Political attitudes vary with physiological traits
Douglas R Oxley1, Kevin B Smith, John R Alford
1Department of Political Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|September 20, 2008
Summary
Political attitudes may have a biological basis, linked to physiological responses to threat. Lower sensitivity to threat correlates with liberal policies, while higher sensitivity aligns with conservative stances.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Political Science
Background:
- Political attitudes are traditionally attributed to individual experiences.
- Emerging research suggests a potential biological and physiological basis for political leanings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between physiological sensitivity to threat and political attitudes.
- To explore the biological underpinnings of political beliefs.
Main Methods:
- Assessed physiological responses to sudden noises and threatening visual stimuli in 46 adults with strong political beliefs.
- Correlated physiological sensitivity levels with stated policy preferences.
Main Results:
- Individuals with lower physiological sensitivity to threat favored policies like foreign aid, liberal immigration, pacifism, and gun control.
- Individuals with higher physiological sensitivity to threat supported defense spending, capital punishment, patriotism, and the Iraq War.
Conclusions:
- Physiological responsiveness to threat is a potential indicator of political orientation.
- These findings suggest that political advocacy may be influenced by an individual's innate threat-response system, impacting views on social structure protection.
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