activity measured by event-related potentials originating in the anterior cingulate cortex [4]. Here we show that this functional correlate of political attitudes has a counterpart in brain structure. In a large sample of young adults, we related self-reported political attitudes to gray matter volume using structural MRI. We found that greater liberalism was associated with increased gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, whereas greater conservatism was associated with increased volume of the right amygdala. These results were replicated in an independent sample of additional participants. Our findings extend previous observations that political attitudes reflect differences in self-regulatory conflict monitoring [4] and recognition of emotional faces [5] by showing that such attitudes are reflected in human brain structure. Although our data do not determine whether these regions play a causal role in the formation of political attitudes, they converge with previous work [4,6] to suggest a possible link between brain structure and psychological mechanisms that mediate political attitudes. "
JadeRose
15 years ago
Uuuhh....well......:-k 🤔




I like pie.
HockeyDad
15 years ago
...But my political leaning change on a daily basis. What does that mean? Shut up! Don't tell me to shut up, I'm typing here. I'll tell you to shut up if I want to. Oh yeah, well Vive le France. Stupid frog.
DrafterX
15 years ago
gringococolo
15 years ago
So the basic premis is liberals are ruled by emotions (irrational) and conservitaves are ruled by fear (rational).
DrMaddVibe
15 years ago
Look, I can look at an issue and research it pretty clearly without a preconcieved blemish.

I can be swayed and taught.

However, if it cuts across a personal conservative ideology that has served me well throughout my own life...then somebody show me the free lunch.

Somebody ALWAYS pays.

Give up the alphabet soup mindset. The R's, D's and I's have messed up our nation.

Break out the tar and feathers and stocks...it's past due.
DadZilla3
15 years ago

Break out the tar and feathers and stocks...it's past due.

DrMaddVibe wrote:


Bingo.
Brewha
15 years ago
To me, conservatism is born from an intolerance of ambiguity.
And they tend to be absolute moralists.
These are not signs of an analytical mind . . . .

Just say’n.
ZRX1200
15 years ago
So seeking an ambiguous answer rather than an absolute answer is analytical?

So you like the hunt more than the kill......

I like both.
FuzzNJ
15 years ago

So seeking an ambiguous answer rather than an absolute answer is analytical?

So you like the hunt more than the kill......

I like both.

ZRX1200 wrote:



I would also add the inability to properly understand and/or the deliberate misrepresentation of another person's opinions or statements.
Brewha
15 years ago

I would also add the inability to properly understand and/or the deliberate misrepresentation of another person's opinions or statements.

FuzzNJ wrote:



Actually, I don’t think ZR’s comments are ether. He was simply saying that he agreed – in an ambiguously analytical way.

And that hunt’n is fun, just like kill’n. Odd sort of comment I thought . . . . .
FuzzNJ
15 years ago

Actually, I don’t think ZR’s comments are ether. He was simply saying that he agreed – in an ambiguously analytical way.

And that hunt’n is fun, just like kill’n. Odd sort of comment I thought . . . . .

Brewha wrote:



Perhaps, but the comment that the answer would be ambiguous wouldn't necessarily be the case.
Brewha
15 years ago
Suddenly, I find myself surrounded by ambiguity.

But I feel I have the capacity to accept it – I think.
ZRX1200
15 years ago
So now you are a liberal by hypothesis!

I do agree but I don't think wanting a definitive answer is stogy analysis....... and I was just having fun with the hunting comment. Searching as opposed to finding.
wheelrite
15 years ago
What a crock,,,

They studied "Young Adults"
Most young adults,18-32 are apolitical and most lean to the left bcause they have'nt had to pay outrageous taxes and deal with other gov't bull chit...

I'm sure this study was funded by a Liberal Think Tank,,,
FuzzNJ
15 years ago

What a crock,,,

They studied "Young Adults"
Most young adults,18-32 are apolitical and most lean to the left bcause they have'nt had to pay outrageous taxes and deal with other gov't bull chit...

I'm sure this study was funded by a Liberal Think Tank,,,

wheelrite wrote:



lol
Brewha
15 years ago
In a vain attempt to dispel the ambiguity I have introduced;
I know many people who are uncomfortable with the fact that there are some things we will never know, or that the truth of a situation depends on your point of view. They insist on absolute answers – insisting that there is no room for interpretation;

Why are we here? Lots of answers on this one – no tangible proof. But it is very telling if a person approaches it as “no one really knows” or “there is only one answer”.

“Never believe your doubts and never doubt your believes” is a phrase that epitomizes conservative thinking.

“The truth is mutable” would be the liberal slant.
DrMaddVibe
15 years ago

In a vain attempt to dispel the ambiguity I have introduced;
I know many people who are uncomfortable with the fact that there are some things we will never know, or that the truth of a situation depends on your point of view. They insist on absolute answers – insisting that there is no room for interpretation;

Why are we here? Lots of answers on this one – no tangible proof. But it is very telling if a person approaches it as “no one really knows” or “there is only one answer”.

“Never believe your doubts and never doubt your believes” is a phrase that epitomizes conservative thinking.

“The truth is mutable” would be the liberal slant.

Brewha wrote:




Just wow.

No faith in your world?
Brewha
15 years ago

Just wow.

No faith in your world?

DrMaddVibe wrote:



Lots of faith in my world. Faith is good. So is a questioning mind.

Yes – you can have faith and still ask questions. After all, you can’t really have faith, until you admit you don’t know.
DrMaddVibe
15 years ago

Lots of faith in my world. Faith is good. So is a questioning mind.

Yes – you can have faith and still ask questions. After all, you can’t really have faith, until you admit you don’t know.

Brewha wrote:




Funny how you're trying to prove intolerance.

Telling.

Not quite the faith I was going on either...lots of definations.
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