Cognitive Reflection and the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election
Gordon Pennycook1, David G Rand1
11 Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin
|July 10, 2018
Summary
Cognitive reflection, or the tendency to think deeply, varied across political groups in the 2016 election. Trump voters were generally less reflective, especially Democrats who voted for Trump, compared to Clinton or third-party voters.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive psychology
- Political science
- Social psychology
Background:
- Previous research suggests a link between analytic thinking and liberalism.
- Understanding cognitive styles associated with political choices is crucial for political science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between cognitive reflection and political affiliation, ideology, and voting behavior.
- To explore how cognitive reflection influences political engagement and candidate preference.
Main Methods:
- A large-scale exploratory study with 15,001 participants.
- Analysis of cognitive reflection in relation to voting choices in the 2016 US Presidential Election.
- Comparison of cognitive reflection across different political affiliations (Democrat, Republican, third-party, nonvoter).
Main Results:
- Trump voters exhibited lower cognitive reflection compared to Clinton or third-party voters.
- The difference in reflection was largely driven by Democrats who voted for Trump.
- Among Republicans, Clinton and Trump voters showed similar reflection levels, while third-party voters were more reflective.
- Democrats/liberals were more reflective than Republicans/conservatives overall.
- Political moderates and nonvoters were least reflective; libertarians were most reflective.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive reflection is associated with political engagement, ideological orthodoxy, and candidate choice.
- Individuals may gravitate towards candidates and policies that align with their cognitive style.
- Findings extend beyond the analytic thinking-liberalism correlation, highlighting broader implications for political cognition.
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